Coffee & Tea

Matcha is finely ground green tea: you whisk the powder into water and drink it along with the liquid. Greek mountain tea by 1450 Hellenic Herbs is the herb Sideritis raeseri; steep its flowers, then remove or strain them. Matcha has a pronounced green, umami flavour, while mountain tea is a caffeine-free herbal infusion.

Sift the powder, add hot rather than boiling water and whisk. Follow your tea's instructions for the amount and temperature: different teas, as well as thin and thick preparations, use different ratios. A 30 g pack makes thirty cups at 1 g per serving, or fifteen at 2 g. Compare the weight and your serving size, rather than relying only on the serving count in the name or description.

From this range, choose pure Greek mountain tea by 1450 Hellenic Herbs, which contains no caffeine. Matcha naturally contains caffeine, and the Pu-Erh-based Samurai Energy is also a caffeinated drink. Being tea-based does not mean being caffeine-free. Always check the full ingredients of blends, especially if you also drink coffee or other stimulating drinks.

For 1450 Hellenic Herbs, the 20 g box comes with filters and sticks, while the 80 g pouch contains loose tea without them. You therefore need your own strainer or filter for the larger pack. The instructions specify 2 g of tea per cup, water at around 95 °C and roughly five minutes of steeping. Reseal after opening and store in a dry, dark place.