The list of ingredients, on the other hand, is quite short. A matcha latte always consists of the following: Matcha, water, milk or plant-based milk, optional sweetener.
As with other recipes, this pared-down ingredient list can be integrated into a spectrum of recipes. The matcha powder is central to flavor and color, the milk determines texture, and the sweetener plays a balancing act among the other ingredients. Each part has a noticeable contribution and so each ingredient must be excellent.
The master and the leaf
Because the base of a matcha latte—the milk—is so creamy in both taste and color, it is important to select an overstated matcha blend. The bitterness should be bolder, and the color should be brighter than that of a blend intended for a straight drink. This blending artistry is all within the scope of the tea master. Like the whisky or coffee blender, the tea master is sensitive to the most subtle nuances of aroma, finish, flavor and color. He or she knows which notes will negate each other, which ones will clash, and which ones will harmonize. When blending for lattes, a tea master will include varieties that gracefully coalesce into a full bodied, umami-rich tea that can thoroughly imbue the milk with flavor and color.
Selecting leaves from organic farmers also makes for a better matcha. Without healthy, clean soil, you cannot have healthy, pure tea. The highest quality leaves come from a farmer who honors the crops, the land, the creatures that live there and the generations that will come after him. This love is in the quality of the finely ground tea leaves and it is there in the cup, as the drinker slowly relishes their sweetness.
This is why we recommend organic matcha blends, such as Cuzen’s Latte Blend or Signature Blend, because those were both developed with the matcha latte in mind. If you exclusively drink lattes, we suggest the Latte Blend. If you like making lattes but also enjoy a straight matcha or a sparkling matcha, we suggest the Signature Blend.
Freshly-ground
No matter how artful a spice combination or how unusual an ingredient selection, a beverage will never be the best unless the ingredients are fresh. In short, the sum cannot be greater than its parts. This is evident in any food item that must be ground--such as certain spices and coffee. This is especially true about matcha. As soon as matcha leaves are ground, their surface area increases, allowing more oxygen to touch more surface area is more surface area, causing the oxidation process to exponentially accelerate. The more oxygen the matcha is exposed to, the weaker the color, flavor, aroma and health benefits become. This is why traditional tea masters will always grind the leaves just before serving, so that they may have the very best tea to offer their guests. Of course, the average person does not have the space or inclination to keep a large stone mill at home. This is why we engineered a smaller mill for the Matcha Maker, thus providing a similar but more convenient way to have fresh and fine powder.
