Matcha milk tea is a drink that combines matcha powder with milk and sweetener, which balances the earthy flavour of matcha. Making matcha bubble tea with matcha milk tea and boba tapioca pearls is common. An excellent, refreshing drink made with matcha green tea powder, matcha milk tea has a vibrant green colour.
With hints of nutty sweetness, this matcha milk tea is earthy, slightly savoury, and slightly grassy. With matcha milk tea, you will enjoy the rich sweetness of honey or maple syrup poured over your tea. Most matcha drinks, including matcha tea, which is generally made with low-quality matcha powder, have a bitter taste.
This article will show you everything you need to know about ceremonial grade matcha, ceremonial matcha boba, and ceremonial matcha sets. Note that for the best taste and the slightest bitterness, it is essential to purchase and use high-quality ceremonial matcha!
History Of Ceremonial Grade Matcha
There has been matcha for monastic grades since ancient times. Green tea began being consumed regularly in China by monks, and Zen masters in the 4th century. It wasn’t until the mid-14th century that priests in Uji created a sweeter version of green tea that helped improve mood, focus, and energy.
Matcha gradually gained popularity among priests, nobility, military commanders, and wealthy merchants. It soon became a familiar ritual for many households to serve matcha to their guests. The care, time, and money that go into the preparation of Matcha make it special and unique. The history, the ingredients, and the tea ceremony participants all make matcha a cherished part of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.
While the country consumes various types of green tea, Uji remains the birthplace of matcha, providing the most sought-after matcha throughout the country. There is no better place in Japan to grow the sweetest green teas than this hilly region south of Kyoto. Their leaves are still hand-picked and passed to the monks for preparation, where they are carefully stone ground.
Purpose Of Ceremonial Grade Matcha
Authentic matcha is only made from the youngest, tiniest, greenest leaves that are picked early in the spring under shade. Ceremonial grade matcha is not used in baking, cooking, or garnishing foods like culinary grade matcha is. Two reasons explain this. It does not lend itself to baking or cooking for various reasons, such as its delicate sweetness getting buried by other ingredients. Furthermore, because of its high quality and demand, it is the most expensive green tea per gram.
Matcha of the ceremonial grade is only brewed to be consumed on its own-sweeteners, dairy, nuts, spices or other ingredients commonly added to regular green or herbal teas are not included in this grade of green tea.
The Traditional Matcha Tea Serving Set
Whether you prepare matcha for others or yourself, using the right matcha brewing tools can enhance your enjoyment. Here are some of the traditional matcha tools:
- The nature, which is a container made of wood or porcelain with a lid, is designed to keep matcha powder fresh and dry until it is ready to use
- Chasen, a matcha whisk used to create frothy, creamy tea using matcha powder and water
- Chawan, a tea bowl made of ceramic in which the powder is combined with the water and whisked with a chasen
- Chashaku, a bamboo scoop used for measuring and transferring matcha powder from the Natsume to the chawan
Preparing Matcha Boba Tea With Ceremonial Matcha
Matcha powder is mixed with hot water, milk, honey, or maple syrup for a ceremonial-grade matcha milk tea. Sip your matcha boba tea with some black tapioca pearls and a boba straw for the whole matcha boba tea experience! Each sip is earthy, sweet, and pleasantly chewy, with boba surprises throughout. This is excellent when it is chilled or served over ice.
Below are the ingredients needed for this recipe:
- Powdered matcha green tea. Matcha powder is the key ingredient for a tasty matcha milk tea recipe, and the kind you use will affect the flavour. Those who choose lower-quality matcha will find it cheaper but less flavorful and duller in colour. Spend a little more on ceremonial grade matcha – it’s more antioxidant-rich, subtly sweet, and a radiant green colour!
- Warm Water. It is essential to whisk warm water into matcha powder before adding it to your blender. Matcha will be steamed if the water is hot (*175°F or 80°C), but not if it’s boiling.
- Milk. For this matcha bubble tea recipe, you can use either dairy milk or nondairy milk. For this recipe, plain almond milk was used.
- Sweetener. Honey pairs well with matcha, but you can use any sweetener you prefer. A vegan option is maple syrup, and a low carb alternative is a stevia or erythritol.
- Boba Tapioca Pearls. It wouldn’t be complete without some tapioca pearls to complete this matcha boba tea! You can boil the black tapioca pearls for a few minutes, which are subtly sweet.
- Boba Cup & Straw. Get reusable boba straws or disposable cups and straws online, or buy a set of glass boba cups with reusable straws.
After preparing your ingredients, follow the following steps:
- Warm water in a kettle or saucepan, but don’t let it boil. It should be between 175°F and 80°C.
- The matcha powder should be whisked thoroughly until frothy after being added to 3 Tbsp warm water.
- Blend the mixture once it has been blended thoroughly.
- Pour in the milk of choice, an additional quarter-cup of warm water, and honey or the sweetener, and blend until smooth.
- Store chilled homemade matcha milk tea in the refrigerator before serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does matcha milk tea contain caffeine?
Due to the presence of caffeine in matcha green tea powder, matcha milk tea contains caffeine. The caffeine content of a standard cup of matcha tea (made with 1 tsp matcha powder) is around 70 mg. Compared to a cup of coffee (95-200mg caffeine), that’s more caffeine than a cup of green tea (28mg caffeine). Matcha milk tea contains around 35mg caffeine per serving with only 12 tsp matcha powder.
What are the health benefits of matcha bubble tea?
Health is subjectively defined. Besides being rich in antioxidants, matcha powder contains some vitamins and minerals. From the cassava root, tapioca starch is used in making Boba pearls. Unlike traditional bubble teas, this recipe uses the sweetener of your choice instead of sugary syrups.
What’s the difference between green tea boba and matcha boba?
In essence, green tea boba is different from matcha boba tea. To make green tea, unoxidised tea leaves are steeped in hot water. Tea leaves explicitly grown for matcha are ground into powder and mixed with hot water. There are more antioxidants in matcha powder, and it has a richer earthy taste and aroma. In contrast, green tea is more mellow and sweet.