I Love You So Matcha! 🍵
I love you, so matcha!
So let’s get into the ever-growing popularity that is green tea, but importantly, MATCHA! I swear all I would ever hear is “my matcha tea” this and my “matcha latte” that, and I, like many people could not understand the growing epidemic it was steadily becoming obsessed with it. While yes, I certainly do enjoy green tea, particularly when it’s chilly out or I’m home reading a book my firepl—err on my couch, I live in a condo people! It’s great to warm your mind, body, and soul! However what a lot of people are blissfully unaware of is that green tea and matcha are not one in the same. Green tea is derived from matcha, kinda like perfume and what most people actually buy, au de toilette. With that in mind, its safe say matcha is a much more concentrated version, it is milled (ground) as opposed to leaves, which helps the nutrients and antioxidants absorb significantly better. So if you’re drinking an insane amount of green tea for its “health benefits” switch on over to matcha, you can drink less and reap the benefits a lot more effectively and efficiently. Matcha has a higher amount of caffeine (so less is more), and substantial amounts of antioxidants such as polyphenol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and L-Theanine. I likely just lost you there, long and the short? Those delightful compounds are the ones that help boost our metabolisms, while simultaneously sooth our bodies and aid in recover, like post-workout. In theory similar to those of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) but on a much smaller scale. So, in addition to fueling our bodies with more immune boosting superfoods, we are also providing ourselves with substantial energy. Now that you’ve been a little educated on the greatness that is matcha, let’s move on to what on earth to do with it apart from brewing tea when you’re cold, ‘cause lets face it, summer but more importantly patio season is upon us and a cool treat is much more rewarding and satisfying!
Matcha Chia Seed Pudding (Vegan / Gluten Free / Dairy Free / GUILT FREE!)
Super easy, delightful and power packed!
What you’ll need…
(Disclaimer: please remember I eyeball just about everything I cook/prepare)
1 small glass container, mason jar, etc.
½ Cup Chia seeds (duh)
Matcha powder (My preference is David’s Tea’s Ceremonial Matchu, pricy but bomb.com)
Nut milk (I rotate between Silk’s Almond Original and Cashew Original. They’re none GMO & do NOT contain carrageenan (a terrible addictive put in foods that is useless and awful for the body, has been known to have properties commonly tied to various cancers. Carrageenan = BAD NEWS BEARS)
Optional: sweetener of your choosing, when I am trying to lower sugar intake I use stevia, just make sure there’s no added sugar-like chemicals. These usually end in “-ose” (ie: dextrose, sucralose, etc.). If that isn’t your cup of tea, try raw organic honey, or for a vegan option, use pure organic maple syrup!
Fun Stuff… Toppings!
You can get as creative as you like, incorporating different textures and superfoods! Your body will thank you! Fruits, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc.
What to do…
In your glass jar, pour in chia seeds, 1 tsp matcha, sweetener of choosing, and pour nut milk about half an inch higher than the contents inside the jar. Chia seeds can hold 9x their own weight in liquid so they’ll affectively absorb! Place lid onto jar and shake, shake, shake!
Place into fridge, and sporadically check on your green concoction whilst giving it a little shake.
A couple hours later, or feel free to even leave it over night, your chia seed pudding will be perfectly set!
Once set, all that’s left is to plate, or in this case, bowl! Pour desired amount into your bowl, then get decorating because this is where your creativity will shine! As you will see below, I have chosen to use mix in quinoa crisps, cacao nibs and I’ve topped with coconut chips, strawberries and grilled bananas, yes GRILLED! Just grease your grill (or flat pan, whatever you have at home) with coconut oil and lay slices of banana on top. Feel free to drizzle with honey (not vegan) or maple syrup (vegan), this will caramelize them slightly at add great taste! Flip them on over and you’re good to go!