Dairy-Free Tropical Matcha Smoothie Bowl

This matcha smoothie bowl is the recipe you should be making all summer long on repeat. The tropical flavors of pineapple and banana blended with almond milk and matcha ignite feelings of relaxation and good health.

What is Matcha?

In Japanese, the word “Matcha” is the combination of “ma“, meaning rubbed or ground,  and “cha“, which means tea. Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea powder made by stone-milling shade-grown green tea leaves, into a fine powder. Japanese Matcha has a rich cultural tradition as the tea is prepared during chanoyu–the Zen-inspired Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is unique among teas in that you ingest the whole green tea leaf, which preserves all the rich nutrients and gives matcha its true superpower of good health.

Matcha’s Origin

Matcha tea is the star of the show in Japanese tea ceremonies dating back over 900 years. It was commonly used by monks before meditation and later by samurai warriors before and after battle. Many believe matcha tea brings alertness and stillness, peace, and meditation, in addition to its numerous health benefits. Growing and harvesting matcha is a labor-intensive agricultural technique that’s been refined and perfected over the past millennium. Today, the highest quality matcha is said to come from Uji, a region known for its superior quality, and special care each plant receives.

The highest-grade matcha, known as a ceremonial grade, is grown and harvested under pristine conditions. Higher grades have a brilliant green color, rich aroma, and a bold flavor but without any bitterness. Traditional Japanese tea ceremonies will only use ‘premium’ (or ceremonial grade) to make, what’s called, thick tea.

Below the ceremonial grade is ‘Usucha’, (or thin-tea), which offers a strong balance of characteristics (color, aroma, effects) at a lower price point. This grade of matcha has only a marginal range of bitter notes, which comes from a higher tannin content. This grade of matcha has a sharper taste that many prefer, but it can’t be used for ceremonial purposes.

At the end of the matcha spectrum is culinary-grade, which still has many valuable uses and the same health benefits. Culinary-grade matcha adds a sweet and savory flavor to all kinds of recipes. However, the lower grade has a greater range of bitterness. This bitterness is because the leaves used to make it are more mature, and harvested later in the season.

Possible Health Benefits of Matcha

With ten times the antioxidants than regular green tea, not to mention a metabolism boost, matcha tea has all the benefits of green tea and so much more.  Green tea’s health benefits date back thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, but in recent decades numerous studies have confirmed matcha has many super-powered health benefits note:

• Helps lower cholesterol
• Protects the liver
• Improves brain function
• Improves skin
• High in antioxidants
• Improves heart health
• Helps with weight loss
• lowers blood pressure
• Defends against cancer
• Helps with arthritis
• Boosts the immune system
• Loaded with vitamins and minerals