I love matcha and everything matcha flavour! It’s been a popular ingredient in Asia for a long time but now it’s becoming a major food trend around the world, mostly for its health-promoting properties. It’s high in antioxidant, promotes brain, heart and liver health, and may help with weight loss – almost sounds like it’s too good to be true?!

One thing I want to point out though is the caffeine content for those of you who are trying to avoid it: Since we use different amount of tea leaf, matcha powder, or ground coffee to brew one cup of drink, it’s only fair to compare the brewed drinks’ caffeine content instead : a cup of brewed ceremonial matcha contains twice as much caffeine as a cup of brewed green tea, however it’s only got half the amount of caffeine when comparing to a cup of brewed coffee. While some people have problems with caffeine, others may consume matcha for its energy-boosting caffeine content with the added health benefits.

Matcha is a versatile ingredient that pairs well with many flavours, making it easy to incorporate in your drinks and desserts (my personal favourite is matcha-white chocolate). I’ve had a tempura vegetable dish at an authentic Japanese restaurant that was served with a matcha & shiitake salt house-blend: the slight bitterness & subtle sweetness really brought out the flavour of the vegetables and cut the greasiness of the fried food. I’ve also had a matcha flavour potato chips and it was yummy (but expensive…)! I’m also hoping to experiment on some food ideas that incorporate matcha in savoury dish – Perhaps a Matcha-Yuzu Salad Dressing? Or a Matcha & Chili Rubbed Salmon? What about a Matcha & Dill Yogurt Dip for some fresh cucumbers? Maybe some Matcha Mojito (triple green lime, mint & matcha?)??? Hmm… time for some adventures!

Here’s my recipe for some Gluten-Free Matcha Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
• 1/4 cup almond flour (finely ground almond)
• 1 tbsp matcha powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk or substitute with dairy free milk
• 1/4 cup yogurt or substitute with coconut yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (or substitute with any neutral flavoured liquid oil)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (or raspberry, dried fruits or nuts)
• Optional: hemp hearts, rolled oats, or toasted nuts as topping

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients (except for the chocolate chip) and sift well to remove any lumps. (It’s important to blend matcha with other dry ingredients first to prevent any lumps in the batter as it can be hard to mix matcha well directly with any liquid – hot or cold).
3. Combine all wet ingredients in another bow. Add the dry ingredient blend into the bowl and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips or any fruits and nuts.
4. Line a muffin tin with liners and fill each paper liner with the batter to 2/3 full.
5. Optional: sprinkle hemp hearts, rolled oats, or toasted nuts on each muffin before baking.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
8. They are best when served warm! Otherwise, when completely cooled, store them in an air tight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to a month.

RESOURCES:

• 7 Proven Ways Matcha Tea Improves Your Health https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-benefits-of-matcha-tea#3.-Boosts-brain-function
• MATCHA AND CAFFEINE https://www.gotmatcha.com/matcha-and-caffeine/
• Health Benefits of Matcha https://time.com/5188377/matcha-tea-benefits/

• Antioxidant Properties and Nutritional Composition of Matcha Green Tea https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/4/483
• Stress-Reducing Function of Matcha Green Tea in Animal Experiments and Clinical Trials https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213777/
• Matcha Antioxidants https://www.gotmatcha.com/matcha-anti-oxidant/
• WTF Actually Is Matcha, and Is It Really Better Than Coffee? https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/diet-nutrition/a40800/is-matcha-better-than-coffee/

• My recipe is modified from this one: GLUTEN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/gluten-free-blueberry-muffins/