Latest Info on Rice and Matcha Tea

Rice has been in the news recently--and this time it's not bad news about arsenic in rice; it's good (or at least interesting) news about a way to reduce the calories in the product. Here's something else that's a perfect accompaniment to your Asian meal--matcha tea.  Never heard of it? In Japan, it's been popular for more than a millennium; it's also become a contemporary trend, especially in the American West. Read on for details about both of these products.

REDUCED-CALORIE RICE

About 90% of all the world's rice is consumed in Asia, says the Washington Post.  But that still leaves quite a bit of it for American diners.  The Washington Post calls rice "perhaps the most ubiquitous food in the world."  Its popularity is troubling to those who consider it unhealthy--high in calories and (in the case of white rice) perhaps, for some, a greater risk of diabetes. So do we need a substitute for rice? No. The solution to the problem may be simpler than that.  Scientists have found a way to lower the calorie count of rice. So far, scientists have reduced the calories in the least healthful type of rice by 10-12%.  The researchers expect that, when using healthier rice types, they'll be able to achieve a calorie reduction of 50-60%

Here's how it can be done in your own kitchen:  Before adding the rice to boiling water, add some coconut oil or perhaps some other lipid  (about 3% of the weight of the rice  to be cooked)  Then, after the rice is cooked, refrigerate it for roughly 12 hours.  Easy, right?  It only requires planning at least a half-day in advance that you want rice with dinner.

Now you're skeptical.  "What's the science behind this?" you wonder. Simply put, here's the story: you've reduced the amount of starch that's easily digestible; in other words, you've created more resistant starch in your rice.  Easily digestible starch becomes sugar and then body fat.  Resistant starches take a longer period of time for the body to process. As a result, the body doesn't convert them into glucose or glycogen.  Because the human body cannot digest resistant starches, the diner consumes fewer calories. And no, the resistant starches don't become digestible when you reheat the rice.

If this cooking method catches on, it could have a worldwide impact on the rising obesity problem, which is widespread in Asia as well as in the U.S. The Washington Post article concludes with these two points: 1) You may not have to make your own more starch-resistant rice. A world where commercially sold, lower-calorie rice comes precooked might not be that far off.  2) It may be possible to use this method to reduce the calories in many other foods.  "It's about more than rice. Can we do the same for bread?  That's the real question here," said Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah, the Sri Lankan professor who has been supervising this research. 

Food scientist Dr. Karin Allen's comments:  "They're just keeping the starch from fully gelatinizing.  Ungelatinized starch (and retrograded starch, which is what results when the rice is chilled) is harder to digest. The added oil helps to prevent full gelatinization.  The trick would be to make sure the decreased calories from carbs weren't just replaced with increased calories from fat. Adding oil that's about 3% of the weight of the rice is pretty reasonable."

Dr. Donald Thompson, professor emeritus of food science, says the following: "The rice texture would be affected, probably not for the better. Whether the technique has much practical value for caloric reduction is unclear, but the 'resistant starch' may be of some benefit to the colon microflora."

Food scientist Dr. Joe Regenstein adds his opinion:  "This has to do with creating resistant starch, so it might work for other grains as well. I'm not convinced that this is such a breakthrough and that it will be widely adopted.  It will be interesting to see if people care enough about reducing the calories in their rice."

So, in the not-too-distant future, will be all be eating reduced-calorie grains?  Maybe, but, if quality is compromised, I'd just as soon skip the innovation and just eat a smaller portion.

MATCHA TEA

What is matcha tea?

It's green tea made from the same plant as black, oolong, white and other green teas, says the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter. What makes it different relates to the way it's handled before harvesting and the way it's processed afterward. "For several weeks before harvesting, farmers cover the plants to block sunlight, which boosts chlorophyll levels, reduces the tea's astringency, and imparts a unique flavor."  The leaves are quickly steamed to prevent oxidation, destemmed, and de-veined, and ground into a powder.  Traditionally, this is accomplished with a small stone grinding mill.

What's the powder used for?

 More than a 1,000 years ago, Buddhist monks in Japan began the tradition of grinding the leaves to make a powder, which was whisked into hot water to produce a drink for their daily tea ritual.  The more powder is used, the thicker the beverage. According to the Wellness Letter, the powder has "a grassy ('vegetal'), slightly sweet flavor."  The Chicago Tribune is less specific about the taste, describing it as "cool" and "mellow."

In addition to its ages-old function in preparing tea and drinking it either hot or cold, today matcha powder is used in a wide array of other edible products.  The Wellness Letter mentions these: lattes, ice cream, energy bars, and beer. The Chicago Tribune mentions cheesecake, chocolate, and bourbon. The powder can also be added to stews, cakes, and cake icings.

Is matcha tea really a health food?

It seems to have some health benefits, but the Wellness Letter calls the claims "overblown."  However, keep in mind that the person drinking or eating matcha tea is consuming tea leaves, not just the water in which the tea leaves were steeped.  "You get more phytochemicals, which might translate into more benefits," says the Wellness Letter.  Studies on green tea in general show its potential for doing good--for example, reducing cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, improving brain health, and more.   BUT there is very little published research that specifically demonstrates the benefits of matcha tea, although we know it's a good source of several nutrients such as potassium and vitamin K. 

Matcha tea is especially rich in chemicals that may have a calming effect upon the nervous system, which is why it is said to promote "alert relaxation." It also contains some caffeine, which may help some folks perk up and others get too jittery.  The caffeine content can range form 25-75 milligrams depending upon the thickness of the drink and the size of a filled cup. 

There are claims that matcha tea will prevent cancer, boost memory, improve athletic performance, and so on.  The Wellness Letter says, "Just ignore all the hype about miracle-like effects."

Where can I buy matcha tea, and what will it cost me?

You'll find a lot of information and sources online.  For example, there's the Matcha Source Buyer's Guide. On this site, there's an explanation about the different grades of matcha tea, beginning with the point that what you pay for is flavor, not nutrients: "Young leaves, plucked early in the harvest, produce delicate and vegetal flavors.  Mature leaves contain more coarse material from stems and veins and taste more astringent." 

On the above site, you can purchase matcha powder and all the equipment you need to make various beverages (including lattes, smoothies, and more) and other edibles, such as sauces and desserts. The utensils needed to produce these exotic items are also sold on this site, along with instructions on how to use them to prepare drinks and dishes with matcha powder. (Note: Shelf Life Advice has no relationship with the Matcha Souce Buyer's Guide; we were not approached by them to mention them in this article.) Many other online sites also sell the powder and equipment for making drinks with it.

The cost for the tea?   On the Matcha Source Buyer's Guide, prices range from $35-$48 for 15-20 servings.  The Wellness Letter says the price variation is from $2 to more than $30 an ounce (the quantity needed for approximately 14 servings). Locally, you may find matcha powder at Japanese tea shops or other specialty shops. 

Source(s):

washingtonpost.com "Scientists have discovered a simple way to cook rice that dramatically cuts the calories"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/

University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, "No match for matcha," May 2015.

Chicago Tribune "Matcha Tea's Renaissance" April 13, 2015.

Matcha Source Buyer's Guide

Matchahttp://matchasource.com/buyers-guide/

Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences

Joe Regenstein, Ph.D., Cornell University, Dept. of Food Science

Donald B. Thompson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Food Science, Dept. of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University