Why Matcha is So Popular

When we started Hug the Tea in 2015, Matcha wasn’t very well known yet. In our tea store and bar, we spent a lot of time explaining what it was. Slowly but surely, Matcha began to gain recognition—and today, it’s everywhere! But what makes Matcha so popular?

We’ve noticed there are several reasons:

• A great coffee substitute
• Packed with health benefits
• Photogenic and visually appealing
• Easy to use in food and recipes

Good coffee substitute

Thanks to the theine that matcha contains, matcha gives a gradual energy boost. Theine works differently than caffeine in coffee, it gives gradual energy 4-6 hours, without a coffee jitter! See the image below:

Lots of health benefits

Matcha is a real superfood, or super tea actually, from Japan. No other green vegetable or leaf contains as many antioxidants as matcha. The most important antioxidant is EGCg: epigallocatechin gallate. This is a unique antioxidant and has many health benefits:

1.Detoxifies in a natural and effective way, by removing all kinds of toxins in the body. This is because matcha is rich in chlorophyll (leaf green);
2. Protects the immune system;
3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
4. Provides faster metabolism;
5. Accelerates and stimulates fat burning;
6. Contributes to the prevention of (affluential) diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. It is a 100% natural remedy that has a preventive effect on various diseases and conditions. Read more about this on our blog!
7. Has a calming effect, reduces stress, improves mood and focus/concentration;
8. In addition, Matcha has an intense cleansing effect on the skin;
9. Provides a sustainable energyboost of 4-6 hours without a jitter!

Photogenic due to the beautiful green color

Matcha generally has a beautiful green color, provided the quality is good. There is a lot of difference in quality in matcha. This has to do with the quality of the leaves; how they were processed and when they were harvested. The best ceremonial matcha is made from first picking tea leaves harvested in the spring, after the leaves have grown in the shade (under screens) for the first 4-5 weeks, and from Japan. It is also important that it is ground properly, preferably in a stone mill. Then you get beautiful, green, fine and creamy matcha with which you can make the most beautiful matcha drinks, like this Matcha Mocktail:

Easy to process in food and recipes

Because matcha is in powder form, it is easy to incorporate into all kinds of recipes and dishes. For example, we have various drinks, dishes and sweets with matcha in our Matcha café, including:

• matcha smoothie
• matcha bread
• matcha cake
• matcha cheesecake
• matcha mochi
• matcha brownie
• matcha yogurt bowl

Matcha is easy to process and blend by simply straining it through a batter or into a smoothie for example. Check out more recipes here!