Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Coconut Matcha Tea

As I have mentioned before, I love tea in many forms. While my favorite teas are generally brewed strong and served piping hot with lots of milk and sugar, there are notable exceptions. One of the best of these is matcha tea, which I have wanted to try for years. A few months ago, we were in a tea shoppe and I finally took the plunge and bought a canister of this finely-milled green tea. The young lady that rang me up enthusiastically told me about its grassy taste, which made me wonder, but I decided to try it anyway. Sometimes you build something up in your mind, yearn for an item for years, only to be disappointed when you finally have it. Thankfully this was not one of those times. I opened the canister to see the most beautiful green powder, carefully read instructions and, since I didn’t have a ceremonial whisk, improvised to make my very first matcha. I have experimented very little, since the basic drink is so good, but what follows is one idea that I just had to try.

This is the vibrant green of the matcha powder.
So pretty, tastes great, and chock full of anti-oxidants

I was soaking dried coconut to reconstitute it one day, and realized that I didn’t want to waste the water that I strained off. In doing some research, I realized that this is essentially a light form of coconut milk, and I have included a link to a website that describes how to make your own coconut milk.

·         8 oz coconut milk heated to 175-185°F (app. 80-85°C)
·         8 oz whole milk
·         1 tsp matcha tea (sifted into the cup that you will mix the drink in)
·         Sweeten to taste with raw sugar, sucanat, etc.
Pour warmed coconut milk over the matcha tea and whisk (or use a stick blender) to blend the powder thoroughly into solution.
It is a good idea to add sweetener now, since it will dissolve easily in warmer liquids- I go light on sugar with this drink. If it is handled carefully it has none of the bitterness of many teas, and really does have a light, grassy note.
Add milk and blend again. Pour and serve (any leftover tea can be covered and refrigerated to drink later that same day).

Coconut matcha with Spiced Apple Oatmeal
cookies and yogurt.


2 comments:

Kim said...

Sounds good with the coconut!!!

Heidi a/k/a Thistle said...

Thanks, Kim. I just plain love matcha tea. I am close to running out, so I am trying to ration what I have to make it stretch, else I would try this out in icing- I think this green is just so pretty.