Matcha Mornings

Listen. Put on morning.

Waken into falling light.

lines from Listen. Put on Morning by W.S. Graham

For the past few months, I’ve been mixing up my usual coffee routine. My husband and I are avid caffeine-lovers, with four different coffee-making apparatuses in our 700 square foot home. I’ve always like coffee and tea equally, though. One of the sweetest gifts Tim ever gave me was a delicate, glass teapot and tea leaves that bloomed like flowers.

Matcha has popped up in my favorite blogs and cafés for years, but I didn’t realize how easy it was to make at home until this summer. Here’s some science: matcha is a powder made from finely ground tea leaves, and it has 100x the antioxidants of green tea. This vibrant, green powder has mood-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties, and has a subtly sweet, earthy flavor. It was originally used for special ceremonies in Japan, so it’s a perfect companion to your morning ritual. Class dismissed!

I love matcha because it’s fancier than your average cup of tea, but just as easy to make. It has 2/3 of the caffeine in a cup of coffee, which prevents afternoon slumps and java jitters. Plus, it tastes just as good hot as it does iced! The taste is a little earthy, so start out with half a teaspoon if you’re not used to herbal tea.

I’m not a very precise person, but traditionally matcha is sifted and mixed with a special, bamboo whisk. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll sift my matcha, but for the most part, all you need for this recipe is a Mason/Ball jar, a fork, matcha, milk, and some sweetener. I use this matcha powder, because it’s one of the cheapest out there for the best value. Order the starter size first- it should last for about 7-8 lattes. This recipe is super customizable, you can use whatever milk and sweetener you like, and it would be delicious with some vanilla, lavender, cinnamon, or peppermint. Here’s how to make my super simple, super quick matcha latte: