If you’re a tea connoisseur or are familiar with the types of tea out there, then you’ve probably heard of matcha. Matcha is a type of green tea that’s made by taking tea leaves and grinding them into its well-known green color powder. The powder is then whisked into hot water. This makes the difference between matcha and regular green tea, where the leaves are infused in water, and then removed. Matcha leaves are grown on green tea bushes kept under shade. Because of this, the shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves; chlorophyll is what makes the tea leaves bright green and full of nutrients.
However, recently, BLUE matcha has been making its way to social media not only because of its colorful presentation (there are not that many blue foods out there after all!), but because of the similar health-promoting properties like its counterpart, green matcha.
If you’re curious about blue matcha, here's more about what it is, plus the health benefits.
What Exactly is Blue Matcha?
Before you begin to think that green matcha is exactly like blue matcha, think again. Despite the name, blue matcha is entirely different from the green matcha you’re used to. Blue matcha is made from entirely different leaves that don’t have the same effects as green matcha. Blue matcha, made from the Butterfly Pea Flower, provides beverages and baked goods with a show-stopping range of colors from lavender to deep blue. This flower originates from Southeast Asia and has been incorporated in many traditional Thai dishes that range from sweet teas to dumplings.
Unlike green matcha powder, the Butterfly Pea Flower powder in blue matcha does not contain any caffeine. Green tea powder offers an earthy taste, while Blue Matcha powder doesn’t have much of a taste at all.
Health Benefits of Blue Matcha
The Butterfly Pea Flower contains something called anthocyaninidins, which is classified as a subgroup of the flavonoid family, which is a type of phytonutrient. Before you go scratching your head at these words you’re probably unfamiliar with (we at least were!), let’s explain what phytonutrients are. Phytonutrients are chemicals produced by plants. These chemicals in plants are used to stay healthy. Fruits such as plums, grapes and blueberries carry these components.
In fact, there has been some research stating that Butterfly Pea Powder may have implications in managing depression, anxiety, and stress. In a 2003 study, Butterfly Pea Flower extract showed potential in mice relating to antistress and antidepressant activity. What we do know, however, is that blue has a variety of antioxidants, which help play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, help collagen production and assist in supporting healthy vision.
In addition, some of the benefits from blue matcha includes the stabilization of blood sugar levels and even the stabilization of your metabolism.
Is Blue Match Safe to Try?
In a nutshell, blue matcha can be considered like any other matcha powder that would you find in the tea industry. It’s grounded up plants that are harvested and plucked at certain times of the year, much like green matcha. If might not be the same plant used from regular green matcha, it certainly has a very familiar experience to it. So why not try something new?
Blue Matcha-Infused Products to Try
While blue matcha is commonly connected with teas, Whish offers a line of blue matcha products such as the Blue Matcha Restoring Mask, an antioxidant-rich, purifying mask that purifies and detoxes environmentally stressed skin while controlling and evening out your pH balance. This mask goes on blue and fades as it works its magic. No more dry or oily patches, skin is left beautifully glowing, radiant, and healthy.
In addition, a beautiful blue serum called the Blue Matcha Clarifying Serum, not only helps to remove impurities, it is also a very powerful exfoliant that helps reduce the appearance of large pores and imperfections.
So should you try blue matcha or not? We think the current research and inclusion of matcha-infused products is looking promising in terms of health claims. Here at Whish, we’re all about staying healthy, so why not? We certainly think it’s worth a shot. If anything, you can get that beautiful insta-worthy shot of your true-blue product that’ll wow your followers!