Like every University student out there, caffeinated drinks (which is code for coffee) are my constant companion. Whether it’s running to class and picking up a double-shot latte on the way, parking myself at a cafe and studying there with a warm mocha for hours, or staying home and enjoying a black cup of joe from the pot; caffeine (cough, cough, coffee) finds a way into my day no matter how busy my schedule.
Despite my love for the coffee bean and the several studies that have been released proving that coffee can potentially prolong your lifespan, like anything, consuming too much can increase the odds of your health deteriorating. This is why I like to break up my coffee-consuming pattern with matcha! The health benefits of drinking matcha are incredibly similar to those of classic green tea: it can potentially lower your cancer risk, it’s good for your brain, and can even help you live longer! Additionally, it’s understood that matcha contains a similar level of caffeine as coffee, so you can be sure that switching out your morning coffee for a morning matcha tea won’t impact your energy or productivity.
With all that being said, here are some of my most-loved (and overall favorite) matcha drink recipes!
- Hot matcha latte
This one goes without saying, nothing beats a warm latte on a crisp autumn day. Next time you frequent your local cafe, ask for a matcha latte! Every place I’ve visited makes them a little differently, some add many sweeteners, and some use none. The varying types and qualities of matcha powder can determine how sweet (or bitter) the tea is on its own. If you’re interested in making this at home, it’s incredibly easy and almost not even worth leaving the house for! All you need is the following: matcha powder, your choice of sweetener, and your choice of milk. This recipe from foodandwine.com is my personal favorite.
- Iced matcha latte
For those hotter days when you still want a latte, the perfect solution is to just add ice! The way I normally make this incredibly satisfying drink is by simply following the same steps for a hot latte, but I’ll fill my cup with ice before pouring milk over the ice so everything stays nice and cold.
- Dalgona matcha latte
If you are craving something sweet, something similar to a latte but not quite the same, something more along the lines of a cappuccino maybe, then the dalgona latte is for you. The word “dalgona” simply means “it’s sweet” in Korean and is used to describe the delicious foam that tops this drink. The recipe includes sugar, egg whites, matcha (of course), and your milk of choice. All it takes is a little bit of arm strength – or an electric mixer – and a few minutes! This recipe from proportionalplate.com is the one I always refer to for my dalgona needs.
- Straight matcha
In the same way that people will drink black coffee or just an espresso, there are some who love the taste of matcha so much that just a plain cup of matcha tea will satiate their caffeine cravings and tastebuds dreams. The beauty with matcha is that behind the brilliant green hue and subtle bitter flavoring, there is an elegant preparation process that dates back several hundred years. If you choose to have just a simple matcha tea, the first step would be to procure a quality grade of matcha powder. This is important as all the flavoring of your beverage is only being derived from the powder itself. You would then need to sift the powder to ensure that there are absolutely no lumps. Once the powder has been sifted into fine dust, you would use a bamboo matcha whisk in a small bowl to combine small proportions of water at a time to the powder. When I first prepared a simple matcha tea, I used this recipe from matchasource.com. Some specific tools are needed to make this drink, it is totally doable with items you might already have in your kitchen. Before using a sifter, I simply used a strainer with fine mesh, and a regular little metal whisk instead of bamboo.
- Matcha Frappe
If you thought you recognized this iconic drink from the Starbucks menu, and you’d be correct! Not only is the matcha Starbucks frappuccino delicious, it makes the best afternoon, pick-me-up dessert. However, I don’t have six dollars to dish out on a drink every time I need one, so this homemade alternative is perfect and tastes even better than the real thing! All you need is a blender, vanilla ice cream, the milk of your choice, and matcha. This recipe from ohhowcivilized.com suggests adding a pinch of sea salt to balance out the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream, but honestly, the proportions of ingredients and what you choose to add and omit is up to you! I love to drizzle honey on top of mine, you could even add a pinch of cinnamon if you’d prefer.
I hope you’re able to enjoy some of these a-match-ing recipes!