How to Start

    • 🍵Start by preparing your tea with one teaspoon of Matcha until you get used to it.
    • 🍵Drink a glass of water before you start or put a bit of food in your stomach. Some people get nauseous if having a Matcha on an empty stomach - half a banana is good for me as I dislike eating when I first arise.
    • 🍵Prepare to be in a good mood. L-theanine alters the amounts of dopamine and serotonin that the brain releases, improving the feeling of well-being. Memory also improves and you may remember what you came in the room for. Dopamine in the brain.
    • 🍵You may even become a morning person!

    • Is Coffee like sugar?

    • I love coffee. I drank a lot of coffee. I live in Seattle. Starbucks was born here and there is a coffee shop on every street. My body developed a tolerance and I far exceeded the 400mg daily recommended allowance. The caffeine from coffee starts with a high and ends with a crash, just like the sugar crash and burn cycle. It causes a spike in adrenaline, glucose and insulin levels, which create the jitters. Matcha balances caffeine with L-theanine for a 4-6 hour focused energy boost without anxiety.

    Matcha Tea - Modern Way

  • Matcha Green Tea using Milk Frother
    The milk frother was a wedding gift!
      • Laziest Way: 抹茶
    • Add 1 tsp Matcha to Frother.
    • If necessary, loosen clumps with a fork.
    • Add cup of warm tap water to the milk frother - it will warm the water.
    • It is lukewarm, though.
    • Add a dash of your choice of milk.
    • or Heat up some water in a small pan -Take off heat just before it boils.
    • 🍵The tea experts say the better the Matcha - the lower the water temperature should be.
    • 🍵Matcha burns with boiling water - optimal temp is 185 degrees. If you accidentally boiled the water, pour it into a teacup and let it sit for a minute. I tested the water with a thermometer and boiling water cools down really fast.
    • 🍵When I first tried Matcha I would add a dash of milk and a dash of orange juice for sweetness, now I just add a dash of Almond Milk or Coconut Milk. Experiment with what you like.

    How to Buy


    Look for Matcha tea powder.

    I do not get the ceremonial blend, the culinary blend is less expensive and fine for drinking.

    The Matcha Tea bags in the grocery store are not the same. They contain pieces, stems, and veins. Matcha Tea Powder consists of the whole leaves of the Matcha plant. You would need to drink 10 cups of tea bag Matcha to get the same result of one cup of the Matcha Tea Powder.

    Read Ingredients Label

    Ingredients should read: "100% Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder. | Product of Japan |" No Sugar allowed.
    Not all powdered brands are equal. At my priciest Health Food Grocery, 'Sugar' was the first item on the ingredient label.

    Putting sugar in it can eliminate health benefits says Harvard Medical. Cow's milk has a protein in it that diminishes Matcha's health benefits. Putting a dash of orange juice in it just the right amount of sweetness. Using Coconut Milk or Almond Milk required no sweetening.

    Even better if it's from Shizuoka prefecture if you're concerned about radiation.


    Try Amazon or Trader Joe's

    I like Live Well Compass Culinary Green Tea. (The label says that it has 762 Mgs of caffeine, but that is a mistake and it contains 16-24 mg per 1/2 teaspoon.)
    Trader Joe's has a good Matcha Tea Powder, which is possibly my favorite but when I contacted Trader Joe's to find out where it was made they said,
    "Due to our disclosure contract for our Trader Joe's private label, we do not disclose specific information concerning our product suppliers.
    Thank you,
    Nicki K.
    Trader Joe's
    Customer Relations"
    It has 7 premeasured packets. Don't get their Matcha Latte Powder as first ingredient is sugar.
    Jade Leaf Matcha: I tried this after drinking Matcha for two months. It is from the Uji region (Kyoto Prefecture) in Japan. It is listed as an Amazon "Favorite." More expensive, a bit more bitter than the rest. I was nauseous after I drank this - but I drank it on an empty stomach. I don't like having food the moment I get up, so I won't re-purchase. The other brands did not cause this reaction on an empty stomach.

    Don't get 'Maca'

    Once I bought "Maca Powder" in a hurry - same color bag - only to find it was for sexual ailments. Ooops! Matcha Tea comes from Japan, not Peru.

    Where it's From

    Japan suffered a Nuclear Meltdown during the 2011 Tsunami. Prefetures near Fukushima - Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Shizuoka, Tochigi, and Kanagawa were pulled from export by the Prime Minister of Japan. Teas from western Japan regions of Uji, Kyoto, and Kyushu Island (Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Yame prefectures) were never found to have radiation. Complete Story
  • Starbucks uses a blend that adds sugar.

    Matcha Tea - Ancient Cermonial Way

  • Ancient Japanese Matcha Tea Ceremony
    The whisk is used in the ceremonial tea.
    I am not an expert on the Japanese Tea Ceremony, so I will not attempt to explain.

  • すみません

  • 1. Sift 1 tsp matcha into a cup using a small sifter.
  • 2. Add 1oz hot water. Boiling water will burn Matcha.
  • Use a little pan and take off heat when bubbles appear on bottom of pan or temp is 185.
  • 3. Whisk HARD in a W motion until the tea is frothy.
  • 4. Enjoy.

    Matcha Smoothie

  • Matcha Green Tea using Milk Frother
  • Mix 1 tablespoon Matcha with 1/4 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup milk of your choice.
  • Blend. Taste it - you might just like it this way.
  • Add a handful of baby Kale, which is less bitter than grown up Kale.
  • It compliments the Matcha taste, and doesn't take over.
  • I added a pear and and the sun came out in Seattle.

    • You can substitute a banana or mango for the pear.

Why Matcha and not just green tea?

  • Matcha Tea is shaded right before harvest - chlorophyll and theanine levels build. Next Matcha tea is steamed immediately and ground into a powder. All other teas are fermented (oxidized), like when you leave an apple out on the counter. Matcha powder only uses the green leaves, instead of stems and veins found in tea bags. So you are consuming the whole tea leaf and because Matcha isn't oxidized, all the antioxidants remain in the leaf.

    • Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, which damage cells. Matcha has the highest oxygen radical absorbence capacity (ORAC) in the super-food realm, at about 1384 units per gram (or serving).

    Oxygen levels in Matcha Tea vs. other superfoods
    Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry: Lipophilic and Hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States

    Smart and relaxed

  • Theanine gives alertness and focus for 4-6 hours. I read about a surgeon who always drinks it prior to surgery. It has less caffeine than coffee, and I don't get the jitters and I get a lot done. One study shows that theanine reduced the number of errors made in a test of attention. If you drink it, you will be instantly smart. You will remember what you came into that room for.

    • Theanine relaxes a body as it boosts levels of GABAs, serotonin and dopamine. Theanine is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier where it positively increases alpha brain activity. This, in turn, stimulates GABA, a neurotransmitter which regulates anxiety by reducing impulses in the brain. Gabba acts as "the biochemical 'brakes' your brain needs to slow down your anxious or fretful thoughts."
    Dr Amen - Brain Doctor

    Milk in your Tea

      Cow's milk is 82% milk protein and is called "casein." Matcha is high in a catechin (antioxidant) called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which has cancer-fighting effects on the body. Caseins in milk make a chemical bond with catechin in the tea, and diminish the health benefits of the Green Tea.

    I saw a study comparing Japanese tea drinkers and UK tea drinkers, I decided to eliminate the cow's milk in the tea. The UK population add milk and had shorter life spans than the Japanese who do not.

    "Soy milk has almost as much protein as milk and some of these proteins are suspected to behave similar to casein in binding tea antioxidants. So if you want to ensure you get the most antioxidants out of your tea, I suggest having a green tea with an alternative milk that is low in protein, such as almond milk. Oat milk will have more protein than almond milk, but less than regular milk or soy."
    Stephen Lo, Bobarista and Masters in Chemistry candidate, USF

    Protein Chart of Different Milks

    Matcha Latte

  • Matcha Green Tea using Milk Frother
  • 1 cup of sugarless almond milk
  • (I prefer to put in half water / half milk)
  • Dash of orange juice. (or not)
  • Turn on the milk frother.

    Radiation Concerns

    The nuclear meltdown occured in Fukushima in 2011.
  • The US Food and Drug Administration lists a history of Japanese food product prohibited from import into the US due to unacceptable radiation levels. Import Alert 99-33 I have pulled some information from that about tea.
    "The following prefectures are in the closest proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant: Fukushima, Gunma Ibaraki, and Tochigi... On June 2, 2011, the Japanese Prime Minister ordered the addition of tea leaves to the group of products previously restricted from distribution into the market from the Ibaraki, Tochigi, Kanagawa, Gunma and Chiba prefectures... From June 1, 2012 to July 10, 2013, the Japanese Prime Minister also ordered the removal of tea leave products from the group of products restricted from the Chiba, Gunma, Kanagawa, and Tochigi prefectures... ...February 2015, Tea leaves were removed from export restrictions from the Ibaraki prefecture..."
    Shizuoka, #1 Exporter of Tea is 224 miles from Fukushima.
    Areas outlined in yellow were restricted from import, but restrictions were lifted in 2015.
    "Japan has set stringent limits on the amount of cesium allowed in food, 12 times stricter than the United States." Washington Post, Simon Denyer, Feb 20, 2019
    Eight years after Fukushima’s meltdown, the land is recovering, but public trust is not
    San Diego Fox - December 27, 2019 Japan’s government considers dumping radioactive water in ocean
    • The UN
    "From May 2011 to May 2013 the reduction in the 137Cs concentration in tea leaves was greater than that predicted by the FARMLAND model for leafy green vegetables [H5]. "
    Caesium-137 (137 55Cs ), or radiocaesium, is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as one of the more common fission products by the nuclear fission of uranium-235 and other fissionable isotopes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
    2017 Report from UN
    This paper was in the UN's Report on Radiation in Japan, listed in the footnotes. Pruning Helped decrease the levels which dropped exponentially. Time series changes in radiocaesium distribution in tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.)) after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.
  • China is the #1 Tea Exporter in the world. They did not eliminate lead in gas until 2000. Lead from gasoline fumes goes into the soil. Be aware of the pollution and pesticides from tea from China. Pesticides in Tea in China

Matcha Iced Tea

  • 2 cups water
    2 teaspoons Matcha.     2 cups ice
    1 lime, sliced
    handful of mint

      • Matcha & Cocao Energy balls

      I have one of these later in the day as they have caffeine in them.
        • Matcha Green Tea Chocolate Energy Ball Sugar Free
          A lot of energy ball use protein powder, but I just couldn't figure out what 'Natural Chocolate Flavor' was...
        • 2 cups Medjool dates
        • 1 cup raw almonds
        • 5 tblsp Cocao [no sugar added]
        • 2 tsp matcha green tea powder + more for dusting
        • 2 tsp melted coconut oil
          • [Food processor necessary. The dates got stuck in immersion blender and too much left at the bottom in the Vitamixer blender.]
          • Add dates, cocao, almonds to a food processor and pulse until they almost come together into a one big ball.
            Add 4 tblsp cocao in and taste it to see if you prefer more.
          • Don't overprocess or they won't stick together.
          • There will be crumbles on the bottom of the processor - leave them - and don't wash dishes yet.)
          • Break up ball and add in cocoa powder, matcha powder and coconut oil.
          • Process until all ingredients have been combined and form into a large sticky ball again.
          • Put in fridge for fifteen minutes.
          • Place ball and crumbs on parchment paper or waxed paper on your countertop.
          • Roll into 10 small balls and dust with more matcha powder.
          • You will notice there's a large amount of crumbs on the bottom
          • that won't form into balls.
          • Put those back in the food processor.
          • Add in 5 more dates and 2 more tblsps of melted coconut oil.
          • (No more Matcha)
          • Pulse until ingredients combined. Make into more balls.
          • Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks or longer in freezer.

      Coconut Matcha Energy balls

    • 1 cup rolled oats
    • 1/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut unsweetened
    • 2 tblsp chia seeds
    • 2 tblsp Matcha Green Tea, plus more for rolling
    • 1/2 cup nut or seed butter of choice peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter
    • 2 tblsp almond milk or water
    • 2 tblsp melted coconut oil
      Roll into 10 small balls and dust with more matcha powder. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks or longer in freezer.

      Nutty Matcha Energy balls/bars

      Make either no-bake energy balls or cook into bars.
    • 1 cup of oats
    • 1 cup of chia seeds
    • 1 cup of almonds
    • 2 bananas
    • 2 Tbsp of almond butter (or peanut butter or melted coconut oil)
    • (mixing a cup of almonds and a pinch of salt in the food processor
      makes almond butter)
    • 2 Tbsp of flax powder
    • 2 ½ tsp of Culinary Grade Matcha
    • 1/4 cup dehydrated pears, in small bits

      • This

    • No Bake Sugar Free Energy Balls

      • Toast the oats, seeds, nuts on parchment paper in the oven for 10 minutes at 375. If making bars, leave the oven on. Place the oat mixture & pears in a large bowl. In a food processor, pulse the bananas, almond butter, flax powder and Matcha until smooth. Add the wet ingredients into the oat bowl and toss it like a salad. if you’re making the no bake energy balls, shape into balls. Refrigerate the energy balls for at least 1 hour.

    • Energy Bars
      • With matcha tea, heat does not destroy the nutrients - unlike most foods that have been cooked.

      If you’re making the energy bars, take the oat mixture and press it into a parchment lined 8" baking pan. Bake the pan for 25-35 minutes until the mixture is golden on top and crispy on the edges. Slice into bars. Store the fridge for two weeks.