Matcha Tea

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is a type of green tea. It’s typically sold as a powder made from finely ground green tea leaves. Unlike other green teas, matcha contains the nutrients from the entire leaf. This means it has a higher concentration of antioxidants. For this reason, matcha is considered one of the most nutritious teas.

Matcha comes in 3 grades: ceremonial grade, premium grade, and cooking grade. Ceremonial grade is matcha that is good enough for use in tea ceremonies at Buddhist temples. Premium grade is high-quality matcha that is perfect for everyday drinking. Cooking grade matcha is the cheapest matcha and can be used for culinary purposes such as making matcha cheesecake, matcha ice cream, or matcha noodles.

Making matcha tea is the most common use of matcha powder. Matcha tea can be consumed hot or cold, with or without milk. Adding vegan milk to matcha tea, rather than simply water, makes it into a vegan matcha latte. We have selected the best vegan matcha tea for you so you can enjoy the cleansing power of this amazing drink. Buy organic matcha tea from PlantX today!

Top matcha tea brands to try

• Yogi Tea - Green Tea Passionfruit Matcha
  
  This light and aromatic green tea is infused with the tropical flavor of passionfruit. It contains lemongrass, licorice, and ginger root to give you a sweet and delicate drink to revive and refresh. And this is not just matcha, but a blend of green tea with matcha tea. That’s why it comes in bags and not powdered form!
  
  
• Lakanto - Matcha Latte
  
  This is an awesome blend of master grade matcha and monk fruit sweetener to help you make instantly delicious matcha lattes. This is powdered matcha and all you need to do is add hot water and stir. It’s loaded with L-Theanine and all natural.
  
  
• Jade Leaf - Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha
  
  This luxurious ceremonial grade matcha comes in 7 single-serving sachets of powder that can be used to make delicious hot or cold matcha drinks. The tea leaves come from Kyoto and Kagoshima and are ground into an ultra-fine powder for your convenience and enjoyment.
  
  
• Rishi - Sweet Matcha - Japanese Green Tea Latte Mix
  
  This sweet matcha tea latte mix is just beautiful! Rishi will help you make barista-quality matcha lattes from the comfort of your home. Try an iced matcha latte with coconut milk and a dash of agave syrup for sweetness.

Health benefits of matcha tea

Studies have shown that matcha tea contains more antioxidants than other forms of green tea. Antioxidants are thought to help lower our risk of many chronic diseases and may help prevent cell damage. Alongside antioxidants, matcha tea contains loads of vitamins including A, B, C, E, and K. Vitamin C and vitamin B are considered useful in boosting skin health.

Researchers have also found that matcha tea (as well as other green teas) can potentially lower cholesterol and therefore may be beneficial for heart health. Matcha tea is also rich in fiber, selenium, chromium, zinc, and magnesium.

The dose of caffeine that matcha tea delivers will give your energy boost, without leaving you jittery as coffee often does. Many matcha tea drinkers report that they experience smooth and extended alertness, without the “caffeine crash” that coffee drinking sometimes leads to. This is an area that needs more research to reach any concrete conclusions, but we like the sound of it!

Buy organic matcha tea today and see what it can do for you! As always, consult a medical professional if you are unsure about how plant-based matcha tea might affect your health.

What goes well with matcha tea?

Organic matcha tea can be enjoyed as a tea drink on its own, but there’s so much more to this green tea superfood! We’ve brought together a few ideas to expand your vegan matcha horizon…

• Try adding a spoonful of matcha powder to smoothies for a caffeinated kick! Drop a teaspoon of matcha tea powder into our Spicy Green Smoothie before blending.
  
  
• Grab some chia seeds and coconut creamer and make a vegan matcha coconut chia pudding! Simply mix chia seeds, matcha tea powder, a carton of coconut creamer, and a dash of maple syrup together and refrigerate overnight. Stir before serving and thin with a dash of water if desired.
  
  
• Mix a dash of matcha tea powder into some cooked white sushi rice along with rice vinegar, cilantro, and black sesame seeds, for a beautifully green and savory dish! Pair with some teriyaki tempeh or miso-roasted veggies.
  
  
• The delicate flavor of matcha tea also pairs well with vegan yogurt, ice cream, chocolate, lemon, and lots more. Cheesecakes, cookies, mochi, cupcakes, cocktails… get creative with vegan matcha tea recipes!

Ingredients used in matcha tea

Matcha tea powder is made from finely ground green tea leaves and nothing else. The high chlorophyll levels of the leaves give matcha tea its vibrant green color. Some of the vegan matcha tea that PlantX sells combines matcha tea powder with other ingredients. For example, organic matcha powder may be combined with coconut milk powder to make a powder intended for instant vegan matcha lattes.

The vegan matcha tea we sell in tea bag form is sometimes combined with other types of green tea leaves or even fruit flavorings. Check the ingredients list on each product page for a full breakdown. Many of our vegan matcha teas contain nothing but pure organic matcha tea powder.

On their own, these green matcha tea leaves have an aromatic, vegetal, earthy flavor. Some people like to add a bit of sweetness to the natural grassy taste of matcha tea. You can add sweetness to vegan matcha tea with a few drops of agave syrup, maple syrup, or a dash of organic coconut sugar. Check the information on each product page and package for more information on how to consume matcha tea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does matcha tea contain caffeine?

Matcha tea does contain caffeine and it is generally higher in caffeine than other types of green tea. Caffeinated drinks can help boost our energy and focus. The caffeine content of matcha tea depends on a few variables. It is affected by what type of leaves are used, how much powder you use, and how long you leave it to brew.

Generally speaking, matcha contains around 19-44mg of caffeine per gram. A standard serving of matcha tea powder is around ½ - 1 teaspoon (2-4 grams) which means it contains between 38-176 mg of caffeine. Buy matcha tea for a nutritious wake-up call!

Can I use coconut milk in matcha tea?

Coconut milk makes for a great addition to vegan matcha tea. You can use coconut milk with organic matcha tea powder to make a creamy matcha latte. Matcha tea latte can be enjoyed hot or cold and can be sweetened with a drop of agave or maple syrup.

You can alternatively use the thicker canned coconut milk with matcha tea powder to make a creamy and luxurious matcha dessert such as pudding, mousse, or vegan ice cream. Pair a vegan matcha tea dessert with some fresh fruit for one of the healthiest desserts going!

Does matcha tea contain calories?

Matcha tea contains minimal calories when brewed into a cup of tea. One cup of matcha tea (using one teaspoon of matcha tea powder) contains around 3 calories. However, if you mix it with anything other than water, this calorie count will change. A matcha latte made with vegan milk will have more calories than matcha tea made with water.

The number of calories depends on how much vegan milk you use, and which vegan milk you use. Adding maple syrup or other sweeteners will also increase the calorie count of matcha tea. To work out the calories, check the nutritional information on the pages or packages of the products you are using.

Can matcha tea cause liver damage?

Matcha tea is considered incredibly safe but, as with anything, you should exercise moderation. In extremely rare cases, there have been reports of individuals who consume an excess of green tea developing herbal hepatotoxicity, which causes damage to the liver.

These cases are incredibly rare and have mainly been reported in relation to highly concentrated green tea extract supplements rather than drinking regular green tea. Researchers found that liver functioning returned to normal after the individual stopped consuming green tea/green tea supplements. If you are unsure about how matcha tea might affect you, consult a medical professional.