Okay, so I’ve been on this whole “kick” lately, trying to figure out which gives me a better, cleaner buzz – matcha or black tea. I mean, I love my morning caffeine, but I’m trying to be a little more mindful of what I put in my body. So, I did a little experiment on myself.

The Great Caffeine Experiment

First, I got some decent quality matcha. Not that super-expensive ceremonial stuff, but not the bottom-of-the-barrel powder either. I wanted a fair comparison, you know?

For my black tea, I used my usual – good ol’ English Breakfast tea bags. Nothing fancy, but consistent.

Round 1: Black Tea

• Brewed a cup of black tea first thing in the morning, just like I normally do.
• Drank it down, paid attention to how I felt.
• Noticed the usual: a pretty quick kick of energy, felt a bit jittery maybe half an hour later, and then the inevitable crash around lunchtime.

Round 2: Matcha Time

• Next day, I whisked up some matcha. I watched some YouTube videos on it, and I still, messed it up at the very first time. Clumps everywhere!
• Finally got a somewhat smooth, frothy cup. It tasted…earthy. Not bad, but definitely different.
• Waited for the caffeine to hit. It felt…different. Slower, more gradual. No jitters!
• Felt focused and alert for a good few hours, and the energy kinda tapered off gently. No crash!

My Very Scientific (Not Really) Conclusion

Honestly, after trying both for a few days each, I’m leaning towards matcha. The energy feels so much cleaner and more sustained. The black tea is fine, but that crash is rough. I hate feeling all sluggish and brain-foggy in the afternoon.

I’m still figuring out the best way to make matcha taste good – maybe some honey or something? But for now, I’m pretty happy with the switch. It’s a small change, but it feels like a good one for my body and my brain.