In the past years, I have shifted from drinking coffee to tea more and more. It gave me enough caffeine and is also calming at the same time, I know it seems contradictory in a way but somehow it works for me. One of my go-to for an afternoon pick me up in summer is iced matcha latte. As I spend more time at home, why not making one? And make it a healthier at the same time. I gotta say that it is so simple and quick to make, and the most important thing is it tastes delicious.
Let’s start with the main ingredient – a good grade matcha powder – it will make a big difference. So how do you know which one to choose? I am not going to say that I am a tea connoisseur, however from my experience of drinking different kinds of tea, these are what I look for when buying green tea: Where does the product come from? From my experience, ideally Japan since they are well known for producing high-quality green tea. Second is color; a good quality matcha powder has a nice vibrant pure green tinge. Avoid ones with a yellow tint. Texture, aroma, and taste are also important. You should feel a fine and silky smooth texture when rubbing them on the tip of your fingers. Green tea has a unique scent, I would say it has a green leafy bitter smell and a light sweet and bitter taste.
Next is a natural sweetener. Since I have been cooking a lot at home, I am more conscious about what ingredients to use in my dishes. One of the things that I have been doing is substituting white sugar with alternative sweeter like palm sugar, brown sugar, or honey when possible. I love using honey in my cooking or making a refreshing drink, like this recipe. My personal preference when picking a jar of honey is to go with raw and unfiltered honey. It’s less processed and contains beneficial nutrients.
This recipe only required three ingredients; matcha powder, honey, and any milk that you like. It is so easy to make yet taste very delicious. Different flavors comes at the first sip. Surprisingly it is very refreshing and smooth. The milkiness work well with the perfectly sweet note from the honey combined with the slightly bitter taste of the matcha. I made this one afternoon for my family and myself, and they loved it. Another great thing about this recipe is that there is no wrong way to prepare it. You can make it to your taste and liking. For instance, add more honey if you like sweet, or add more matcha if you want more of the green tea flavor. The measurement I have on the recipe sheet is based on my tall glass at home which is about 12 oz. I hope you enjoy this green delectable goodness as much as I do 🙂
Ingredients
2 tsp. Matcha powder ( mix 3 oz of water)
2 tbsp. Honey (I prefer raw & unfiltered honey)
1/2 cup Milk
Ice
Instructions
- Thin the honey by adding a little bit of hot water then stir them together. Enough to reduce the stickiness and be able to blend it with the drink, but do not over-dilute the honey flavor with hot water.
- Dissolve Matcha powder in water per instruction on the package. I add just enough room temperature water then quickly whisk them together until it dissolves, then add a little more hot water. Overall total is 3 oz of water.
- Pour the prepared honey into a glass, add ice, then add milk, and the last step is pour the matcha liquid on the top.
- Stir them together and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe is based on 12 oz glass. You can change all the ingredient measurements in proportion to your drink size. Also the measurements does not have to be exact and can be adjusted to the taste of your liking.