#MatchaMay with teapigs : my first impressions *

Hi friends!

It's #MatchaMay and I am absolutely delighted to tell you that for this entire month I will be sharing my experiences and recipes! 

As you may have noticed, I very recently ran a giveaway with teapigs to win a matcha kit - CONGRATULATIONS CLAIRE! - so be sure to keep an eye on her updates on Twitter !

Just incase you didn't catch the giveaway, here's a brief run-down of matcha:

"teapigs genuine organic matcha comes from the renowned Nishio region in Japan, where some of the country’s highest quality tea leaves are grown. You may be concerned about the sourcing of our matcha since the tragic earthquake disaster in March 2011. The Nishio region is over 600km South of Fukashima and, as well as undergoing strict testing by the Japanese Authorities before it leaves the country, our matcha is tested twice more before it reaches our shelves."  teapigs.co.uk

Matcha is 100% organic green tea leaves, which have been finely ground into the super concentrated powder you see above. It has been consumed in Japanese culture for over 900 years! Apparently it's very popular with students who are preparing for their exams, so I will report back in due course whether or not it's helped me get away from the more concentrated forms of liquid study-aids! Matcha is rich in chlorophyll, which we all know is what gives plants their ability to function - photosynthesis, remember? ;) 

It looks a lot like wheatgrass, which has a reputation for being... pretty rank tasting, let's be honest here. teapigs matcha only contains the leaf; the stem and veins are 'rigorously' removed to avoid any bitter taste. Matcha is drunk as a fine powder diffused in liquid so you actually ingest the whole leaf, consuming every last bit of goodness. Not only is matcha amazing for overall health and concentration/focus, it also promotes healthy skin and aids weight loss. 

Matcha: My first impressions!

So with this in mind; the question we all want to know the answer to is whether matcha is as nasty as wheatgrass?! In a word, no. I was VERY surprised by the taste and texture. It does have an echo of wheatgrass about it, I won't deny that, but matcha is a lot milder in terms of flavour and doesn't have that really awkward chalky texture on the after-taste. Trying to accurately describe matcha is quite tough as it is very unique.... It's an acquired taste, I'll give it that much.When I find an adjective for how matcha tastes, I'll let you know!

At least I didn't feel a compulsion to run to the sink like I did with my first wheatgrass experience!!

I prepared the matcha "as is" with a shot glass of water and whizzed with my aerolatte electric whisk to mix it up and remove any little clumps. I also drank this on an empty stomach, however I am not sure how much matcha will appreciate that level of pH so I'll do my geeking and report back.

Pro Tip: It's important to know the 'real' flavour of matcha before you start playing with it.

I'm also aware that now it's been about an hour since I had my matcha shot, I'm feeling more focused and 'alert'. Placebo effect? I wasn't consciously looking for this to happen soooo.... interesting!

I'm really looking forward to this month! :)

Are you doing #MatchaMay? Have you tried matcha? Can you describe it's flavour?!