On a recent trip to San Francisco, I had the pleasure of exploring Chinatown. I absolutely loved the culture evident in all the shops and people I encountered.

My favorite stop on our mini-adventure was a cute little Taiwanese tea shop, Blest Tea. I am not a tea fanatic and have never experienced a tea tasting. Being from St. Louis, I am much more accustomed to beer tastings. Despite my fear that most teas taste terrible, I tried everything offered to me. The setting was a quiet retreat from the bustle on the streets where time seemed to stand still. I tasted teas in many flavors from green to white, black to herbal. I found that drinking tea is incredibly relaxing and fulfilling, like yoga for your insides.

My favorite tea was one similar to traditional green tea, called brown rice matcha (sometimes spelled maccha). It is described as…

“New style Japanese green tea powder. Mix with black bean powder and brown rice. Contain lots of vitamins B, C and E. It is good for moisturizing skin and good for digestive system.”

I really enjoyed the ease of using the powder instead of a tea bag which also gives you more health benefits from the actual tea leaf than merely soaking the leaves in hot water. When I found out my new drink retreat was also good for me, I was hooked. Let me tell you, once you go matcha, you never go back.

Matcha Tea Benefits

1. Lots of vitamins.

2. Helps boost your metabolism and energy levels.

3. Antioxidants in tea may trigger weight loss.

4. Good for moisturizing skin.

5. Contains more antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranates, orange juice, and spinach.

(Some studies suggest you may also benefit from lowered cancer risks, reduced cholesterol levels, and moderated mental stress responses)

If you want to get fancy, watch the video below or you can just pour hot water over your matcha powder which is my preferred method.

Check here for more tea drinking benefits.

Order yours from the Blest Tea website or on Amazon.

 

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