a bit about a tea
I have a silly amount of photos of matcha. As someone who loves the taste of but is physiologically overwhelmed by coffee (see: the shakes, nausea, dizziness, etc), it’s something I’ve not only been able to tolerate, but have also fallen in love with in terms of taste and overall sensation.
Like my recent bit about cacao: I know I am neither matcha connoisseur, nor tea expert, nor native person of matcha’s origin (it was apparently brought to Japan from China in the 1100s).
I am but a humble enthusiast who just loves to share it with others, whether by making you a latte or chatting about it via recipes and lil’ posts.
As a teacher of yoga for 12 years, and a health coach who is still learning about different holistic methods and diets from around the world (Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Weston A Price, being an American in France, mushrooms!), I am also aware of the ways in which we can appropriate practices and products from other cultures – often without much awareness or consideration.
It’s important and meaningful to understand a bit about origins not only as a sign of respect, but also to maintain integrity as things integrate into other cultures / evolve into the next era – even if we adopt and adapt in new and personalized ways.
My first foray with the popular latte-version of this powdered tea was at a little matcha café that had opened near a yoga studio where I was teaching in Brooklyn. After a friend recommended it, I went with limited-to-no knowledge or expectations.
The earthy, smooth, unique yet ultra satisfying taste alongside the creamy foamy hemp milk (it was a thing for a while – I dug it) was surprising in the best way.
As a non-coffee drinker, I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a spiffy café beverage that wasn’t a random tea bag plopped into scalding hot water. I felt as though I had been given a sweet, indulgent gift that I sincerely delighted in, and that didn’t make me feel like my head was going to spin off my neck into the ethers.
Not long after, I met the founder of Matchaful, Hannah, trough my dear friend Paige when we were co-hosting Mindful Morning events in NYC. I taught yoga and meditation; Paige made glorious homemade delights to enjoy afterward alongside curious conversation. My aim was to bridge the gap between yoga and food, and share ways of incorporating mind-body wellbeing into the start of / throughout the day.
Hannah attended our very first event, slinging iced Matchaful almond milk lattes in a cocktail shaker for guests. Since then, Matchaful became a staple at my food-related events: I’ve taught lovely meditation gatherings at their NYC cafés; I’ve brought it with me on all retreats – I even taught the Costa Rica kitchen staff how to make it.
Voilà, I was hooked, and my love for it has continued to grow.
Although matcha is all over social media and local cafés – a trend of which I gladly participate in – it has also, like most things on the internet, been saturated in a way that loses a bit of the integrity (see above re: appropriation); it is unfortunately also sometimes produced using lower quality tea leaves or manufacturing methods.
This has perhaps taken a bit of the magic out of the ways in which matcha may have been intended to be consumed: like most teas, as a ritual or small ceremony. It was known to have been used by samurais and monks for a calm, steady alertness (similar to what a yoga practitioner might experience during and after class).
*For matcha tea ceremony reference: I found this beautiful 2 minute video of a traditional matcha ritual; this 10 minute video discusses the tools and process in more depth.
Part of the magic also lies in its health benefits, which are aplenty: L-theanine is an amino acid that increases a sense of calm (which counteracts reactions to caffeine – hence why I can metabolize matcha but not coffee), it has a variety of antioxidants (some of which have been shown to decreases chances of disease), and more.
Something to remember, though, is that health benefits for all things can unfortunately be counteracted by toxins like pesticides and chemicals in growing and production processes. Lest I sound like a broken record: it is super important to choose organic / fair trade if and whenever possible (a privilege I am well aware of).
For these and other reasons, I encourage those of us who choose to jump on the matcha train to do the very best we can to source ecologically-conscious companies and products, and to have a conscious moment with ourselves when we consume it.
It’s not a cheap product (for good reason: it has a meticulous growing, picking, drying and grinding process – plus it’s imported), which is unfortunate for those who might not be able to budget for such a thing, let alone pay more for organic (maybe offer to gift it to someone who would like to try it, but might not be able to purchase it…?).
I know what it’s like to be invested in wellness, yet also be working with a mega tight budget (more on this soon – send me your questions). For me personally, matcha is something I cherish and value so much (i.e. brings me great joy!) that I work it into my own budget, even though it’s not necessarily something I “need.”
And in general, I hope to one day see less government subsidies on processed junk so that the unprocessed goods can more easily reach the masses.
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