"Matcha is stone-ground from tencha tea which is grown in the shade for three weeks just before it's harvested. The Chinese method of preparing powdered tea was brought to Japan in 1191, so matcha tea has been around for a long time!

As well as a drink, matcha is commonly used for flavouring both sweet and savoury dishes. When you drink matcha, you consume the leaves, so drinking one cup of matcha tea has the antioxidant equivalent of drinking 10 cups of steeped green tea.

The most natural way to drink matcha is whisked or stirred in hot water, although many people drink it in apple juice or lattes."

Lily's Organic Matcha Tea is the only matcha in Ireland certified by the Irish Organic Trust. Available in health shops and major Supervalu stores. www.lilysteashop.ie