Matcha Bliss Latte

I have always been a tea lover. I have a giant box full of tea at home and I love exploring and indulging in the benefits of many herbs and drinking them in the form of a tea. Fun fact: in herbal medicine, this is also known as an infusion or a decoction if you’re brewing your tea for a long period of time.

Today I want to talk about marvellous matcha, an ancient tea originating from Japan, also known as Fine powder tea. When done properly, matcha is made by stone-grinding young green tea leaves into a fine, aromatic powder. Matcha has a smooth, earthy favour that always makes me feel cozy and is a great beverage to enjoy first thing in the morning for energy support.

Nutritionally speaking, matcha is classified as a green tea, so it is no surprise that they both have similar benefits… after all they come from the same plant. The most popular or well-known benefit of matcha is its EGCG content (Epigallocatechin Gallate, also known as Green Tea Extract), which is a powerful antioxidant. One should still take advantage of the many other antioxidants offered in other food sources in order to maintain a healthy mind and body. This means shaping their diet with whole foods while incorporating valuable tools, such as matcha, into their routine. Matcha is also a great food source of L-Theanine, an amino acid that gives matcha its sweeter flavour notes as well as providing us with a relaxing and calming effect acting on our central nervous system… In other words, Theanine mixed with caffeine helps ease stress and allows our bodies to enter into relaxation with ease without sacrificing alertness throughout the day.

While matcha contains less caffeine than coffee or black tea, it still is classified as a caffeinated beverage. Although, the caffeine in matcha binds to cathecins, which are a form of flavanol that behaves as an antioxidant in the body. They are released slowly into the bloodstream, resulting in a gradual expression of caffeine over time. These cathecins work synergistically with the caffeine in matcha to prevent insulin and adrenaline spikes, so you don’t experience the same energy crash that you do with coffee when your blood sugar drops. Some other benefits if matcha include being linked to lower risks of heart disease, obesity, and Type II Diabetes. It is also known to help support brain function and reduce some cognitive effects of aging.

Ingredients:

Luscious Latte Nut-Milk Base:

• 2 cups of your favourite nut milk (I typically use almond or cashew) 

• ¼ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste) 

• 1 tsp maple syrup 

• ¼ tsp vanilla 

Heat your nut milk on the stove in a small pot, whisking each ingredient in their appearing order. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Whisk the nut milk in a circular motion fast enough for nice, foamy bubbles to form. You will know when to stop once you have a lovely layer of foam start to form (you could also use a frother or a steamer if you had access to one).

Matcha Base:

• ½ tsp matcha powder (I use traditional matcha and the traditional bamboo whisk technique) 

• ¼ cup boiled water 

Whisk or mix thoroughly, until matcha is well blended and there aren’t any loose chunks of matcha floating around (I use a traditional matcha bowl & bamboo whisk from Davids Tea).

Put it all together…

Pour your matcha base into a large mug, then add in the nut milk base and make sure to scoop the foam on top!

I always top mine with some cinnamon & fresh nutmeg :)