Ever since I’ve learned about matcha green tea it felt like I have finally found this food that I would want and choose to eat for the rest of my life (if anyone ever ask me to choose, that is). I know that it’s an acquired taste and that not all gets to appreciate its leafy and earthy taste (yes, I know a lot of people who are not into it) but I just find it so delicious! I’ve tried the typical beverages and sweets like donuts and cakes up to some whom people may deem as weird like matcha tonkatsu, matcha pasta and matcha boba cakes.
Whenever I visit a new cafe, this drink is my staple order and I usually judge a certain place according to the quality of their matcha like, “oh that cafe, they have the best matcha latte!” “this one’s full of jasmine green te although they are advertising it as matcha green tea!!” and so on!
We were blessed to visit the place of origin of matcha in 2018 and of course I didn’t miss to try out any matcha that I can get. Japan truly is a matcha enthusiasts’ heaven on Earth. (You can read my little article about our experience here.) I had such a good time trying out everything on the free taste section and have actually bought a couple to bring home. Meiji matcha sand chocolate cookie has to be my most favourite from the haul. It has 51% matcha composition and I’ve never loved anything more. It’s perfect!
Meanwhile, although Taiwan’s main thing is boba tea and my matcha expectation is low, I also managed to try different matcha drinks despite being on a budget in 2019. (You can check what I wrote about my adventures in Taiwan here.)
The following years are a different story because we had to stay at home and the travels are very limited. But what a joy that we have online stores now and so, I did get to try quite a few (and I even made some of the treats personally at home).
Because I had the time, I get to concoct my own drink and bake my own pastry treats and that in itself is already very rewarding.
MATCHA-dventures at home!
First, you have to be on a lookout for the best grade matcha in town because there are a lot of different types. There are culinary grade A and then there are some which are not quite as accurate as advertised. One thing that’s for sure is that authentic matcha powder is extra expensive (but the cost is not always an indication of good quality so you have to be careful and you have to check the reviews thoroughly first.)
How to check if a matcha is of high quality? You can already tell by its color. I used to say the greener, the better. The more that it would taste authentic.
How does it differ from other green teas? The main difference is that jasmine green tea for example is made from leaf extracts and it has that floral smell and aftertaste. Meanwhile, authentic matcha is made from the actual green tea leaves so it tastes like leaves (that is why some don’t really like it and are only trying it for the hype)
Matcha Latte (top left)
I whisked out a matcha latte out of this powder that I got online and yes, it was great. You have to let it get frothy so it is advised to invest on a proper whisk and bamboo hook/spoon (chazen and chashaku) for the whole experience. Then you’ll add your favourite fresh or non-fat milk or almond milk and then you are good to go.
But if you want and for an easier preparation, you can opt to buy a pre-mixed matcha latte just like this one that I have discovered online — a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf matcha latte powder.
This is the same powder that they are using on the cafeterias in the mall (tested and proven) and it is one of my best buys this quarantine that you should also try.
Also, it took me a couple of tries to find an online shop selling a good quality matcha powder so instead of just drinking them I used some of them to bake and re-create some of my favourites like truffles, green tea ice cream, matcha dalgona and matcha cream bites. There are also some snacks like this Yanyan dip (pictured above, lower right) and some matcha cookies that can be bought online.
Matcha Truffles are made using only three ingredients and it is probably one of the easiest to prepare in these bunch.
You will only need cocoa powder, condensed milk and matcha powder! Basically you will just have to mix the milk and cocoa powder altogether, keep it on the freezer and then sprinkle it with matcha powder.
Matcha Dalgona and Matcha Bread Bites
One of the beverages that has become famous during quarantine is the dalgona coffee and one of its many variations is a matcha dalgona. Dalgona is being made by whipping a teaspoon of coffee powder until it is creamy and frothy and then putting it on top of your choice of milk (hot or cold with ice) But since it is harder to achieve a certain consistency if you will be using matcha powder, one additional ingredient that you could use is whipping heavy cream.
I even added some white chocolate bits on top for aesthetic purposes, also for additional texture and taste.
I have learned to bake only recently (just this year) and so when I discovered how to make some bread buns, I decided to create little bits of it and then I put some whipped cream and matcha on top and look at how pretty and tasty it has become!
I have also tried to do a hotteok or the Korean pancake that is matcha-flavoured. It turned out alright but I need more practice in frying the hotteok to make it look exactly like the ones in Korea.
I have a Namjoon cookie cutter and so voila! I made some home-made matcha-flavoured sugar cookies! Sometimes I also put some variations on the muffins that I bake by adding some matcha powder and powdered sugar in them.
You really only need to be creative and to be resourceful of the things that you’ve got at home to be able to come up with a matcha dish or a snack that is so you.
Do you like matcha a lot like me?
Do you have any suggestions of any matcha that you’d want me to try, too?
Taking this opportunity to thank the ever lovely sponsors! You are all so amazing. I’d bake you some treats if I could.
To spending our time efficiently and enjoying every minute of it,
A
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Kindly check out my old stuff if you are up for some quick read:
My friend @crazybeautifulfurmom loves matcha!