matcha – the green gold

About one month ago I started to drink „Matcha Latte“ in the morning, because I began the 30-day-challenge Vegan For Fit of vegan chef Attila Hildmann. I’m going to tell you later in the month about the challenge, but now I would like to introduce a friend: Matcha tea.

This „magic“ beverage gives me energy for the whole day and I am in love. 🙂

But what’s Matcha? 

„Matcha is most premium and one of oldest variety of green tea in Japan – the queen of all green teas.

Since over 800 years Zen Buddhist monks are using Matcha tea as meditational drink. Matcha is very exquisite: only a few dozen tea farmers in all Japan own the extensive know how to produce this tea.

Matcha tea leaves grow slowly in shaded tea plantations. The fresh leaves are dried and milled by granite stone mills into an ultra fine, jade green powder, and finally whisked with a bamboo whisk.

The result is a uniquely creamy, full-bodied and beautiful cup of green tea.“

In Japan, Matcha tea is used in tea ceremonies and for all kind food: candy, chocolate, sauces, ice cream, pastry and so on. They use it like we use cocoa. Matcha is very diverse and can be used perfectly as an ingredient for all kind of recipes. 🙂

I used the green tea powder to make Matcha chocolate dinosaurs to decorate my monster party cupcakes. Doesn’t they look cute? And they have this nice and smooth green tea taste.

Matcha Latte in the morning 

Back to my morning ritual. 🙂 Every morning I drink Matcha Latte. Sometimes with steamed vanilla soy milk, sometimes with steamed almond milk, but most of the time with normal soy milk. As you can see on the picture I prepare my Matcha the traditional way: with a tea bowl and a chasen (a traditional bamboo-brush). Below you can find the way I do my Matcha Latte. ♥

Recipe for 1 person:

200 ml soy milk (alternatives: vanilla soy milk, almond milk, oat milk etc.)
1/2 teaspoon Matcha Hikari (by aiya – THE TEA)
50 ml water (80°C)
agave syrup

First step: cook the water and let it cool down to 80°C – that takes about 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat the milk in the microwave and steam it with a milk frother – I use this one from Bodum. Then add 1/2 teaspoon Matcha into a tea bowl and insert about 50 ml water. Next stir all with the chasen (a little milk frother will do the job as well) for about 30 seconds. After that merge the Matcha and the steamed milk. Sweeten with agave syrup, if you like, but Matcha tastes very smooth and kind of sweet. Just NOM NOM and YUMMY. ♥

And this is the delicious result:

Just try Matcha and fall in love! ♥