Green Tea Latte

Mmmm… green tea lattes are one of my absolute FAVE hot drinks (the other is hot chocolate). There’s just something about the combo of high-quality green tea, warm almond milk, and a hint of sweetness that makes my heart smile (and of course, my tastebuds).

Matcha is  green tea powder… basically, green tea leaves that have been ground up. So imagine that: you’re actually consuming the leaves, rather than steeping and then removing them (as you do with a tea bag). In this way, you’re getting a much more powerful drink. Because of the concentration of green tea in the powder and the fact that we’re consuming the leaves, the nutrient content is typically much higher than regular green tea. That means a whole lotta antioxidants!

Now, being green tea, matcha does contain caffeine… but, because it also contains a calming amino acid called L-theanine, it’s more of a calm, focused energy that you get… almost like a slowly-released energy stabilizer. Yum.

Although there are many out there, one of the brands I love is called Do Matcha… it’s an amazing quality company that does not contain pesticides (even in their non-organic version). When choosing a good matcha powder, the two main things to look for are:

• The colour – It should be bright green and vibrant, like the one shown in the picture above. Those that aren’t as high-quality look pale and, for lack of a better word, blah.
• The packaging – It should come in a sealed container, and the instructions should indicate that refrigeration is ideal once opened. This ensures that the matcha stays fresh and doesn’t lose any of its nutritional value. So, even though the stuff found in the bulk section is cheaper, the quality isn’t quite the same (plus, without a company name to go by, it’s impossible to know where and how they source it).

A note on the different harvesting times:

In the Do Matcha brand, you will find the “Ceremonial” and the “Summer Harvest”. There isn’t a huge difference between these, so don’t spend too much time choosing which one to buy (the summer harvest is cheaper, so that’s a bonus for sure). The ceremonial leaves are picked in the spring, at their peak, when their nutrient content is highest. And, the summer harvest leaves are picked in August when the nutrient content is a bit lower… but still pretty darn great.

And in the case of organic vs. non-organic, well, usually the former is the best choice. However, the Do Matcha non-organic version also doesn’t contain any pesticides, as the fields in which it grows have not been sprayed. Woohoo! So, the non-organic summer harvest is usually the one I get.

Green Tea Latte

1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk

3-4 Tbsp hot water (approximately)

1 tsp matcha*

French vanilla stevia (I use the NOW brand and put in 15 drops… but I like it sweet) 🙂

*If it’s your first time having matcha, I’d suggest starting with 1/2 a teaspoon and seeing how you feel… does it give you an energy boost and make you feel great? Awesome! If not, you can increase it to 1 teaspoon (which is the amount that I use).

Heat the almond milk on the stove, boil the kettle, and put the matcha powder into a bowl. Once the kettle has boiled, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the water to cool slightly, as using boiling hot water can destroy the delicate matcha. Once it’s ready to go, pour about 2-4 tablespoons onto the matcha powder. Use a whisk or spoon to stir it up and remove any clumps that form. (I use a fancy-pants bamboo matcha whisk, as pictured above, but this isn’t a requirement… just something to get if you become a serious matcha drinker, like moi.) At this point, it will look something like the below picture. (Look at that awesome colour!)

Add this mixture to the heated almond milk and stir together. Drop in your desired amount of stevia, stir again, pour into your favourite mug, and away you go!

Of course I choose this mug, because, well, it makes me darn happy. 🙂