Drink of the Month: Matcha Latte, hot and cold!
We decided to highlight MATCHA LATTES, either hot or cold. Given the wacky climate changes, here in the Bay Area, we have experienced three fall heat waves, sometimes followed by cold days. So now we may want hot or cold, depending on the day (not the season!).
You’ve no doubt heard about the benefits of green tea A recent review of intervention studies on green tea have shown that the caffeine increases cognitive performance and the phytochemical L-theanine improves feelings of well being. It is thought that it may take the edge off of caffeine-induced anxiety so the combination of the two improves mental focus and calm. Matcha green tea powder has become very popular in the US and leads to a higher intake of green tea phytochemicals compared to regular green tea. Matcha is the powdered form of green tea leaves, leaves that have been grown in the shade (which enhances chlorophyll and makes the leaves a brighter green).
Ingredients
1 tsp matcha green tea powder
2 tsp sugar or another sweetener
3 tbsp warm water
1.5 cups of cold or hot milk (or milk substitute)
How To Prepare
-
Spoon the matcha green tea powder into a mug or cup. (Optional: add sugar, honey, or natural sweetener).
-
Add the warm water and mix with a spoon or with a whisk until it is a smooth dark green paste to ensure no lumps form.
-
Pour steamed milk (or a milk substitute) into a mug until nearly full. Use cold milk for an iced latte.
-
Use a whisk to mix the paste and milk together until smooth and light green in color.
-
If you so wish, you can add a few sprinkles of matcha green tea powder on the top for decoration. Or add ice for an extra cold iced latte.
