Sunday, September 06, 2009

Iced Matcha au Lait



I always used matcha in my bakes, didn't know it can be so refreshing and tasty in a drink too, such as this iced matcha au lait recipe from matchasource.com. I was surprised at how tasty it was and my girls just drank it up especially Edda who even asked for more.

Matcha is a powdered green tea from Japan. It is naturally sugar free, rich in nutrients, anti-oxidants, fiber and chlorophyll-a renowned detoxifying agent. Matcha contains caffeine which stimulated the body and amino acids which relax the mind. Tea plants are covered with bamboo screens several weeks prior to harvest. Under the screens, plants must work harder to grow, and they increase their levels of chlorophyll and amino acids. Harvested tea leaves are then steamed, air-dried, de-veined and stone-ground into powder. Therefore, with matcha, whole tea leaves are consumed, thus the vibrant green color, and why the taste of matcha is grassy and full-bodied. I always have readers asking me where they can purchase matcha in the states. Well, you can visit matchasource.com to order, read about the traditional way of serving matcha, for more tips and browse through the recipes or interviews.


Recipe provided with courtesy from matchasource.com:

Ingredients: Serves 1


1 tsp. matcha

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup hot water

3/4 cup cold milk

3-4 ice cubes

6-inch stalk of lemon grass
(I omitted this)

Method:


1. Mix the matcha with the sugar, add the hot water, and stir until the paste becomes smooth.


2. Add the cold milk and stir. Add the ice cubes.


3. Serve with the lemon grass for added flavor.


11 comments:

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

never drink matcha before, look interesting..will try out when I manage to buy green tea powder..

Peony said...

thanks for the recipe. I'm getting bored drinking my batch of matcha the 'normal' way ... heehee

Anonymous said...

Yes, Matcha is wonderful in drinks as long as you don't have clumps of the powder that aren't mixed in well. I'd like to make a vegan version of this drink, with perhaps soymilk. There could be other milks used too, like nut milk. They'd be delicious, maybe more so than the cow's milk. --Spirituality of Tea

Velva said...

I learn something new everyday. Today, I learned about Matcha. Thanks for sharing!

Little Corner of Mine said...

Please do Sonia, it's good for us and very tasty!

You're welcome Peony. I'm sure you will like this.

You were right Jason, perhaps I can whisk it with a whisk and than sieve it again before adding in the milk. Still delicious though. Sounds fantastic with soymilk too!

You're welcome Velva. :)

Noob Cook said...

looks refreshing and tasty. Add some large sago pearls and thick straw and it looks like 'pao pao cha' :D

ai wei said...

lovely, i will have this during my breakfast tmr :)

tigerfish said...

I will try it if I ever get a chance. First, need to buy some good matcha.

winalise said...

nice...
I can't seem to find matcha powder in Singapore though

Little Corner of Mine said...

Noobcook, YUP! Just blend it with some ice and add the large tapioca pearls to become the Bubble Tea!

Hope you like it too Ai Wei.

Yup Tigerfish, need a good matcha for this.

winalise, really? I only know where to get the baking matcha in M'sia. From the baking supplier stores like Bake with Yen and Chang Tung at P.J. But for a good quality matcha for drinking, can't help you there. Except for this online matcha store.

Anonymous said...

Great Post: Here is something useful for all.
I came across a site called Matcha Green Tea that I thought was pretty good. You can visit here http://matchagreentea.co and let me know what you say about it.