Organic Matcha Is Not Just For Tea

As you may know, I lived in Japan for two years before coming over to the UK.  While I was there I often enjoyed ceremonial 0-matcha, as well as a few other products made from this famous powdered green tea.  I still enjoy a nice cup of o-matcha to celebrate the Japanese New Year.  But there are lots of other ways to enjoy it.

When I agreed to review Organic Matcha from KissMeOrganics I thought I would have to create my own recipe, so I was pleasantly surprised when I received an email even before my package arrived in the post.  They sent a 70-page recipe guide with recipes that will take you from breakfast to dinner, and every snack between.

It should perhaps be noted that this is culinary grade matcha, which is just right for recipes.  It isn’t of ceremonial grade, so you won’t get the same delicate flavour should you decide to try it ‘straight up’.  Ceremonial grade o-matcha is much too expensive to use in everyday cooking.

I browsed through the recipe guide and looked for things we could make using the ingredients in our cupboards.  The weather has been wild, so I wasn’t keen on walking outdoors with the kids lest we be blown away.  We found a few that caught our eyes.

The first recipe we tried was the ‘Cran-Lemon Tea Muffins’.   Although I’ll be honest and admit that we were right out of dried cranberries so we substituted glacé cherries.  The combination worked very well.  The muffins were nice and moist, and not too overpowering.  I took some down to the camera club to share.  Not everyone was adventurous in trying them, but I did catch at least one gentleman reaching for seconds!

Matcha can be an acquired taste, so I wasn’t sure what the children would think of it.  Tristan said it well:  “At first it left a strange taste in my mouth…I wasn’t sure about it…But after I had another bite…I liked it!”  He and Kallista both wanted more.  I’m so glad I have children who are willing to try new things!

To go along with our muffins, we made a ‘Matcha Orange Cocktail’.  Tristan helped measure and mix the ingredients.  Then it was time for the taste-test.

There wasn’t any doubt that Tristan would like it, but would Kallista?

She tried it three times, but it just wasn’t her ‘cup of tea’.  Tristan liked it so much that he finished it off before I even had a taste!  I will say that there is caffeine in organic matcha, and he’s never really had much before and he was flying through the house for the rest of the day!

Matcha has a slow-release of energy for 4 – 6 hours, as well boosting metabolism and providing up to 137 times the antioxidants of regular brewed green tea.  A good way to help your new year’s resolution of better health.

I have an idea for a recipe or two that I’d like to try with green tea powder, so stay tuned, it just might end up here!  I’m looking forward to doing some more baking and taking the results to the Japanese Society events, and Mom will surely like a taste of green tea ice cream to remind her of her trip to visit me in Japan.  Tristan is also looking forward to the ice cream as it’s dairy free!

I’d love to hear if you’ve tried any matcha recipes?  Are there any that you’d recommend?