I was challenged by my favorite tea company to give up coffee cold turkey and replace it with matcha for two weeks straight.
To give you some context, I've been drinking coffee for seven years, averaging two or three cups a day. If you do a little quick math, that's over 7,000 cups of coffee (yikes).
Over the years, I've trained my palate to appreciate the taste of coffee, but honestly, I drink coffee primarily for its energizing effect. You know, that invincible I'm-ready-to-conquer-the-world feeling, followed quickly by restlessness and the inevitable post-caffeine energy crash and intense headache when I go through caffeine withdrawal. On days when I don't drink coffee, I invariably find myself a) in a bad mood (ask my friends) and b) with a super headache around 2pm. So needless to say, this challenge was really... a challenge.
I had enjoyed matcha a few times and was aware of its benefits. That is, the caffeine in matcha is released much more slowly in the body than coffee, limiting the consequences of a caffeine spike. But since the caffeine content of matcha green tea is about a third of that of coffee, I was wondering if I would have to significantly increase my matcha intake during the challenge. And my final concern: how long it would take to make a matcha drink.
For the challenge, I was kindly sent the Modern Matcha Essentials set, which contains a matcha bowl, a traditional bamboo whisk, and a Perfect Matcha Spoon. I also received the Stainless Steel Matcha Blender and a selection of three green matcha teas: Matcha Matsu, Grand Cru Matcha and Peach Matcha. During the challenge, I tried various methods and flavors, and observed how I felt.
And now the big question: will I give up coffee altogether? The realistic answer is no; I love the taste of coffee and the culture surrounding coffee too much to give it up. However, the experience has opened my eyes to other options. My goal is to stick to one coffee a day and try to replace my second and third cup of coffee with matcha. I'm also thinking about incorporating matcha into my baking recipes. Rose Matcha macaroons , friends?