Matcha has grown in popularity as it becomes more well-known for its health benefits. Coffee can lead to anxious, jittery feelings, whereas matcha produces a “calmer” alertness. This is because it contains l-theanine, which is an amino acid that is sometimes used to relieve stress and anxiety.
Additionally, this beautiful green beverage is jam-packed with antioxidants that protect against chronic disease. It has also been linked to liver and heart health, boosting brain function and cancer prevention. Another huge benefit of sipping the perfect matcha latte is that while matcha contains caffeine just like coffee, the “buzz” you catch from each is entirely different.
As if the health benefits aren’t enough, the beautiful green hue of matcha makes each drink extremely appealing. It’s visually Pinterest and Instagram-worthy.
Here are some top expert tips to make the perfect matcha latte at home:
- Make it simple.
One potential obstacle to making matcha a regular routine is that the process can be time-consuming. Traditionally, matcha is made with several tools, including a bamboo whisk and a strainer. If rushing around in the morning doesn’t allow for such things, there is another solution. Even using an electrix mixer, though quicker, has the potential to create a big mess to clean up in the kitchen. Enter the Cuzen Matcha Maker. This matcha kit is designed to reproduce the qualities of a traditional stone mill and bamboo whisk with much less effort. Cuzen Matcha produces freshly ground matcha from organic shade-grown matcha leaves with the touch of one button, recreating the ancient art of stone-ground Japanese matcha.
- Use high-quality matcha.
Though the rise in popularity of matcha means that there are more products to choose from, it means that being a discerning matcha shopper is imperative. High-quality matcha will be extremely fine in texture (shoot for particle size under 20 micrometers – optimal would be an average size of 6.1 microns – something most blenders cannot accomplish). Whenever possible, use freshly ground matcha. The greener the color, the better and fresher it will likely be AND the more antioxidants it will have. (Worth noting: Some of the country’s top chefs and hoteliers, including Tartine’s Chad Robertson and SingleThread’s Kyle Connaughton use Cuzen to create fresh ground matcha when they cook or whip up matcha lattes for themselves and/or their guests).
- Sweeten to taste.
Some potential ingredients to sweeten your matcha latte include: honey, maple syrup, Stevia, agave syrup, coconut sugar or monk fruit. Go with what works for you and have fun experimenting with different combinations. If you are using a high quality matcha, try it without a sweetener as well – you may be surprised at how delicious it is!
- Add ice. Or don’t!
Perfect matcha lattes are delicious hot OR cold, but one important tip is NOT to burn the matcha. Matcha is best made with room temperature water and definitely no hotter than 175℉ /80℃ (not boiling) otherwise you risk ruining the flavor profile.
This post was contributed as a part of a sponsored guest post series.
