If you’re a tea lover, chances are you’ve tried matcha, the vibrant green tea that is cropping up everywhere. Matcha is more than just a tea; it’s a great ingredient for adding flavor, color and antioxidants to your favorite treats.
What Is It?
Matcha is made from green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. Rather than being steeped like traditional tea leaves, the powder is whisked with hot water or milk to create a frothy, invigorating drink.
The bitter flavor of matcha makes it a good pairing for sweeter recipes, and matcha is often used in desserts. However, you can also try it with dinner recipes that have a natural sweetness, especially seafood.
How to Use It
Matcha is available as a drinking tea and as a food-grade ingredient. You can use the drinking tea in recipes if you like — it is less bitter and is a good starting point for the matcha novice. Start with small amounts and add more to suit your taste preferences.
Here are some great ways to use matcha:
Add to batters to create green pancakes, muffins and more, including these Vegan Matcha Pancakes. opens in a new tab
Create an Apple Matcha Latte opens in a new tab.
Mix with ice and vanilla protein powder for a fabulous morning smoothie.
Whisk into powdered sugar and milk to top a flourless chocolate cake opens in a new tab.
Go savory and try adding it to rice along with fresh herbs and sesame.
Add to yogurt or pudding for a creamy treat, like this Matcha Frozen Yogurt with Toasted Sesame Seeds opens in a new tab.
Add to cream sauces for pasta, or mix right into the pasta dough.
Freeze your matcha latte to create your own ice pops.
Use in your chia pudding opens in a new tab.
Make Tahini-Matcha Salad Dressing opens in a new tab, an oil-free dressing, perfect to toss with salads or drizzle over fish or lean protein.
Try Matcha Tonic opens in a new tab for a healthful and colorful refreshment.
Curious about what else is hot in the kitchen opens in a new tab? Check out our posts on pulses opens in a new tab, veggie noodles opens in a new tab and more.
