Organic Black Matcha Tea: My Experience and Homestead Pantry Uses

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I really enjoy a good glass of freshly made iced tea. I prefer mine sweetened myself with a touch of honey and lots of ice.

When I originally reviewed this organic black matcha tea, I had gone through a period when I was having trouble drinking commercially prepared teas. I made my own herbal blends for a while and eventually found that I could drink some commercial teas again. That made me curious when I was offered this black matcha blend to try.

The part that interested me most was that it wasn't simply green matcha. I don't care for green tea, and this product blended green and black tea. To my surprise, I couldn't detect the green tea flavor in it.

What Organic Black Matcha Tea Tasted Like

The tea itself was rich, smooth and not bitter. I thought it was very tasty.

The first time I prepared it, I made it in a coffee cup and poured it over a glass full of ice. Some powder remained visible in the drink, and I didn't particularly care for that texture or appearance.

The second time I used my Zarafina tea maker. Some powder remained behind in the tea maker, but I preferred that to having visible powder in my glass.

That experience is probably more useful than the old promotional claims that originally surrounded this product. Powdered teas behave differently from a standard tea bag or loose-leaf infusion, and you may need to experiment with preparation until you find the texture you prefer.

Tea Has a Place in a Homestead Pantry

Tea is another good example of an ingredient that fits a self-sufficient lifestyle even if you don't grow the actual tea plant yourself.

I grow herbs and can make herbal teas from plants I produce or forage appropriately, but that doesn't mean I need to limit my pantry to things that originated on my own property. Black tea, matcha and other specialty teas can sit right alongside homegrown mint, lemon balm or other dried herbs.

That gives you more choices and lets you combine purchased ingredients with what you grow yourself.

Sweetening Tea with Homestead Ingredients

One reason I like making my own tea is control. I decide how strong it is and how sweet it is.

Honey is one of my favorite ways to add sweetness. Depending on what you produce or preserve, you could also experiment with homemade flavored syrups or other sweeteners that fit your pantry.

Making tea at home also means you aren't limited to the very sweet bottled teas sold at the store. Start with less sweetener, taste it, and add more if you want it.

Hot Tea, Iced Tea and Kitchen Experiments

Although I tend to think first about iced tea, powdered tea can be used in more than one way. It can be prepared hot or cold, and matcha-style powders are sometimes incorporated into lattes, frozen desserts and baked goods.

If you're experimenting in the kitchen, start small. Tea can bring bitterness as well as flavor, and more powder isn't automatically better.

I especially like the idea of using tea as another flavor to experiment with alongside ingredients from the homestead-honey, milk, homemade ice cream or seasonal fruit, for example.

What About the Health Claims Around Matcha?

The original marketing for this product leaned heavily on health claims, including weight loss, metabolism, energy and antioxidant claims. I don't think those claims should be the reason to buy a tea, and I don't want to repeat old advertising language as though it were established medical advice.

Tea naturally contains plant compounds that researchers continue to study, and matcha also contains caffeine. That makes it reasonable to enjoy tea as part of your normal diet if it agrees with you, but it is not a miracle food and it isn't a treatment for a health condition.

If caffeine affects you strongly, remember that matcha and black tea are not caffeine-free simply because they are natural products.

Why Small Amounts Make Sense for Specialty Tea

The directions for the product I reviewed called for about ½ teaspoon for an 8-ounce cup, so a small amount of powder went a long way.

That is how I prefer to think about specialty pantry ingredients. I don't necessarily need a huge container. I need an amount I can use while it still tastes fresh.

Tea, herbs and spices all lose some of what makes them appealing when they sit around indefinitely. Store them properly, pay attention to aroma and flavor, and rotate them through your normal kitchen instead of saving them forever for some undefined special occasion.

My Takeaway From This Organic Black Matcha Tea

I liked the tea because it was smooth, rich and not bitter, and because the green tea portion of the blend wasn't noticeable to me. Since I don't normally care for green tea, that was important.

I also learned that I preferred preparing it in a way that kept some of the undissolved powder out of my finished glass.

For a homesteader, the bigger takeaway is that there is nothing wrong with keeping specialty teas in the pantry alongside the herbs you grow yourself. Self-sufficiency is not about refusing every ingredient you cannot produce. It is about developing the skills to grow and preserve what makes sense while making thoughtful choices about the things you buy.

And sometimes a glass of homemade iced tea with a little honey and plenty of ice is reason enough to keep a good tea around.