Powdered Tea

I've been a fan of matcha (powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies) for some time. It is incredibly nutritious and I love the taste. Recently, I tried powdered rooibos and powdered white tea for the first time.

Powdered teas are even more nutritious than infused teas. This is because when you drink a powdered tea, you consume the actual tealeaves (in powdered form), rather than an infusion that extracts only some of their nutrients. Powdered teas are incredibly high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Some say that matcha is the healthiest beverage in the world! They are very high in caffeine and theophylline, but, unlike coffee and cola, they don't produce anxiety and jitters. (For more info, see Caffeine and Tea.) The high concentration of L-theanine (a chemical that increases the alpha waves in the brain, inducing a feeling of euphoria and encouraging left-right brain connectivity/non-lateral thought) doesn't hurt, either. In fact, Buddhist monks used to use matcha for increased concentration and stamina in their meditation. Today, many athletes (and regular people!) enjoy its effects as well.

It's a bit of an acquired taste, but its astringency can be easily mellowed and adjusted to in a few simple ways. The traditional Japanese method is to alternate bites of wagashi (sweets) with sips of tea. It is thought that a perfect balance is achieved when the sweet snack and bitter drink mingle over the tongue. If you don't want a snack with your matcha, there are other ways to get a balanced taste from it. When I first started drinking matcha, I would add a small amount of tupelo honey or a splash of orange juice to counteract the astringency. When I was managing the Teabar at Urbana Cityspa & Teabar, I found that cold matcha lattes were very popular with the customers.

Relatively recently (powdered green teas have been around since the 11th century, when they were first made in China), Muzi Tea started making powdered teas and tisanes that venture outside of the realm of green tea. I tried two kinds, the Granite Ground Rooibos and the Granite Ground White Tea. I was not terribly impressed. I think they'd be much better as part of a tea-based drink rather than as a tea. To be fair, matcha is an acquired taste (so other powdered teas may be, too), the cultivation and processing of powdered green teas has had centuries to develop, and Muzi also makes blended herbal teas (which may have the complexity that I found to be absent in the two kinds I tried). I'd have to try more of their teas before writing their new concept off. If anyone reading this has tried their other products, please let me know what you think of them!