Have you ever seen those bright green drinks at your local coffee shop and wondered what they are?
They’re called matcha milk tea, and they’re made with a special type of green tea fine powder.
Matcha milk tea is becoming more popular in the U.S., and for good reason: it’s a delicious drink, healthy, and can be a great pick-me-up or afternoon treat in a tall glass.
To make the perfect matcha tea, also known as a matcha latte or iced matcha latte, it needs to be smooth, creamy, have good flavor, and strike the perfect taste balance, not to mention, possess a beautiful vibrant dark green color.
Here’s a quick matcha latte recipe for you to whip up at home!
Equipment:
- Matcha bowl
- Scoop (tbs)
- Bamboo whisk
- Cup
- Pot (for hot milk)
- 1 tbsp matcha powder.
- ½ a cup of water (hot water)
- 2 cups of any milk of your choice.
- 2 tbs of any sweetener of your choice,
Matcha Milk Tea Recipe/ Matcha Bubble Tea Recipe Instructions:
- Add 1 to 4 teaspoons of matcha powder to the small bowl.
- Add 1.5 oz cups of water (hot water) into the matcha bowl and whisk using the matcha whisk.
- Heat up the milk n medium heat in a pot to about 80°C.
- Pour the milk into a cup (hot or cold).
- Pour the matcha mix over the milk of choice.
- Add any sweetener of your choice like maple syrup, or brown sugar syrup, and add cooked tapioca pearls to it.
- Stir, and enjoy!
If you want to get fancy, you can seek to replicate the popular matcha bubble tea and add other ingredients like:
Some of my favorite ways
– Tapioca balls
– Milk frother
– Chewy tapioca pearls
Traditionally made matcha tea does not need a lot of water or any other ingredient except for hot water, however, over the years, this finely ground Japanese green tea has grown in popularity and therefore also in the different ways that it can be consumed.
Matcha lovers swear by matcha ice cream!
A vegan non-dairy option is what currently seems to be the most popular way matcha lovers enjoy this tea, however, you can use any choice of milk like almond milk, it all just really depends on personal preference.
Served hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened, matcha milk tea takes a bit of skill and a bit of fun to make the best way for you/
What are Matcha Milk Tea Ingredients?
Matcha milk tea is made using 4 simple ingredients – milk, matcha powder, warm water, and an additional sweetener (brown sugar syrup).
There are a variety of ways to bring these ingredients together.
The art of making matcha milk tea is one of the most important factors affecting the taste so how you make your matcha milk tea is all about your taste buds.
Firstly, use culinary grade matcha or good quality best matcha powder to get the best taste out of your tea.
Try to avoid using regular green tea, regular green tea powder, or green tea leaves.
The second ingredient when making matcha milk tea is water, and you should always try not to use too much warm water and brown sugar syrup unless you are making a regular matcha tea or homemade matcha tea to start off your day.
The recommended scale of warm water is about 1oz.
Of course, being a milk tea, you’ll need cold milk and green tea powder.
You can use ordinary creamy milk of choice or experiment with plant-based alternatives like oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.
Now, pick a sweetener (sweetener of choice) like honey, maple syrup, agave, brown sugar, or even Stevia.
Usually, the sweetener is the last ingredient added when making a matcha latte since most of the plant-based milk is already somewhat sweet.
This whole process needs to be done carefully so that the matcha retains its quality properties.
The total time to make matcha can take 5-15 minutes depending on the tools of preparation.
When making matcha tea, you matcha bowls, as any bowl or wide cup will do.
You also don’t have to use a bamboo whisk as some people do use a cocktail shaker, blenders, a milk frother, or even a fork (although this is really pushing it) when mixing the warm water, brown sugar, and matcha into a smooth paste.
Remember to store your pricey ceremonial-grade matcha powder back in an airtight container or a mason jar to preserve its integrity and freshness.
Is Matcha milk tea healthy?
The answer to is matcha milk tea good for you is yes, yes, and yes! Matcha (high-quality matcha powder) is said to have the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory concentration compared to any other tea. Anti-inflammatory substances are anti-carcinogenic meaning they have the ability to prevent cancer and aid in cardiovascular diseases.
Matcha tea is notably well known as “pure tea”, hence why it is actually drunk mainly for matcha milk tea benefits.
Because you are consuming the whole leaf in powdered form, you are getting all of the goodness that the plant has to offer in a much higher concentration than brewed tea.
Matcha milk benefits are similar to green tea.
It contains plenty of antioxidants that have protective benefits and can help fight free radicals and stave off cardiovascular disease.
Matcha tea is also high in theanine which is known to improve cognitive abilities.
Theanine is a substance not easily found in food products, besides mushrooms, and matcha is probably the only other food that you can get theanine from at such high levels.
Many drinks of matcha tea report heightened focus and creative abilities, giving feelings of happiness.
Your mood will be radically improved as it allows for the release of dopamine.
If you’re looking for a caffeine boost, similar to espresso, you can also take a matcha shot.
The caffeine in matcha is of an even higher concentration than normal coffee or tea, yet it is broken down more slowly by the body which means matcha tea and refreshing matcha bubble tea drinkers will have a stabilized energy release rate rather than the conventional crash and burn known to coffee.
To get the best of these health benefits, use only good quality organic matcha and which is normally the matcha produced in Japan.
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I hope it inspires you to make Healthier, and Creative Drinks at Home.
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