Episode 11: Stephen Cheuk + The Health Benefits of Matcha
Stephen Cheuk, founder of S10 Training and co-founder of House of Matcha, is very passionate about the health benefits of matcha. He joined Lynda and Iris in the studio this week to tell his story of how he discovered this Japanese tea, talk about how he came to launch a matcha brand, and tell us why making a daily habit of drinking matcha could improve your life.
We actually talked about matcha on our very first official episode of Feast Meets West, so it was exciting to have the opportunity to revisit the topic and focus on the health aspects of the beverage. Iris manages to fit 1,000 years of history in a couple of minutes, including how matcha travelled from the East to the West, and back again.
Lynda then talks to Stephen about how he got into matcha 10 years ago, his daily matcha ritual, and why it's so good for your mind and body. Stephen also explains the difference between good and bad quality matcha, and how to tell.
12:41 "The greener it is, the more vibrant it is, the more chlorophyll it has, the more antioxidants it has. It's got really good healthy benefits. It's got L-theanine, which is an amino acid that's very calming. The chlorophyll helps with the liver. It's got very slow-release caffeine so you don't get that jitteriness. It's very clean energy." - Stephen on how the color of matcha indicates its health benefits.
They then talk about House of Matcha, the matcha brand Stephen and his two other partners founded. He talks about how he and his partners travelled to Japan and tried almost all the tea farms in Japan in search of the best matcha. Iris and Stephen discuss the term "ceremonial grade" and what "organic" means when it comes to matcha, and what to watch out for when purchasing it. Finally, Stephen talks about what's next for matcha in the global scene, and what's next in his personal endeavors.
Throughout this episode, Iris was drinking her fave "Poor Man's Matcha Latte" which you can make at home by following this recipe!
Check out House of Matcha and if you haven’t tried matcha, give it a try and let us know how you like it! And if you’re already a matcha fan, let us know how you got into it, and if you experienced any health or mental benefits by dropping us a line on our online community on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
