A latte is a very popular way to consume matcha. In fact, many matcha lovers in North America started their addiction with a matcha latte. It’s a great way to experience matcha for the first time. However, most matcha lattes in cafes can be filled with a lot more sugar than pure, authentic matcha. A matcha latte can also be pretty expensive, especially if you’re buying them regularly.
The good news is that you can easily make a matcha latte at home and it will take less time than ordering one! All you need is a matcha (ceremonial or even a culinary grade will do here), your favourite milk (cows or plant based), water and a frothing device. You can even add sweetener if desired. The great thing about making a quick matcha latte at home is that you can control the sweetness. Don’t want any? Don’t add it! Just want a touch of sweetness? Don’t add too much! Say goodbye to those sugary matcha drinks.
What is a matcha latte?
Latte means milk in Italian. Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder made from tencha tea leaves. Put the two together and you have a matcha latte. This can be similar to a latte made with coffee, except matcha is healthier and also does not come with jitters from caffeine later on. While this is not the traditional way to make and drink matcha, a matcha latte is still warm, comforting and so delicious! It’s also filled with antioxidants. Replace your morning cup of coffee with this and you’ll begin to notice a difference in your day-to-day routine.
For this recipe, any of Grace & Green’s matcha offerings will work well.
Grace & Green Matcha Latte
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoon Grace & Green matcha
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
Directions:
1. Sift matcha into a cup. Add the hot water (not boiling!) and whisk with a handheld frother or a bamboo whisk (chasen).
2. Stir in sugar (or any other sweetener you like) until it is dissolved.
3. Froth the warm milk with either a handheld frother or an electric frother.
4. Add to the cup of matcha and enjoy!
High quality organic matcha for your matcha latte is Here!
I first tried high quality organic matcha when I was living in Sapporo, Japan. Thanks to a friend, I had the opportunity to experience a Japanese tea ceremony with 3 other friends!
We went to the home of a friendly and welcoming woman who was dressed in elegant kimono. I wasn't sure what to expect as she ushered us into a lovely little tatami-floored room.
We were concerned about making foolish mistakes during the ceremony, but our host put us at ease with encouragement and jokes. We settled onto the floor in the traditional Japanese sitting pose, but of course we were not able to maintain the pose for the entire ceremony. Our host was very understanding and invited us to adjust our seats as needed. I could tell that the most important thing for her was to share the beauty and peace of the ceremony. Her enthusiasm and love for the tea ceremony was expressed in each graceful movement she made.
When she opened the small wooden jar containing the matcha powder, I was surprised by the vibrancy and depth of the green of it, since I had only ever been exposed to cheap and low quality sencha tea-bag style green teas back home in Canada. High quality matcha tea powder is green like the forest on a spring day, and is just as pleasant and refreshing.
We enjoyed watching the meticulous process of the tea ceremony, and we were impressed by the care and attention shown by our host. She made the ceremony look both simple and incredibly complex at the same time! Eventually she passed me a beautiful little bowl of gently steaming matcha. After twisting the bowl this way and that(I'm sorry I can't recall the meaning behind this), I had my first sip of high quality matcha green tea.
There was a wonderful, creamy frothiness to start, followed by an earthy yet smooth green tea flavor. The flavor matched the color of the powder I had seen - vibrant and unique, but not glaring or garish.
Of course, there was also the warmth of the caffeine, and I realized as I finished my matcha, that the feeling was entirely different from that of caffeine from coffee. Matcha left me with an invigorated yet mellow feeling, with none of the jittery jangles that can result from coffee.
Now that I'm back home in Canada, organic matcha green tea is a special treat for me, and I'm thankful I had the chance to try it for the first time in Japan! I'm also thrilled to find that people in Canada are becoming more aware of the advantages of high quality organic matcha, and what a lovely drink it is!
Matcha Green Tea has a very long history. In modern matcha green tea factories, the latest machines are used to enhance the quality of matcha and to produce under sanitary condition. Watch and learn how matcha green tea is powdered and put it into tins!
The water temperature is recommended to be about 80℃ / 176℉
If the temperature is higher than that, more catechin will be released and the taste of the tea will become more bitter. Please remember that this temperature is very important to make delicious matcha tea!
Sift 1 tsp (about 1.5 g / 0.05 oz) matcha powder into a cup using a sifter
Sifting matcha powder is important not to make matcha clumps in your matcha tea.
Add 70 ml (2.5 oz) hot water( 80℃ / 176℉ )
First, stir the matcha powder using a milk frother (milk frother is still off)
Turn on the milk frother and stir well for about 10 seconds.
Then, add some ice into the matcha tea and stair again with the milk frother for about 5 seconds.
Enjoy the taste of Summer!
For the Iced Matcha Green Tea, it is very important to use high grade matcha powder because the low temperature of matcha tea give you the true taste of your matcha powder directly.
Try our truly high grade organic matcha powder and see the difference! Your organic matcha is Here!
If you drink Matcha for its health benefits, one or two cups a day is enough, but it is more important to drink the tea for long periods rather than drink large amounts for short periods.
The amount of caffeine per 2g of Matcha is said to be more than a cup of tea but less than a cup of coffee. For this reason, children, pregnant women, breast-feeding women and people suffering from insomnia are advised to avoid drinking Matcha green tea.
Matcha contains catechin, which prevents iron absorption. Therefore, it is a good idea to avoid drinking Matcha before and after meals, especially if you are anaemic.
The history of Matcha dates back about 800 years. Matcha was originally used as medicine for people who wished for perpetual youth and longevity. The only thing that is accurate about the health benefits of Matcha is that even though it does offer many health benefits, it does not offset poor life habits like smoking, eating too many sweets, drinking alcohol to excess, too little physical exercise, etc. From its history, we may infer that Matcha can contribute much to your good health.
Looking for the best organic matcha green tea in Japan? Your matcha is HERE!
As matcha green tea is becoming popular worldwide, you can easily find matcha green tea that is not made in Japan. Usually the price of them is much less expensive.
The method of making Matcha was developed in Japan after the introduction of green tea powder into Japan from China. The most distinguishing feature of Japanese Matcha is the use of a Tencha oven. This oven was invented in Japan and is called a Horii-type Tencha oven (see the picture below). All Tencha ovens in Japan are said to be of the Horii type.
Another important feature of Authentic Matcha Green Tea is that it is made from some special cultivars that were developed in Japan exclusively for making matcha. Some of them are Samidori, Asahi, Gokou, etc.
The water temperature is recommended to be about 80℃ / 176℉
If the temperature is higher than that, more catechin will be released and the taste of the tea will become more bitter. Please remember that this temperature is very important to make delicious matcha tea!
Sift 1 tsp (about 1.5 g / 0.05 oz) matcha powder into a cup using a sifter
Sifting matcha powder is importantnot to make matcha clumps in your matcha tea.
Add 140 ml (5 oz) hot water( 80℃ / 176℉ )
First, stir the matcha powder using a milk frother (milk frother is still off)
Turn on the milk frother and stir well for about 10 seconds.
There is no definition for culinary / cooking grade Matcha. Conscientious tea companies are using low grade Tencha, which is not suitable for drinking, to make culinary grade Matcha by either stone mill or machine. Therefore, the price of the tea is much cheaper than authentic high grade Matcha. In Japan it is said that only one third of Matcha (including culinary / cooking grade Matcha) is made from Tencha. So what is the left of them? They are green tea powder made from Sencha (most common Japanese green tea). Therefore they are not Matcha technically.
