Matcha Latte Made with Milk Alternatives
Matcha latte is a drink made with matcha green tea and milk. It is characterized by having the perfect balance of bitterness from the matcha powder and sweetness from the milk. It is an especially popular beverage among adults in Japan.
Matcha has been enjoyed in Japan as a beverage ever since the 8th century. In the mid of the 90's, matcha cakes, matcha-flavored chocolates, and other sweets using matcha began to appear on the market in Japan. Like matcha sweets, matcha latte is also considered to be a dessert and can be enjoyed between or after meals rather than as a beverage with meals.
You can enjoy a freshly made matcha latte at cafes like Starbucks or Tully’s in Japan. You can also find packaged matcha lattes at virtually any convenience store. Matcha latte kits have even been created and are sold in supermarkets. Matcha lattes using a kit can easily be made by pouring hot water over the latte powder. Therefore, matcha latte is a very accessible drink in Japan.
Matcha, with its high nutritional value and caffeine properties, has been attracting attention overseas as a superfood, and matcha-flavored sweets and drinks have become well-known around the world. Drinking matcha has also become a popular alternative to drinking coffee.
Today, instead of dairy milk, we'll make a matcha latte using almond milk, which is easily available in supermarkets. Even those who do not like milk can enjoy a delicious matcha latte.
If you don’t like almond milk, you can use oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, cashew milk…the list goes on. Just use your favorite milk!
If you have the traditional tools for making matcha tea, such as Chasen (a bamboo matcha whisk) and Chashaku (tea ladle), you can enjoy an authentic matcha latte even more.
Pour your latte into your favorite mug, sprinkle matcha powder on top for an extra fancy touch, and it's ready to enjoy!
Overview
Prep time: 0 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Total servings: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 150ml Almond Milk
- 150ml Warm Water (between 60~70℃)
- 6g Matcha Powder
- 14g Sugar
Expert's Tip
What is matcha? And what is the difference between matcha and powdered green tea, which is very similar? Matcha is powdered Tencha. Powdered green tea is powdered Sencha. Both Tencha and Sencha are made from the same plant, Chanoki, but the manufacturing process is different. While Sencha is fully grown in sunlight, Tencha is kept out of the sun for at least 20 days. The sunlight deprivation prevents the production of catechins, which have an astringent taste, but instead contains more theanine, which has an umami taste, resulting in a difference in taste. Kyoto is the largest producer of Tencha in Japan. This organic matcha is produced in Uji, Kyoto. It can be used not only for making tea, but also for making sweets such as pancakes, sponge cakes, and more.
Instructions
1) Heating and Frothing the Milk
Warm up the almond milk in a saucepan, turn off heat just before it boils and transfer into a bowl. You can also warm up the almond milk in a microwave for 1 minute at 600w. Whisk with a milk frother or whisk.
2) Whisking the Matcha
Put matcha powder and sugar into another bowl. First, pour in half the warm water and whisk with a chasen - traditional Japanese matcha whisk. If you do not have a chasen, you can use a frother or whisk. When the matcha powder and sugar have completely melted, pour in the other half of the warm water and whisk well until bubbles form around the surface.
3) Putting the Matcha Latte Together
Divide the matcha from step 2 into two mugs and pour the foamed almond milk over the top. Finally, sprinkle with matcha powder using a tea strainer and it’s done!
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