It is no secret that matcha green tea has risen in significance over the past few years. Its ability to promote several health benefits makes it a great addition to one’s lifestyle.
Little do people know that matcha green tea is sectioned into two grades, which are:
● Culinary matcha
● Ceremonial matcha
The categorisation is due to the different harvest times. It is a slight change but it results in a change of color, flavor, and even its uses.
A Little Insight to Ceremonial
Grade Matcha:
If you are planning to opt for ceremonial grade matcha and you are new to it; then here is a little insight into it.
Ceremonial grade matcha is derived during the spring harvest times. The biggest difference kicks in here; this grade of matcha cannot be utilized as an ingredient in baking or garnishing. On the contrary, culinary matcha can be used in baking and cooking.
Ceremonial matcha has a very delicate taste to it which doesn’t make it a suitable ingredient for meals. Secondly, it is quite expensive as the time of its harvest requires a lot of energy for production. Also, it is extremely high in demand in Japan.
Ceremonial
matcha is ideal for drinking on its own. It doesn’t require the addition of
dairy, sweeteners, or any other item that you might add to your regular tea to
enhance its flavor. It is meant to be sipped on, in its purest form.
Benefits of Ceremonial Matcha
As mentioned above, this grade of matcha is more costly than the culinary ones and well, for all the right reasons.
As ceremonial grade matcha is grown under shade, it tends to preserve L-Theanine and chlorophyll. L-Theanine is a major element that plays a huge role in supplying concentration and focus to the human brain. It also tends to boost up one’s mood. As it comes packed with some of the most important amino acids, this grade of matcha is high in demand in the market.
Here are some of the benefits that you can enjoy, by sipping on ceremonial grade matcha:
● It boosts one’s energy levels
significantly.
● Due to L-Theanine, it stimulates
brain function.
● Helps in improving focus and
concentration.
● Boosts your metabolism, resulting
in fat loss.
● Chlorophyll provides a cleansing
power.
● Relaxing sense of well-being.
● Anti-inflammatory benefits due to antioxidants.
Also,
it is important to know here that ceremonial grade matcha has very few
calories, in comparison with the culinary grade matcha. You hardly get 1 gram
of carbohydrates in a single serving. However, it does offer a tiny amount of
all the important nutrients like Vitamin A, iron, and Vitamin C.
Which Grade to Choose?
This comes down to your personal requirements; what do you want matcha to do for you? Both the grades come in various products, offering a number of different purposes and benefits. If you are looking for the highest quality matcha for your tea then ceremonial grade is best for you. Also, if you want it to help you with your metabolism and brain stimulation; the ceremonial grade is the best.
On the
other hand, culinary grade matcha is wonderful too. It plays its role by
contributing to your health positively as it is packed with antioxidants too.
However, if you are in need of a powder that you can add to your baking or
cooking too; then culinary grade would be the best bet for you.
Conclusion:
In the
end, is ceremonial grade matcha worth it? Yes, it definitely is! Depending on
what you want from it; you can make a wise pick for yourself.
