Matcha tea: preparation, health and variations
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Matcha tea is gaining popularity in the Netherlands. This bright green powder comes from Japan and China and is used to make tea. In addition to being nice to drink the tea, it also has health benefits. This is mainly because matcha is rich in important amino acids. It is sold in powder form and the preparation is very simple. Too bitter for your taste? Matcha powder is also available in flavors.
Matcha tea
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What is matcha? Tradition and preparation methods Preparation Matcha as a superfood Availability of matcha in the Netherlands
What is matcha?
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Matcha is a very fine green powder made from green tea from Japan and China. The special thing about this tea variety is that it grows in the shade and the stems and leaf veins are also removed during processing. By keeping the leaves out of sunlight, the chlorophyll level increases and more amino acids are produced, including significantly theanine.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Tradition and preparation methods
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In China and Japan, the production and drinking of matcha tea is surrounded by a lot of tradition. These traditions can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. At that time they used tea blocks in which the tea was pressed. At that time such blocks were even used as a means of payment. Today, the use of tea blocks is less common. Making tea with powder has not been popular for a long time, but has also been on the rise in China since the 21st century. In China there are two typical preparation methods of matcha: thick (koicha) and thin (usucha).
Preparation
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First of all, to prepare koicha the tea is sieved with the help of a sieve and wooden spatula or smooth stone to prevent chunks in it. Then the powder can be scooped into a bowl. This gets hot - not boiling! - added water of about 70 to 85 degrees Celsius, after which it must be stirred well until there are no more lumps or loose tea powder in the liquid. No milk or sugar is added to the matcha. Because it can be bitter, wagashi is often used, a sweet that is often made from red bean paste or aduki bean paste. For one cup of tea, use about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of powder.
Matcha as a superfood
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Nowadays matcha is widely used in the Western world as a superfood. The amino acids contained in matcha are very healthy. In addition, the taste of the tea also appears to be successful in the west, making it no punishment to drink it. The theanine it contains is known to provide a boost similar to that of caffeine, except that the well-known crash you can experience when worn out with theanine does not occur. The theanine helps you concentrate and is even said to help control anxiety.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Availability of matcha in the Netherlands
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Powder for making matcha tea yourself is available in the Netherlands from the brands Mattison, WHC and Amanprama. In addition, there are also tea bags with which you can make tea with matcha flavor. Because it is often an artificial flavor, these bags do not have the health benefits of the powder.
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Powder for making your own matcha tea is available in the Netherlands from the brands Mattison, WHC and Amanprama. In addition, there are also tea bags with which you can make tea with matcha flavor. Because it is often an artificial flavor, these bags do not have the health benefits of the powder.