4 Great Ways You Can Use Matcha In Your Food

Matcha is becoming a popular ingredient in many items found in the supermarkets these days. It is a bright green tea powder that has been used over centuries by the Buddhist monks.

Matcha has a great amount of healthy attributes and benefits for the human body. It is a rich source of antioxidants that help fight diseases and free radicals that are not good for the body. It is an energy booster and provides a calming effect. It can keep cholesterol levels low, promoting cardiovascular health.

While purchasing matcha, it is important to have some basic knowledge of it like the look, smell, taste, and appearance.

Some Basics Of Matcha

All matcha are not the same. Here are the basics of good-quality matcha that you need to know.¹

• Look: Bright green, rich, fresh-looking powder
• Smell: A sweet, vegetable-fresh smell
• Taste: Thick, sweet taste with no astringency or bitterness
• Touch: Good-quality matcha feels smooth and thick like a face cream; bad-quality matcha will be grainy and dry
• Appearance: Rich, bright deep green in color when brewed

There are three different grades of matcha. These include the following:²

• Ceremonial grade: This is the highest grade and is best used for drinking. It is recommended not to mix it with any other food.
• Premium grade: This grade matcha can be used on a daily basis and can be used for cooking and drinking.
• Ingredient grade: This is also known as cooking matcha and is usually added to other foods to add color, aroma, and taste. This grade is relatively cheaper and has a stronger flavor.

The first most popular way of using matcha is brewing it into a tea. Here’s how you can prepare matcha tea the traditional way.³

How To Prepare Traditional Matcha Tea

You will need

• Matcha – ½ teaspoon
• Water – 1 glass
• A bamboo whisk or an electric hand-held whisk

How To Prepare

• Add ½ teaspoon matcha to your bowl.
• To this, add a small amount of warm water, not boiling water as it can burn the leaves.
• Whisk the matcha and water using the bamboo whisk or an electric hand-held whisk. The traditional way of preparing matcha tea is by whisking it with a bamboo whisk.
• Top up with warm water and enjoy the tea right away.

Matcha tea is not the only way you can use matcha. You can add them to your breakfast, drinks, desserts, smoothies, and so much more. Here are a few delicious ways you can use matcha.

4 Delicious Ways To Use Matcha In Your Food

1. Peach And Apple Juice (Serves 1)

This fresh and sweet drink will quench your summer thirst in no time. The addition of Greek yogurt only makes it better.

Ingredients

• 1 peach, peeled
• 100 ml apple juice
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• Honey to taste
• Ice to serve

How To Prepare

• Add all the ingredients – peach, apple juice, Greek yogurt, matcha powder, and honey – in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Serve this juice over ice.

2. Matcha Chia Breakfast Pudding (Serves 2)

If you are bored of the usual breakfast cereals, try this healthy matcha chia breakfast pudding for a change.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of hemp or almond milk
• 2 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp matcha powder
• 6 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries

How To Prepare

• Blend the milk, maple syrup (optional), vanilla extract, and matcha powder in a blender until smooth.
• Pour this liquid over the chia seeds that are placed in a bowl. Stir this mixture.
• Stir again after every few minutes for about 15 minutes.
• Allow the mixture to set at least for an hour in the fridge. You can also place this in the fridge overnight.
• Stir the mixture again and serve with berries.

3. Matcha Green Tea Frozen Coconut Bars (Makes 6 Popsicles)

This can be a healthy favorite among kids as well as adults. This is a dairy-free recipe too.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp matcha powder
• 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
• 1¼ water

How To Prepare

• Hold a fine-mesh sieve and let matcha powder pass through it into a bowl so that lumps, if any, are broken.
• Whisk ¼ cup of hot water into the bowl and stir the mixture until lumps disappear.
• To this mixture, add another cup of water and the coconut milk and mix well.
• Pour this mixture into ice-pop molds at least for 5 hours.
• If you don’t have ice-pop molds, you can use plastic cups.
• After freezing the mixture for about an hour, insert an ice-pop stick into each mold or cup.

4. Matcha Banana Smoothie (Serves 1)

You can satisfy your milkshake-craving with this healthy smoothie.

Ingredients

• 1 banana, sliced and frozen
• 1 cup unsweetened milk of your choice
• 1½ tsp honey or agave nectar
• 1 tsp matcha powder

How To Prepare

• Peel and slice a banana and freeze it for an hour or two.
• Add the frozen banana slices, milk, honey and matcha powder in a blender and blend it until smooth.
• Transfer the smoothie to a tumbler and enjoy right away.

Try these easy, healthy recipes and spread the word about the delicious ways you can use matcha in your food.