Matcha Green Tea Pocky & Kit Kat

Green tea flavored snacks are all the rave in Japan (not surprisingly as it's a major antioxidant and deeply a part of the Japanese culture), and I'm glad some of their goodies are making their way to the states!

Green tea snacks are usually made from two different kinds of powder. The first kind is made from the loose leafs of green tea leaves. The second is from finely grounded green tea powder that is of much higher quality than the former. The most common type of green tea flavored-anything is made from regular green tea leaves since it's more accessible and easier to make. Matcha (or maccha) goes through a much more vigorous production process and can be quite expensive, and therefore rare. 

Matcha has many health benefits:
-High levels of antioxidants
-A calming effect (helps lower stress)
-Vitamins and minerals 
-Boosts immune system
-Boosts metabolism and helps with weight loss
-Detoxing
-Lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol

Although matcha is mainly produced and consumed in the Land of the Rising Sun, there are some matcha flavors in the western world too. Starbucks and many other coffee shops now have green tea latte. The most popular green tea snacks are pocky and kit kats (as shown in the picture above). They can be found in Japan or in Japanese shops in the states (ie. Daiso, Ichiban-Kan).