It’s been some time since I first noticed these green frothy bevies popping up on my insta feed (that green honestly makes a ridiculously beautiful looking latte!) and I wanted to learn more of what the hype was about. I heard of it’s magical health powers and wondered if it was just a marketing play…and that’s when I posed the question to all of you…and got some great feedback on it. Pretty sure I was one of THE last people around to try it. And then a friend treated me to some matcha..and all that was left was for me to get whisking…and sipping…
What’s so great about matcha? Well, from all of your feedback and from what I read online (because Dr. Google is so smart…ahem…but really, isn’t that where everyone does their research nowadays??) one of the biggest benefits of matcha is that it is rich in antioxidants. Even more so than drinking regular green tea. That’s because matcha is actually the tea leaves themselves, ground finely. So while normal tea is steeped and then the leaves removed, matcha forms a drink where you ingest the actual leaves. Which means that you are drinking a more nutritionally dense tea.
I’ve heard it said that the preparation of matcha is to be enjoyed almost as much as the drink itself. It is indeed ritualistic. I make myself a matcha latte when I have a break in my day…when there is time to enjoy it. It signals a little “escape” when I have a chance to decompress and the simple ritual of boiling the water, whisking the matcha, warming the almond milk all send me a message that it’s time to calm down. While matcha does contain a high amount of caffeine, the natural addition of L-theanine provides what many refer as an “alert calm”. What an interesting description. Oddly though, I would have to agree….it doesn’t provoke the same “buzz” or jumpy feeling that coffee often does. Many say they feel a calm focus…I could go for that.
It’s become somewhat of a routine for me…does that mean I’m jumping on the trendy bandwagon? I really don’t want to be a bandwagoner, but I’m thoroughly enjoying this new (to me) hot drink a number of times a week and feel that it’s a better choice than drinking that extra Americano. Trust me, the coffee consumption around here has been off the the charts since Snowmaggedon…
To make, simply:
- Heat 1/2 cup water…turn it off just before it boils.
- Pour a small amount of this water into a small bowl with 1 teaspoon matcha powder.
- Mix with frother or matcha whisk.
- Pour into a mug and add the remaining water and 1/2 cup almond milk, warmed.
- If more sweetness is desired, add 1 tsp maple syrup or honey.
*I like to sprinkle with cinnamon to finish.
Please trust me when I say that you need a proper whisk to mix the matcha powder with the hot water…unless you like dark green clumps. I wanted to show you this handy little whisk that I love….not only does it mix the matcha beautifully, but it also froths my warmed almond milk. I kinda love it. And…it’s only $12. Good, right?
Lastly, not all matcha is equal. And unfortunately, good quality matcha does come at a cost. High quality, fresh and pure matcha will give you the most flavourful latte with the most nutritional benefit. A low priced matcha might not be the one you want to buy… For those of you who are researchers, I found this post super interesting… maybe most intriguing to me is the similarity suggested of matcha to wine with respect to learning to appreciate the taste and the complexity of the different flavour notes. Who knew that matcha was such an intense tea?
Hope this post is helpful if you’ve been curious about matcha…
Wishing you all a great weekend…are you doing anything special? I’m heading with Lexi to Las Vegas today for a volleyball tournament…so my matcha drinking is on hold until I’m back at home:) Laurel xo
