matcha latte

I’ll admit, I was skeptical of matcha when I first heard about it. Green tea powder didn’t really sound that appealing. At least to me. But I’m happy I gave it a chance; it’s become one of my favorite beverages. And maybe some of you are already aboard the matcha train!

Matcha is a special kind of green tea. Normally when you brew green tea, you infuse water with the components of the tea leaves and throw away the tea bag after it’s done steeping. With matcha, you drink the tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. And a little definitely goes a long way.

Matcha is full of nutrients and high in antioxidants, especially EGCG, which is known to boost metabolism. It contains caffeine, but I find I’m a lot less jittery after a cup of matcha compared to a cup of coffee. And I don’t feel the caffeine crash a few hours later. Matcha can be expensive, but don’t let that discourage you from trying it. I found organic matcha for a great price at my local HomeGoods!

Typically matcha is prepared by adding hot water to the powder and whisking until it’s blended. You don’t want to use boiling water; the ideal temperature is around 180 degrees. Then you’d drink it just like you would any other tea. However, it’s really easy to use water that’s too hot, which ruins both the flavor and the health benefits of the matcha.

That’s exactly why I love my matcha iced. I like blending matcha into almond milk and adding a date for sweetness. It’s a latte that’s easy to make at home without a lot of fuss. Plus, you don’t need any special equipment other than a blender.

Here’s my recipe:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder (or less if matcha is new to you!)
• 1 date (be sure to remove the pit and soak in a bit of hot water if you need to soften it)

Throw everything into the blender and blend! I blend my latte for about a minute to make sure all that matcha powder gets mixed in. If you’re not using a Vitamix or Blendtec, you may want to blend it even longer. Then I pour the mixture over ice and enjoy!

If you don’t have a blender, you can still make an iced matcha latte at home. I’d suggest adding the almond milk and matcha powder to a mason jar with a lid and shaking it until mixed. Instead of adding a date to the mason jar, you could add a sweetener of your choice. Raw honey would likely work really well. Or you could add a touch of creamer.

Let me know if you have tried or end up trying matcha, I’d love to hear what you think!