Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

Have you ever heard of Gymnema Sylvestre? Well, not many people have. Gymnema is really quite a neat and interesting herb nicknamed “The Sugar Destroyer” You may wonder why it is called that and you are about to find out. Gymnema is a unique herb that assists in many sugar-related aspects of life. It does not add sugar, replace sugar or any of that. What Gymnema Sylvestre does is this:

• Regulates blood sugar levels
• Curbs your appetite for sweets things and goodies
• Helps maintain a healthy weight
• Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels

Ideal for people who have a sweet tooth, this interesting herb makes it easier to resist sugar cravings and ensure healthier life without the needs for something sugary and sweet.

We are pretty excited about this herb, so much so that we have added to our famous and high-quality Matcha Green Tea. Our Sugar Destroy Matcha not only has the many benefits of Gymnema Sylvestre, but also the many health benefits of Matcha Green Tea.

Taster’s Review: 

Interesting!  I had never heard of Gymnema Sylvestre before trying this Matcha, but now that I’ve learned a little bit about it, it really has me excited.   Since I do have a sweet tooth (I actually believe I have more than one in there) and find myself actually craving sweets sometimes, I think that I could definitely benefit from this herb.

My sweet tooth seems to have control over me sometimes, and I like the idea of being able to control it.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy sweet things now and again, but I’d like to be able to decide when that will be, and not have my sweet tooth making all those decisions.

And Red Leaf Tea has given me a really tasty way to calm my sweet cravings with this Matcha.  I can taste the expected Matcha notes, that bittersweet vegetative flavor; and it has that creamy, thick texture that I’d expect from a high quality Matcha.  Not quite as frothy as some Matcha teas … it foams up nicely but I noticed that the foam faded rather quickly after whisking.

At first, I don’t actually taste the Gymnema Sylvestre … or at least, I don’t think I taste it.  That is to say, I’m not tasting something in addition to the flavor of Matcha.  There isn’t some weird or unusual taste that I don’t recognize here (the way I probably would if there were stevia in this product, for example).  As I near the bottom of my chawan, though, I notice a more distinct herbal-y kind of flavor.  Not off-putting, but definitely different from pure Matcha.

That being said, the Gymnema Sylvestre does alter the taste of the Matcha.  I am finding this Matcha to lack the high notes of a typical Matcha, making this a little less bitter, and not quite as grassy as I would normally experience from a bowl of Matcha.  It is still sweet, vegetative and with hints of bitterness … it is just that the strong grassy taste and bitter tones are not as distinctive as they might be in a bowl of Matcha without the Gymnema Sylvestre.   It is as if the Gymnema Sylvestre offset those high notes a bit, giving this Matcha a somewhat smoother, more even-tempered kind of flavor.

A really enjoyable and (of course) healthy Matcha – with an added bonus!  I like it!