May 13, 2018
by Kanon Kanamaru, Yukiho Sawauchi
The History of Matcha
Tea was drunk in China and carried from there to Japan about 800 years ago by priests who went abroad to study culture in China. At first, it was used for medicinal purposes by noblemen. Later, the way of drinking tea stirred into hot water was introduced and took shape as the tea ceremony by Sen no Rikyu and others. Now, Japanese people drink it in the tea ceremony and daily life. But recently, matcha (powdered green tea) is very popular in the world and there are stores specializing in matcha in New York and Los Angeles.
Matcha and Beauty
Macha is drunk all over the world and it is famous as a superfood now. Superfood is a word used by doctors, and nutritionists for foods that contain a lot of active elements. For example, there are coconuts, cacaos, açaí palm and so on. Japanese food, natto and miso, are also considered superfoods. They contain a lot of effective ingredients for enhancing beauty. First, matcha has an effect on diet. There are catechin that reduces absorbtion of sugar, tannin that reduces and controls absorbtion of fat, caffeine that burns the fat and chlorophyll that lets unnecessary cholesterol out. It is most effective to drink three cups of tea every day. Next, matcha has vitamins. There are vitamin C that prevents liver spots and freckles, a vitamin that prevents dry skin and vitamin A that keeps the skin moist. Then, matcha has the effect of anti-ageing. It can prevent wrinkles, liver spots and freckles. Matcha is easy to drink and has a lot of effective ingredients for beauty. Matcha is very popular all over the world.
How to Take Matcha in the Body
Matcha can be taken into the body easily in some ways. Matcha is a little bit bitter and difficult for some people to drink every day. In the supermarkets and convenience stores, green tea containing matcha is sold as a drink. People can drink it more easily than matcha. Matcha smoothie, which is a mixture of bananas and soybean milk, is also easy to drink every day. Adding other ingredients, especially sweet ones, help to disguise the bitterness of matcha. Matcha is not only a drink, but also can also be made as dessert. Matcha sweets are the most popular way to take in matcha around the world. There are matcha chocolate, matcha cake, matcha parfait, matcha ice cream, and mactha cookies. Furthermore, there are cosmetics that are made of matcha. Matcha beauty soap and facial pack are sold around the world.
Matcha Diet
It is said that matcha is effective for reducing weight. If you want to try a matcha diet, it is recommended that you follow these rules for when, how much and how to make matcha. In order to be effective, it is best to drink 3 grams of matcha in each cup and to drink several cups every day. Matcha contains caffeine so it can wake you up in the morning. By drinking it in the morning, you can start the fat-burning effects and keep them going all day long. When you make matcha, the water should be 70 to 80 degrees, not boiling. If the water is too hot, it will cause the matcha to lose some nutritional benefits. Follow these rules to get the benefits of matcha in a reducing diet.
Relaxation Effect
If people drink matcha, they will become composed because it contains theanine. This suppresses exited states of the brain and reduces the possibility to get irritated. It also effects insomnia, high blood pressure, improvement of PMS and concentration. Matcha can make the body healthy and beautiful.
Matcha in Kyoto
Kyoto is the one of the famous prefectures that make matcha in Japan. There are a lot of matcha flavored sweets available here. We visited one famous matcha shop, called “Matcha House” in Kawaramachi. This is very popular for people on holiday, although customers must wait for 2 hours and more. We also waited for two hours. We ate matcha tiramisu and drank green tea. The green was beautiful and the dish was served in a small mortar. It was really delicious.