Green tea has always been consumed throughout the East, including the countries of China and Taiwan. In Japan, green tea is so prominent that it is commonly referred to simply as "tea" or "ocha" and the popularity of matcha green tea is quickly spreading throughout the West. In fact, matcha green tea is becoming more widely available at restaurants and specialty stores in trendy metropolitan cities like San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Los Angeles.

The uses of matcha are varied in nature. While many people buy matcha green tea simply to enjoy a delicious drink with tremendous antioxidant benefits, matcha can be consumed in more ways than just as a hot beverage. The healing properties of matcha include curing headaches, slowing the aging process, decreasing "bad" cholesterol, and cancer prevention. Matcha is many times more effective than regular green tea because it is made from the whole green tea leaf.

You can feel free to enjoy matcha throughout the day, served hot or cold, and green tea lattes, including matcha lattes, are showing up in national coffee franchises. Recipes for "latte matcha" call for matcha, milk, and sweetener. Add about one-fourth of a teaspoon to one-third of a teaspoon of quality macha to heated or steamed milk, and add your favorite sweetener to taste, and you've got all the healing properties of this wondrous beverage at your disposal.

Today matcha is also produced for use in confections, tea-flavored pasta, or seasonings. Although matcha itself is not especially sweet, this green tea works well when combined with a variety of sweeteners. Matcha is used as a flavoring in sweets, pastries, cakes, shakes, ice cream, yogurt and alcoholic beverages. Because matcha is loaded with health benefits, the compound is also being added to cereals and energy bars, in an attempt to appeal to wellness-minded individuals. Ice cream manufacturers are calling on matcha suppliers like AOI Tea in order to create green tea ice cream, an increasingly popular flavor.

As the health benefits of this exceptional green tea becoming increasingly well known, it is becoming easier than ever to find this ingredient in cookies, pastries, yogurt, and entrees. If you've got a favorite matcha recipe, you may consider entering any number of matcha cooking contests.

Other Popular Uses of Matcha

One use of matcha that is on the rise involves cooking with this anti-oxidizing ingredient, both for flavoring and enhancement of health. Green tea can be added to cooking either in powder or liquid form. In addition to the health benefits realized by cooking with green tea (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and more), green tea adds a special flavor, as other ingredients simply cannot emulate its distinct taste.

In addition to its ceremonial uses, the green tea powder is now a common ingredient in chocolates, candy, pudding, mousse, and green tea ice cream. Matcha is also the special ingredient behind green tea lattes, green tea smoothies, and some of the best green tea desserts in the world.

You can sprinkle powdered green tea into any type of food – yogurt, granola, puddings, and other sweets, but matcha can also be added to braised duck, sirloin tips, and hard-boiled eggs. There are countless matcha recipes available today, proving that when you buy green tea, there are no limits to the ways you can reap its many healing benefits.

One of the most well known uses for matcha is in the Japanese tea ceremony, where only the finest green tea is served to selected guests. In this time-honored ritual, the host spends years practicing the prescribed movements of preparing and serving matcha, and even the guests must be well versed in the expected responses and phrases. In the Japanese tea ceremony, the guests admire the gourmet matcha as well as the preparation and serving utensils.

Although more expensive than other forms of tea, the price of matcha is based primarily on its exceptional quality. The higher price does not deter health-conscious individuals who pursue the many healing properties of this mild brew. There are thousands of green tea and matcha distributors who are striving to meet the rising demand by health food manufacturers, ice-cream makers, bakers, and chefs worldwide. The finest matcha comes from Japan, making the country one of the biggest exporters of this coveted green tea.

When purchasing tea, it is important to ascertain the tea's country of origin, estates, and other information regarding the tea, either from the label or from the retailer. Another sign of a good retailer is the availability of the many tea accessories – bowls, whisks, pots, books, and other gift items – that are in line with the prestigious and proper aspects of tea consumption. The possibilities are endless when you purchase fine matcha green tea from AOI Tea.