Matcha Latte
Sunday June 29, 2008 :: by Ingrid
Cashew cream has mingled its way into many of my drinks lately. It’s not too surprising since I had a few cups of it stored in the refrigerator waiting to be used. A few mornings ago I indulged in my first homemade green tea latte made with Cashew Cream and have continued to make it ever since. Matcha combined with cashew cream makes a lovely blended drink.
What is matcha? It is green tea made from stone-ground freshly picked young tea leaves made into a powder. The tea powder is brilliant green in color and is traditionally used for tea ceremonies. I found two sites that give more information specific to matcha tea. Japanese Green Tea Online.com for more information on matcha tea. Organic Matcha tea can also be purchased through this site. The other site offers a QuickTime demonstration and instructions on how to make matcha tea.
I specifically choose to use matcha tea powder for two reasons: 1) it contains little caffeine and is a highly nutritious antioxidant rich tea; 2) I could either whisk it or simply add it to the cashew cream and blend.
If steeping matcha [as I did in order to extract all the available antioxidants] use good quality filtered water and avoid using boiling hot water as it is said to turn the tea bitter. Use one teaspoon, or one bamboo scoop [chashaku]* to 6 - 8 ounces water. Whisk with a bamboo tea whisk [chasen]* or a small whisk. Let the tea steep for one minute or so.
Matcha Latte
This is a great drink for those who want to avoid high levels of caffeine. Enjoy this latte warm or iced.
1 cup Cashew Cream
Blend steeped matcha tea and cashew cream in a blender. Enjoy immediately or within 30 minutes to receive the beneficial active phytochemicals.
Serves 2
* You can purchase these items – the bamboo matcha tea scoop [left] and the bamboo whisk [right] - online or at a Japanese or Chinese market.
Comments
1 Comment so far
I love matcha tea but never thought to have it with nut milk. I’ll have to give this a try.