Matcha Green Tea is Japanese green tea leaves in powder form, and is often used when conducting a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. This rite is almost considered to be sacred in solemnity. Unlike the brewing of other teas, when preparing Matcha, boiling water is not used. Thick tea or “koicha” is derived from leaves that have been aged for 30 years or more. Thin tea, better known as “usucha” comes from leaves aged less than 30 years. Matcha Green Tea powder is concentrated; therefore, it can contain more potent characteristics of green tea, such as a high concentration of antioxidants, reservatrol and beta-carotene.

As a component of the Japanese tea ceremony, Matcha Green Tea can be bitter. The taste  is counteracted by the traditional sweets that are served to guests before the presentation of the tea. The teacup or “chawan” is turned clockwise three (3) times by guests before drinking. When finished, guests are expected to slurp their appreciation, wipe where their lips touched the cup with their hand and turn it counterclockwise before returning the teacup to the host.
While this practice seems intricate to those of us living in the West, we should take note that few of us engage in any ritual practices in our home unless we are celebrating a religious holiday. It might not be a bad idea to add the practice of some sort of ritual to our daily lives.

The claims for Matcha Green Tea abound, due to the aforementioned concentrations. In the rush for the “quick health fix” by the average consumer, the contraindications of ingesting a high concentration of antioxidants can be ignored. Such a mistake could have dire consequences.
It is best to consult a health practitioner when considering non-ceremonial use of Matcha Green Tea.