This month’s blog post is all about Michelle’s favorite drink: matcha lattes! If you follow her on Instagram, then you know that she is all about this tasty drink. It’s a big part of her brand.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a very fine, powdered form of green tea that has amazing health benefits! It originated in Japan and has slowly made its way over to the United States and around the world. Typically, matcha is sifted and mixed with hot water to form a warm drink that you can sip on in the morning. Like coffee, it does contain caffeine - however, the amount is much smaller, and the added benefits of its additional ingredient, L-theanine, helps release energy into a calm and steady stream, rather than the sudden jolt that coffee delivers.

What you’ll need to make a matcha latte

You will need the following to make a matcha latte.

-High quality matcha. Our favorites are: Mizuba, Ippodo, and Matcha Nude

-Milk of your choice. We typically use almond or cashew milk!

-Sweetener (optional). We typically use maple syrup or honey.

-A bamboo whisk.

-A chawan.

-A chashaku.

-A handheld frother.

-A small sifter that fits over your chawan.

-A milk froth pitcher.

-A coffee mug.

How to make a matcha latte!

Now the fun part - making your matcha latte! Let’s break it down into steps:

1. Place your sifter over your chawan. You will be sifting the matcha through it to ensure that your matcha does not clump.

2. Grab your chashaku and take a generous scoop of your preferred matcha and place it onto the sifter. Gently sift the matcha through the sifter for a very fine powder.

3. Next, heat water to a temperature of 175 degrees. You do not want to go higher than this because it can burn the matcha and make it taste different.

4. Pour approximately one ounce of the warm water into the chawan with the sifted matcha. Use your bamboo whisk to make “W” motions to ensure that the matcha powder and warm water are mixed well. You will know that it is mixed well when you see it foaming/bubbles on top.

5. Pour a quarter of a glass of your preferred milk into the milk froth pitcher, and froth the milk using the handheld milk frother. You will know you are finished frothing when the milk expands and becomes slightly thicker.

6. Pour your matcha tea into your coffee mug. Then, pour the frothed milk into the coffee mug.

7. Add your sweetener of choice to taste and mix with a spoon.

8. Add a dash of cinnamon on top. And then enjoy!

   And there you have it! A cozy matcha latte!