We’ve all heard it, matcha is amazingly great for you so I won’t go into it too too much. But, I will  go into it a little bit.

The reason we hear about it so much is not simply because it’s tea or an ancient Japanese tradition.

The benefits of this green stuff can be:

1. increased energy and mental alertness
2. great dose of antioxidants and 10x the nutrients of regular green tea
3. can be calming – promotes relaxation and well-being within the brain
4. increased fat burning (thermogenic) properties

Sadly not anything and everything that has matcha powder is ah-ok. Grabbing one of those Kit Kats with a hint of green does not qualify as drinking matcha.

I had the opportunity of trying out this brand of matcha tea. A culinary grade, USDA certified organic, I found it to have a full-bodied green tea taste so combining it with other ingredients, the taste was very subtle.

The main use of it in my kitchen has been in my morning smoothies – which I find is a perfect way to bring in those benefits it carries with it right from the start of my day. Though I will be baking with soon – a nice cupcake frosting maybe.

Kiss Me Organics are the creators of this brand and only sell their brand of organic matcha powder on Amazon. I was glad to see the color was in fact an intense green, there are some powders out there that just aren’t. The highest quality matcha is bright green and the price tag resembles it.

With summer weather now in Vancouver, here’s a recipe for an iced sparkling matcha drink – a splash of vodka is optional.

Sparkling Matcha Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tsp. Matcha
4 ice cubes
2 tsp. warm water
¾ cup sparkling water
1 lime wedge
Instructions:
1. In a tall glass stir warm water and matcha until blended.
2. Add ice cubes to glass and slowly add sparkling water.
3. Stir until blended and squeeze lime wedge on top.