If you have not tried matcha before and are looking to start drinking it, then you may have questions about matcha vs matcha latte and other ways of having the bright green beverage.
What is matcha?
Before I get into matcha vs matcha latte, you may be asking ‘what is matcha?’. This popular drink is still not widely known by a lot of people, but it has a lot of health benefits.
Matcha is a hot beverage made from matcha powder and hot water being whisked together. Matcha powder is made from grinding the whole leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant..
Farmers who are growing Camellia sinensis to obtain matcha tea cover the plant for the final 20-30 days of growth to decrease its sunlight exposure. The decreased amount of sunlight causes the plant’s leaves to produce more chlorophyll.
Increased levels of chlorophyll lead to an increase in a range of beneficial phytonutrients (plant compounds). In particular, there is an increase in the number of polyphenols and amino acids, which contribute to the amazing nutritional profile of matcha tea.
The increase in chlorophyll is also responsible for the characteristic deep green colour and the delicious flavour of matcha powder. It also leads to matcha containing a high amount of caffeine and L-theanine compared to other forms of green tea.
For more information on how matcha tea is made click here.
What is the difference between matcha and matcha latte?
So now we know how matcha is made, what is the difference between matcha and matcha latte?
The first thing to consider when comparing Matcha vs matcha latte, is that they are very similar in nutritional value. All matcha drinks with a shot of matcha espresso will have all the health benefits of matcha.
Matcha tea is packed with antioxidant substances, including flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamin C.
In fact, they make up around 30% of matcha tea’s dry mass.
We need antioxidants to help us fight off oxidative stress in our cells – which causes a wide range of diseases and contributes to skin ageing.
Matcha lattes however will have the added calcium, B vitamins and other nutrients that milk is fortified with.
However, our Nespresso compatible matcha pods are fortified with 8 energising B vitamins, meaning you get all the health benefits of matcha , plus the important benefits of B vitamins.
B vitamins are very important in the diet as they play a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being.
When thinking of matcha vs matcha latte one of the other key elements is the taste. Adding milk to matcha, for a matcha latte is a popular way of having matcha as it can sweeten the taste of the matcha.
Matcha espressos and matcha lattes can both be a long drink to make. This is because to make them you have to whisk the matcha with the hot water and foam it up. This can be a messy task and the bamboo whisk needs to be properly cleaned and stored afterwards to avoid damage.
However, with rejuvenation waters new Nespresso compatible matcha pods this stress is taken away. Simply pop your Nespresso matcha pod into your Nespresso machine and enjoy a matcha espresso or matcha latte in seconds.
Even matcha lattes are quick and easy to make with matcha Nespresso pods, as you can heat the milk quickly in the Nespresso frother.
Matcha lattes may be favoured by more people as there is a range of different ways you can have them. For example you can add ice for a matcha iced latte or if you are vegan you can make a matcha oat milk latte.
Is green tea latte same as matcha?
The terms green tea and matcha are often used interchangeably, and although matcha and green tea are from the same leaves they have some crucial differences.
As mentioned earlier, matcha is grown in darkness for the last 30 days to increase chlorophyll production. Green tea leaves are not grown in this way and so don’t have the same health benefits that matcha tea does.
Also, the preparation of matcha is different to green tea. For matcha the leaves are grinded to match powder and the whole leaf is consumed. Whereas, for green tea the leaves are dried and consumed by steeping in water and being removed.
This also means green tea has a lower nutritional value as you are not consuming the whole leaf, and you only drink the water-soluble vitamins.
Is matcha from Starbucks healthy?
Starbucks sell matcha but it is no wonder that people are questioning if the big coffee chain actually have good matcha.
So is matcha from Starbucks healthy?
The issue with Starbucks matcha powder is that they add lots of sugar. Adding sugar to matcha powder is a way of counteracting any bitter taste and overall making matcha more palatable for a wider range of people.
However, this also counteracts all the great health benefits of matcha and adding it to your diet.
A bitter taste often comes from cheap quality matcha.
This is why our matcha Nespresso pods are naturally sweeter in taste, as we only use a high quality premium matcha with the only additives in our pods being energising B Vitamins and prebiotic plant fibre (good for your gut!).
So using our matcha Nespresso pods won't just save you money, but are better for your overall health and well being.
Do they make matcha pods?
Although Starbucks have a range of Nespresso coffee pods, often sold in Starbucks variety packs, Starbucks do not make matcha pods. Not even Nespresso make matcha pods.
However, at Rejuvenation water, we make matcha pods for Nespresso machines.
Each pod is fully computable and contains premium grade matcha, 8 energising B vitamins and pre biotic fibre.
Making them healthier for you, better for the environment and taste amazing.
By Alex Warmisham ANutr - Nutritionist at Rejuvenation Water
