Matcha is the latest food craze you might not know about, but one taste and you'll be hooked.
This ancient, finely milled green powder has been a staple in the Japanese tea world for decades but only recently started to gain popularity in the U.S. Matcha, which translates to “fine powder tea," is a green tea extract that is known for its bright green color, health benefits and its use in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
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Matcha experts say the best way to enjoy the drink is to just prepare it like a latte, but foodies know that matcha has life outside the coffee cup. It can be used in pastries, cocktails, smoothies and even ice cream. In fact, if you've ever had green tea ice cream, there is a good chance you've eaten matcha.
Mashable spoke with MatchaBarNYC, who told us that there are actually two different types of matcha. Ceremonial matcha is used for tea is considered more pure, so the price tag for a can of ceremonial matcha can cost hundreds of dollars. Culinary matcha is a lower grade powder typically made of leaves that are lower on the matcha branch. Since these leaves are lower on the branch they receive less sunlight and thus requires less chlorophyll. Science.
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