Switch out coffee for matcha for the sake of your health (thenewdaily.com.au) It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s packed with antioxidants and could be good for you, which is why matcha has been on the rise for years, not only in Australia but around the world. According to Britannica, the powdered green tea was introduced to Japan in the 1100s by a Zen Buddhist monk who studied in China and then brought back seeds and knowledge of how to prepare the drink. Zen Buddhists then developed a new way to grow the tea leaf plant, by keeping it in shade, which is thought to be behind the health benefits of matcha. To this day, matcha is derived from the shrub, Camellia sinensis , which is used for your standard green tea. Japan is the world’s biggest exporter of matcha and it is still used in tea ceremonies but in recent years the drink has become more widely accessible around the world. Vibrant green in colour, it’s not hard to spot a matcha and some celebrity fans are ...