**REVIEW** Pure Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea

Green tea is one of those things that is so good for you, but hard to fit into the daily (Westernized) lifestyle. If I drank green tea the way I drink coffee...

What I like about matcha is that I can do one cup a day and feel like I've had lots more than that. I've tried other brands and am always on the lookout to try more. I got this in and gave it the first try today:

I love the color of matcha green tea. The taste is something that takes getting used to. For me, I've learned just how much to use for a cup (depending on if I plan on doing 1 cup or 2 on a particular day), and I've learned how to sweeten it to my personal taste. Before I get to all that, though, let's talk some of the positives about this particular one from Nature's Nectar.

Just as with anything else that I do for my health and well-being, when I use a food or beverage, I want to know that I'm getting good quality. One of the first things I noticed on the product page for this matcha is that it's "lab tested for purity".

In the U.S. we look to the USDA for regulations of agriculture, and this tea has the stamp. In addition, this matcha also bears the stamp of the JAS - or Japanese Agricultural Standards. From what I have read and heard, the JAS has strict standards. That's nice to know. I'm not sure, but I think that the Japanese might be stringent when it comes to labeling a tea as "ceremonial grade".

It's been a while since I've reviewed a tea so let me go again over the benefits.

The biggie for a lot of people is that green tea is supposed to be a metabolism booster. Of course, that would translate (I'd hope) to weight loss, right? The other thing that the tea is good for is general relaxation and stress relief. That's the one that I like. Most of all, This matcha has an all natural Amino Acid called L-Theanine which supports energy and focus and mental clarity. (I should be drinking more than one or two servings a day!)

By the way, when I checked online to find out more about "L-Theanine", I found a Wikipedia article discussing the use of it in Japan. This article claims that "Theanine is used to help with anxiety, blood pressure control, mood, and cognition". I have to check out more info about that, but I found it interesting on the surface.

Like I said, I've learned how to use matcha to suit my tastebuds. I usually add the smallest amount of sweetener to it. In the past several months, I've primarily been using honey for my go-to sweetener. Tupelo honey (being so extremely sweet, IMO), is the one I like for this tea. I don't have to use a lot of the honey because I generally gulp the tea down as fast as I can.

Another (and my favorite) way to get my fix of matcha is to add it to smoothies. Until recently, I'd even been adding matcha to ice creams. Go ahead and laugh, but I thought that as long as I was going to be "bad" I might as well me good at the same time. There's a slight problem with that plan though.

I can't remember where I read this, but it was in n article or post all about teas. When someone asked about adding cream, milks, and sugars, it was pointed out why that isn't as healthy. Aside from the fact that those things add calories, the dairy also does something to lessen some of the healthy properties of the tea. I can't remember now exactly what the claim was but I'll update if I find the source again.

In addition to the health benefits, I know that some people consider other issues so I'll point out a couple more things. This matcha is pure. It's non-GMO, gluten-free and free of preservatives. I appreciate that the can is labeled on the bottom with a 'Use by" date.

I'll mention that The Daily Tea talks about the pricing of matcha. Also, notice that there is a Recipes page (for all types of teas) on the site.

So, go on, go and get your green on.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: via Tomoson, I received one or more of the products mentioned in this post at no charge & in exchange for doing a fair & unbiased review.

**REVIEW** Organic Ceremonial Grade Green Tea Powder by Midori Spring

After my failed first attempt at getting my hands on Matcha powder, I was fortunate enough to get a chance to try this one:

Pop top & then a screw on lid for freshness control

This is Midori Spring's Organic Ceremonial Premium Japanese Green Tea Matcha Powder.  It's actual Matcha powder, no fillers and, judging by the results I got, there's no half-stepping on the quality.

Of course, I had to judge my results against what I get with regular green tea and what I got with this tea powder. Here is what the product claims to do:

• Increase energy levels
• Help reduce stress and improve mental alertness
• Support metabolism and help with weight loss
• Support immune system and help reduce inflammation
• Help the body cleanse of harmful elements

Of course, all this is pretty much what regular green tea has been touted as doing. The thing is, a good quality powdered tea leaf is supposed to be more beneficial than regular green tea. This brand claims to have over 7 times the antioxidants found in regular steeped tea.

The first things I noticed about the Midori Spring product was how very talc-fine it is and the vibrantly green color. Let me tell you, this is nothing like that low-grade, filler-pumped product I talked about yesterday...

I received this product at the perfect time to test its energy-boosting claims. My body has been just dragging lately. I've been so fatigued and weighed down by this recurring cold/virus that I could hardly get out of bed for more than a few hours a day over the last couple of weeks. I can tell that the powder is an energy boost, although with the state my body is in, that boost only lasted for a few hours at a time. In spite of this, I was able to judge the results of the powder against the boost I get from my usual dose of caffeine via coffee.

The biggest difference between this powder and my coffee is that the powder didn't jitter me up. I got a nice boost from using just about a teaspoon full of the powder. And that is in spite of the fact that I haven't been following the brewing instructions:

Yeah. I don't own the proper equipment for the traditional brewing method. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a bamboo whisk.

The first time I used the powder, I used a fork as a whisk. The color was amazingly beautiful and I did get the foamy texture, which was pretty cool. The thing is, I think I used too much. The tea was too strong, or at least it tasted too strong for me. Or maybe I'm not used to the powdered version of green tea.

It's upside down (thanks Blogger) but you see the color
and the fine powder

About the taste: it's a very veggie-leafy-green flavor. Think of what regular green tea tastes like and magnify that by 10. Drinking it hot seems to increase that taste, but the tea is made in such small amounts that it's doable even for someone who might not like the flavor. Also, the color is so beautiful. The tea ends up looking very frothy/creamy - even whisking it with a fork.

Whatever the case, because I do want to get the benefits, and I don't always have time to use the suggested traditional brewing method. I was glad to find that there are other ways to use the tea. You can add it to other things (soups, smoothies, etc.), but I found a way to use it more often during the day.

What am doing now is adding the powder to different beverages. I like using apple juice, Ginger Ale or plain seltzer water. The apple juice and ale have calories I don't need, but they have a flavor to mask the powder. The seltzer water is good though because of the fizz. I can add just a little bit of juice or ale to it and get some flavor without all the calories. Adding the powder to meals throughout the day is probably the best way to get a good intake of the powder. I am anxious to try adding it to soups and smoothies.

I've only been using the powder for about a week, so I can't tell anything about most of the claims, but I started the energy boost more and more with each day. I still have this cold and the gloomy weather draining me, but when I replace my coffee with the powder, I feel a bit of a lift. Also, I'm still trying to see if my stress level is evening out. I can say that the powder does not give me the over-hyped feeling of my coffee. It's strange how you can be tired and jittery if you do too much caffeine.

What I like about the Midori Spring brand of Matcha is that their powder seems to be of such high quality. The packaging is made to keep the product fresh. Note that the Midori brand -

• Is certified Kosher and organic
• Is gluten-free, GMO-free 
• Contains no pesticides
• Is free of fillers (such as soy, etc.)

When I posted about powdered tea yesterday, I noted a few things that make for a quality product. Notice that Midori meets the criteria for being from "first harvest" and grown in the shaded conditions. 

I will keep using the powder to see about the other claims (especially the weight loss), but for now, I will take what can get as far as the energy.

From what I have heard about regular green tea, you need to get at least 8 cups a day for full benefit. For now, I'm adding about a teaspoon of the powder into my beverages 2 or 3 times a day (since day before yesterday) to see if it helps. One benefit is that I'm cutting back on my coffee and other less healthy drinks, so at least I'm cutting out some calories. I can't wait to see how I feel in a couple of weeks.

Remember that Matcha - or at least a good one - is made from the whole tea leaf. Think of the benefits of regular green tea:

• Aid in weight loss
• 8 Benefits (a slideshow but worth it)
• 11 More Benefits (some of which are new to me)

Now remember that Matcha is processed differently to boost those benefits to a whole other level. And as far as some of the benefits of the powdered tea:

• Some "proven" benefits
• And some benefits I mentioned above in the post
• Top 3 benefits (with some explanation)

the way I look at it, if I'm going to ingest something or its health benefits, it's nice to have something I can add to food and drink. 

Midori Spring offers a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee of refunding or product exchange.

Matcha has been used in Asia for centuries, and I'm glad that we are picking up on the benefits of this powder here. Just remember: go for quality.

I want to mention that you might want to check out this link. Midori Spring is having a giveaway. Good chance to try out the product...

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

About Matcha Tea (a pre-review post)

You have probably started hearing a lot about something called Matcha. In my opinion, it's in the category of About to Trend. Hard and heavy.

I've had a chance to try a couple types of Matcha - one sponsored and one that I picked up at my local health food store. Since I'm going to be posting a review of the sponsored product very soon, I wanted to go over some of the basics about Matcha in general. First thing to know is, there's nothing really "basic" about Matcha. I feel like I'm having to learn a new language just to understand this product.

Let's start with a little of what I am coming to understand about matcha:

• Matcha tea is powdered, but not all powdered tea is matcha. 
• Matcha is also, I believe, grown in the shade.
• Matcha is prepped for serving (to drink) than regular tea.
• Matcha tea is from the whole leaf, the tenderest parts of the leaf, and is often used ceremonially.

To make matters  just a little bit more confusing, in addition to the types of green tea, and types of matcha, there are different grades of the teas. Yikes.

I'm determined to kinda, sorta understand this Matcha tea though. If the terminology doesn't trip me up. Here are some of the different types of Matcha:

• Usucha - or "thin" tea, is from sprouts younger than a certain age. (source)
• Koicha - "thick" tea, is usually more expensive because it comes from rarer tea plants.
• Tencha -  In Japan, this is the only tea that qualifies as"true matcha" and it is made from the delicate shade-grown tea leaf trees. (source)

 So... Tencha = Matcha - though in the U.S., the Matcha we get is most likely never Tencha... Yeah, see? Confusing.

Just to take a break, I took a look at a video of Matcha leaves being processed.



When I applied to review the product that I will be posting on soon, I had never tried any kind of Matcha tea, but I picked up some at my local health food store a couple weeks ago. Since I didn't understand that there are different types of Matcha, I was a little bit confused when trying to choose between the few brands available. I ended up with this one, just because of price and convenience. This brand had three different types so I chose the one that sounded most flavorful.

Then I had to look up what "Genmai" means:

Genmaicha is the Japanese name for green tea combined with roasted brown rice. It is sometimes called "popcorn tea". This type of tea was originally drunk by poor Japanese, as the rice served as a filler and reduced the price of the teas; which is why it is also known as the "people's tea".

Okay. So I got a little bit ripped off as the American trying to experiment with a new trend. Let me tell you, at about a dollar per pack - for 12 single-serve packets (0.03 ounces, or 3 grams, per pack), I wasn't getting a "true" (or even near-true) matcha tea.


At least the labelling was honest. The problem was my own ignorance.
















This, by the way, is what the actual tea looks like:

The texture is very grainy and leaves very little film on the plate I had it on. It felt like a fine sand.

And, for comparison, this is what a true matcha powder looks like:

The matcha powder is vibrant green and almost as fine as talcum powder
It's hard to tell from the photo, but you can see some of the texture difference between
the Matcha powder and the Genmaicha (paler) product

To be fair, the Genmai wasn't awful. I think that any kind of powdered (or grainy) tea is an acquired taste. The Genmai had a soil-ish/dirt-ish taste. I was able to cover that with some of the Chaga nectar I used as a sweetener. I also learned that I could just put the Genmai into other flavored teas or beverages.

I will be posting more about the actual Matcha powder when I do my product review. For now, I can tell you that there is a huge  flavor difference between those two products. Huge.

Doing a little research beforehand literally pays (or at lease saves) when trying something new. In the case of the brand of Genmaicha I bought, I couldn't even do much checking on it when I got home. The website printed on the package takes me to a domain that is for sale. After a brief search, I couldn't even find images for the product. I gave up because, for one thing, I won't be buying the brand again and, for another, I want to stick with trying better quality products. Maybe that Matcha Matcha brand has an actual Matcha tea available, but it wasn't one of the choices when I was shopping.

The main thing to know when using Matcha is that you have to read the labels. Make sure that you are getting the best Matcha available.

Next: I will be doing the review for the first organic, powdered green tea I've had the chance to try.

Peace
--Free