Matcha seems to be everywhere lately, and its no wonder, it truly is one of those power-house ingredients that I keep in my ‘Bio-hacking cupboard.’ What is it and why does it deserve a Biohacking mention?
Matcha is concentrated green tea that has a really high antioxidant content; the premium brands shade-grow their tea leaves for 2-3 weeks and that shading practice not only influences flavour, but also the chemical compositions as it increases the chlorophyll content, as well as L-Theanine and caffeine components. Chlorophyll is the life force of plants (in fact it is molecularly really similar to human blood except that there is a magnesium atom instead of hemoglobin in the center of its structure). Chlorophyll is one of the most notable bioactive compounds because it has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects in the body! Not to mention the high antioxidant content helps support the immune system, assist wound healing and scavenges for free radicals and helps against oxidative stress. L-Theanine is a Nootropic, that helps to relax the brain, blood vessels and muscles; it even relaxes the Alpha-brain waves and increases dopamine production. Overall its mostly known for its calming effect and when coupled with caffeine and actually wards against the caffeine jitters; it also helps with your short-term memory and increasing your reaction times. Biohackers will use this combination to power through their day. Here we take a sweeter approach to matcha by combining these 5 ingredients into a vivid gorgeous emerald green cookie!
Recipe:
Makes 12-15 cookies
1 Tablespoon Tapioca or Arrowroot flour
1 dl. of Water
1 dl. Maple Syrup
3 1/2 dl. shredded and flaked coconut
1-2 Tablespoons Matcha powder
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°c
2. In a small pan, heat up Tapioca or Arrowroot flour, Water and Maple syrup. Storring continually to combine, until it creates a thick sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Add coconut (shredded and flakes) into the sauce and coat thoroughly.
4. Add Matcha powder and stir gently until the vibrant green powder has been well incorporated and covers the coconut.
5. Grease a cookie or baking sheet with olive oil or coconut oil. With a small spoon, scoop out and form rounded cookies, about 4 cm in size.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, eyeing to make sure they don’t burn. You will see that the edges and part of the tops with get a bit brown and crispy, but they should not be black or burned. Remove.
7. Let them cool on the baking pan. Use a metal spatula to remove from the baking pan.
Enjoy!
By: Camilla Ahlqvist, The Practice
Bio: Camilla is a holistic chef, nutritionist and yoga teacher from New York City, now residing in Sweden. She is passionate about food tasting delicious, but also nourishing the body with nutrient dense foods and boosting the body with clean energy ingredients! She also teaches The Practice, a transformative movement class for individuals who have never considered themselves
