The finely ground powder of East Asian-grown green tea leaves – or popularly known as matcha – has made its way into mainstream consumption, from drinks to desserts.

But in addition to being versatile and delicious, matcha also promises a number of health benefits including

• Being high in antioxidants, thanks to its content of a plant flavonoid known as catechins,
• Boosting brain function including memory and reaction, due to a compound known as L-theanine which promotes alertness,
• Protecting the liver, as tea enzymes help improve fat levels in the liver, and even
• Improving heart health, by regulating the levels of LDL or also known as bad cholesterol.

Are you a matcha lover yourself? Check out these matcha flavoured items you can order on GemSpot right now!

Coffee substitute

Trying to cut down on coffee? You may have noticed that most coffee cafés offer matcha lattes, and you might be wondering if you should make the switch. Matcha won’t give you the ‘kick’ you expect from coffee, it will give you something even better: Studies show that while coffee has a higher caffeine content, most coffee drinkers tend to get an energy crash following the caffeine spike. On the contrary, matcha’s L-theanine phytonutrient allows you to absorb and store the caffeine from the tea for longer, keeping you alert for hours without the spike-and-crash effect.

Matcha in cakes

Not just a versatile pastry and cake ingredient, the bright green hue of matcha powder also makes cakes look so pretty. And that’s not all, the slight bitterness of matcha can also help to balance out flavours, and prevent your cakes from being too sweet. You might notice matcha more often in creamier cake recipes, as it perfectly complements fresh cream and cream cheese.

Dairy & non-dairy: Matcha drinks

Prefer an iced or bubble tea over hot drinks? Besides substituting your regular coffee, you can also easily replace your other favourite beverages with matcha versions. This Fresh Milk Matcha with a cream topping comes with add-on options for tapioca balls and kanten jelly; and if you’re going lactose-free, the Uji Matcha Soymilk (available in regular and large sizes) from SoYoung uses advanced Soyboost technology from Japan to ensure the nutrients from the soymilk stay intact when producing these bottled beverages.

Matcha in desserts

True matcha lovers who just can’t get enough of this greeny-goodness can also order from a choice of desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth. The Matcha Soyaroma Gelato promises a smooth, velvety pudding-like dessert made from a soy milk base; or you could get a half dozen (or more) matcha donuts to share from Fluff.co that come with a matcha glazing and sprinkles.

How MATCHA are you craving some matcha right now? Enjoy RM6 off delivery for orders of RM30 and score that FREE delivery for orders of RM80 (up to 25km distance).