4 Things You Need To Know About Matcha, The Form Of Green Tea That’s Getting A Lot Of Buzz

Matcha contains caffeine, but thanks to its high L-Theanine content, the ‘buzz’ is much more long-lasting and energising.

L-Theanine causes a slow release of caffeine into the body, and has a calming, relaxing effect that counteracts the caffeine rush. Basically, it should give you that all-important pick-me-up on the commute into work, but without the jitters and subsequent energy slump.

A study by three different universities last year examined the effect matcha green tea drinks have on metabolic responses during brisk walking for women. The researchers found that if participants consumed three drinks the day before and one drink two hours before a 30-minute brisk walk, matcha enhanced exercised-induced fat oxidation, aka burning fat. They did say though that the metabolic effects shouldn’t be overstated if you’re trying to lose weight.

If you fancy having a go making a frothy green tea at home, Pure Leaf’s Matcha Pure sachets (£5 for 12 sachets, ocado.com) are fuss-free way of getting in on the trend without having to measure out messy powder.

Simply pour 50ml of boiling water over the contents of one sachet and whisk until it’s dispersed. Then add another 150ml of water and whisk until creamy.

The great thing about matcha, apart from it’s distinctive green hue, is that it’s a really versatile cooking ingredient. As well as hot beverages, powdered matcha can been baked into cakes, used to flavour ice cream, whizzed into smoothies or spooned into pancake batter.

Have a quick scroll through the hashtag #matcha on Instagram and you’ll find all kinds of novel inventions, alongside a few hundred thousand green lattes.