I never knew that BLACK matcha green tea existed!!! Until the lovely MatchaDNA sent me their very own bag of swiss certified organic (translate: better organic- European standards of "organic" are way higher than US standards) black matcha DNA (which is actually a blend of black and green matcha tea- yum!)
So, what is black matcha, you ask? Like green matcha, producing black matcha is a lengthier, more complex process than your typical teas out on the market. In fact, the matcha preparation begins nearly three weeks before harvested. The tea bushes are actually covered to avoid sunlight, thus slowing down the growth and resulting in more amino acids and turning the leaves a more potent color. The leaves are then dried and grinded... and, did you know that it can take one hour to grind just a small amount of matcha? Christ!
Okay... so, now that you know a teeny bit of history of matcha, it makes sense that this stuff is more potent than your cute little generic brand teas that you get from your local grocery store. In fact, these bitches are higher in caffeine than a cup of coffee (!!) and provide up to ten times the antioxidants and vitamins than a regular cup of tea. Go freaking figure. It's like a magical potion in a cup of awesomeness.
Since this black matcha tea is also powdered, it does tend to settle to the bottom of the cup, which can be a little frustrating for some people, depending on their level of patience. It's a good idea to have a mini whisk as you drink your hot cup of deliciousness. This tea does also have a bitter flavor naturally- I like to make it as a hot latte with soy milk and honey, whisk in hand ;)
If you're super impatient and are more of a "frappucino" type of girl, I'd recommend making this as a smoothie. It blends a lot better this way too, and you don't need to carry your little whisk with you. Mix a few tablespoons of the black matcha powder with your preference of milk, a couple of ice cubes, and some sweetener (I prefer raw honey or this amazing organic yacon syrup that comes from Peru). It also works great in baking, too! I've seen some mean recipes for matcha sugar cookies!
Whatever your fancy, you can get this awesome bag of black matcha tea on amazon, here. Right now it's on sale for $14.99! Pretty amazing price, for this bag of magic.
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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.
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