Vegan Matcha Fresh Chocolate. (Nama Chocolate)

 It seems like Matcha, green tea powder became very popular these days. Last year, I went to Uji, Japan. Uji is known as a tea village in Japan. I normally prefer loose leaf teas. I always like Matcha, but it wasn't as appealing as loose lead teas to me. However, this trip totally change my thought about Matcha. The good Matcha has highly saturated green, but not artificial, and has unique rich green taste and lingering sweetness. Everything I ate in Uji was mix with Matcha. Since they were so tasty and light, one was never enough. 

Other than, its taste, there are many health benefits which will make you want to try them now. 

1. High in Antioxidants
Matcha green tea possesses antioxidant levels 6.2 times that of goji berries, 7 times that of dark chocolate, 17 times that of wild blueberries and 60.5 times that of spinach.

2. Cancer Preventer
Green tea contains a specific set of organic compounds known as catechins. Among antioxidants, catechins are the most potent and beneficial. One specific catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) makes up 60% of the catechins in Matcha Green Tea. Out of all the antioxidants, EGCg is the most widely recognized for its cancer fighting properties.

3. Enhances Calm
Matcha Green Tea has been used by Chinese Daoists and Japanese Zen Buddhist monks as a means to relax and meditate while remaining alert. Matcha green tea contains up to 5 times more L-theanine than conventional green tea. L-theanine is an amino acid with psychoactive properties, capable of inducing alpha wave activity in the brain which induces relaxation without the inherent drowsiness caused by other “downers.”

4. Boosts Memory and Concentration
Another side-effect of L-Theanine is the production of dopamine and serotonin. These two chemicals serve to enhance mood, improve memory, and promote better concentration.

5. Increases Energy Levels and Endurance
While all green tea naturally contains caffeine, the energy boost received from Matcha is largely due to its unique combination of other nutrients. The increased endurance from a bowl of Matcha Green Tea can last up to 6 hours and because of the effects of L-Theanine, Matcha drinkers experience none of the usual side-effects of stimulants such as nervousness and hypertension.

6. Burns Calories
Drinking Matcha Green Tea has also been shown to increase metabolism and help the body burn fat about four times faster than average.

7. Detoxifies the Body
Matcha is grown in the shade, which is why it is richer in chlorophyll than other green teas. Chlorophyll is the pigment responsible for giving leaves their green color. The resulting high levels of chlorophyll in Matcha Green Tea not only give this tea its beautiful vibrant green color. Matcha is also a powerful detoxifier capable of naturally removing heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body.

8. Fortifies the Immune System
The catechins in Matcha Green Tea have been shown to have antibiotic properties which promote overall health. Additionally, just one bowl of Matcha Green Tea provides substantial quantities of Potassium, Vitamins A & C, Iron, Protein, and Calcium. Further studies have even suggested that the nutrients in Matcha may have the ability to inhibit the attacks of HIV on human T-cells.

9. Improves Cholesterol
A 2011 study featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that administration of green tea beverages or extracts significantly lowered serum total cholesterol and LDL(bad) cholesterol.

So with this amazing Matcha, I made fresh chocolate, which is also called Nama chocolate. Fresh chocolate is normally made with chocolate and fresh cream,  but this is vegan recipe which tastes as good as regular fresh chocolate recipe.

Ingredients

- 400 gram (14 oz) vegan dark chocolate(70% cacao)
    Most organic food stores, or even some regular food store sells vegan chocolate.
    Here is vegan chocolate list.
    http://vegetarian.about.com/od/shoppingproducts/f/veganchocolate.htm 
- 200 ml coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- Liqueur of your choice
    This is optional.
- Matcha powder to cover the chocolate

Instructions

1. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces using a knife so that they will melt faster and more evenly. (If you can find good quality chocolate chips, you don't need to chop them.)
2. Wrap an square baking dish. (Backing dish can be around 6"X11", 8"X11", or something similar)
3. Add the coconut cream into a small saucepan and heat until you see few bubbles around the saucepan. Do not over boil it. 
4. Add the chocolate and stir the chocolate and cream. Add liqueur of your choice (optional) and coconut oil.
5. Mix the chocolate and cream with food processor. This is an additional step, but it totally changes the texture. This step makes the chocolate slightly elastic like caramel.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover the surface smoothly with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2-4 hours.
7. Remove the chocolate from the baking dish and sprinkle Matcha powder before cut it.            (A clean warm knife helps cut the chocolate nice and clean.)
8. Cover the chocolate with Matcha

You can use semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate. If you want white chocolate, the ratio of white chocolate and cream should be 3:1, instead of 2:1.



I have more Matcha recipes in previous post.

Matcha Yang-gaeng(Yōkan)

handolcha.blogspot.com/2014/03/green-tea-yang-gaengyokan.html

Matcha Latte
http://handolcha.blogspot.com/2014/03/green-tea-latte.html

Matcha White Chocolate Panna cotta
http://handolcha.blogspot.com/2014/05/matcha-white-chocolate-panna-cotta.html