Good morning, fellow yogis! Today I’m going to be sharing a little secret that has been seriously upgrading my morning yoga sessions: home made matcha lattes!
I know, I know; many of us are no strangers to these foamy green cups of heavenly nectar. That being said, since I was introduced to them a little over a decade ago, I’ve been entirely dependent on cafe-made lattes. I’m sure the same goes for many of you!
The truth is, I’ve tried making them at home, but they never come out quite right! They’re either too clumpy, too grimy, or they just don’t have the delicious flavor you get from a good cafe. I’ve been all-in on yoga since my teenage years, so I never got the barista experience until it was too late!
Little did I know that these failed attempts weren’t because I was a lousy latte maker! As it turns out, there are different grades of matcha: ceremonial, culinary, and ingredient. While the latter two are easy enough to find (and what I unwittingly bought!), the final category has been mostly out of reach.
So what’s the difference between these categories? The differences emerge in the processing for each. Matcha is made by covering the tea plant during its later growing stages with a semi-permeable cloth in order to increase the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves.
Once the tea plant is ready to harvest, you must do so in three distinct stages. The first stage is the ceremonial grade clippings, the second is the culinary, and the third is the ingredient grade. By letting the tea leaves age, they gain different properties and taste profiles that alter how the resultant powder is used.
Ceremonial-grade matcha is best used as the primary component of the drink rather than just as a flavoring element. If you want a green tea drink with some extra kick to help take your morning ritual up a notch, ceremonial matcha is for you.
This begs the question: where can I get ceremonial-grade matcha? Unfortunately, until recently, there haven’t been many options available for us here in the States. Fortunately, there is now one major source of organic, ceremonial-grade matcha: Shayna’s Kitchen.
I first discovered the concept behind the different grades of matcha thanks to the video produced by Shayna’s Kitchen, matcha 3 ways. Once I realized that I wasn’t just a terrible barista and that it was in fact just because I was using the wrong materials, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some.
These days, I start my morning with some easy stretches followed by a 5-minute matcha latte preparation process. The one thing I love most about finally being able to make it from home? I don’t have to dread the half-hour or more ordeal of going out to a busy cafe and waiting in line while the sleep is still heavy in my eyes!
If you’re looking to take your mornings (or afternoons!) to the next level, give Shayna’s Kitchen a look. The matcha is delicious, and now I can save my morning time for me and me alone!
Shayna’s Kitchen