Matcha Outlet

I can’t say enough about the quality of Red Leaf Matcha. Their customer service is amazing, and their ability to capture the essence of flavours is amazing. They’re like the butiki teas of matcha for me at least! :)

The Pear matcha was a bit of a gamble for me. I LOVE pear, but rarely are companies able to capture the way pear tastes. I opted for the pear matcha as well, because not a lot of people had reviewed it and I was hoping to help Red Leaf in that way by promoting the other less popular flavours.

Cutting open the bag of matcha might just be one of my favourite parts of ordering from Red Leaf. I love the intense flavour that fills up the entire kitchen within minutes of opening it. I was a little worried when I got the first whiff of this matcha because it had a bit of an artificial smell to it. Into my tin the matcha went! I can’t imaging ever ordering matcha without the tins – I really love that Red Leaf provides these sorts of extras for purchase to make my life easier!

As I’ve said before, I’m not adventurous enough to have straight matcha – so a smoothie was in order! Mostly because I had a cheesecake latte earlier and wanted something cold to drink. Into the blender went some milk, the matcha, a frozen banana for that thicker smoothie and a bit of ice. I love how quickly everything comes together – i also really love watching the matcha froth up in the blender. As it poured into my glass, my better half commented on the ugly greeney brown colour the banana makes of the matcha. What he doesn’t know (because he won’t try them) is how delicious my smoothies are! I’m ok with that because it means more for me!

So how did the pear turn out? It’s not too shabby. There’s a bit of an artificial taste to it, but not so much that I didn’t enjoy this flavour. I’m looking forward to mixing the pear with some of the other flavours I plan to order as i LOVE fruit combos! Cherry Pear anyone? 
Thank you Red Leaf tea for making such great matcha!

My matcha was composed of the following:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

Buy it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pear-matcha.html

Mmmm morning latte again because of the horrible weather. I seriously have zero desire to go to work today especially since its been late work nights the past couple. While this is pretty tasty, I for sure need to either bust out the hand blender when I make these or finally go get a matcha whisk and start trying that. My whisking skills are just not quite up to the task. Still, it wasn’t a terrible attempt and its nice to have something creamy and warm in the morning. :)

blah blah blah steepster ate my note, so far this tastes funny but that’s all kittenna and indigoblooms fault cause they probably made me sick over the internet more teas to check this morning to see if they taste odd as well.

Backlog and sipdown from the weekend. Had this over the weekend to remind myself of why i love this straight as well as in addition to other flavours in my morning smoothie. I’ve got a few packages in my cupboard, so this might be a technical sipdown but i for sure need to got through and see where i’m at so that i can place another order :)

Oh yeah… that’s right. What’s better than cheesecake or caramel matcha? CHEESECAKE CARAMEL MATCHA! Hells yes! After yesterday’s fiasco i needed a double dose of goodness this morning to kick start my day. Since i couldn’t decide which one i wanted, i tossed both into my smoothie this morning. Best. decision. ever.

aw yeah! Another banana, cheesecake, peach, blueberry smoothie for the morning! I have not yet started back at the gym but i’m thinking i still have time this week to get 3 workouts in…tonight, fri and then sat :) Here’s hoping i don’t fail that!

Not sure where i was going with that, but i’m sure it has something to do with starting my morning off with a delicious, delicious smoothie. I really need to place another red leaf order soon but i’m trying to hold out as long as possible for fear that I’ll end up placing a giant order and have a ton of matcha again. My goal for matcha is still to try and get it down to 5-7 flavours i’ve tried so that I can pick up a new one here and there. Cheesecake and caramel are still pretty amazing in my opinion so those will like remain staples in my cupboard :)

Nothing gets you out of bed and in to work stupidly early like your other half snoring in the bed :) Thankfully though, my upton order arrived yesterday which means more finums!!! They were on stupidly cheap so i picked up 3 more so that i have one for the office now as well as 3 for at home if guests want tea – including one of the large ones for the GIANT mugs we have in the house that are so big the medium ones don’t fit. What does all that babbling mean? I can get both my travel mugs ready at the same time! time saver! :)

But i digress…todays smoothie is cheesecake,though you know how when you let bananas get REALLY ripe they taste like POW BANANA! yeah…my frozen bananas today were like that, which means regardless of the matcha flavour, all i will likely taste is banana…so i improvised. in addition to the banana i tossed in some frozen mangos and peaches and this smoothie is divine! Not only did both fruits blend amazingly well with the banana but the cheesecake flavour gives this a really nice creamy cheesecakey base. i’m in love! :)

my other half watched me make my smoothie this morning. I believe his words were something along the lines of “man are you going to be hopped up this morning” after watching me keep adding matcha to the blend. I struggled with this a bit today and it’s not nearly as delicious and wonderful as it usually is but i think i’ll blame that on the banana – it wasn’t quite ripe enough.

Sadly, as caffeine doesn’t really affect me..i’m still pretty out of it this morning. However! Great news! My boss is finally back from his trip so maybe our team will get settled so that I can stop drowning.

Another matcha smoothie this morning, this time with a dash of pear matcha as well. All i can say is that i’m starting to scrape the bottom of my cheesecake tin and that makes me sad. I really need to place another order sooner rather than later. heh

Today’s morning is brought to you by banana, raspberry cheesecake with a spash of caramel! The focus here was cheesecake matcha but I love adding frozen fruit to my smoothies in the morning. Servings of fruit and milk to kick off the morning with yummy cheesecake goodness! I’m getting SUPER excited for my vacation after seeing pictures of the characters on the cruise – this might be the first time i actually get pictures with characters….i’m such a big kid. :)

mmmmmm wonderful smoothie this morning. Straight up milk and cheesecake matcha with ice. nom nom nom nom yes please!

So apparently I was busy enough today that I didn’t get a chance to log this. Today’s fruity blend? MANGO cheesecake smoothie! Frozen banana, dash of cinnamon as inspired by devy, and a bunch of frozen mango chunks. Blend and enjoy delicious goodness! I’m lucky i had 3 mins to make this in the morning before leaving for work since i haven’t had a minute to eat. At least I started my day right :) I am 100% going to need to order more of this from Red Leaf soon. I love the creamy goodness it adds to both lattes and smoothies.

mmmmmorning! cheesecake matacha smoothie! Yeah…i love waking up to matcha smoothies, especially ones that are this tasty. I’m pretty sure this one is my favourite so far, beating out even caramel because of it’s creamy delicious goodness. It also looks like there are AT LEAST nine more flavours i really want to try from redleaf…

Go go gadget matcha smoothie! Nothing quite so wonderful as coming home from the gym, finishing up my “ride home tea” and walking in the door to a sammiches made by my other half! Needed something to wash it down so I put together a quick cheesecake banana smoothie. Sooooo delicious! This might be even better than the caramel….maybe.

Oh.My.God. Cheesecake Matcha..heaven in green powder form. So let me preface this review by saying that cheesecake is NOT my ultimate favourite dessert. It’s actually pretty hit and miss for me as sometimes it’s divine and other times it’s like eating custard. shudder I chose to give redleaf’s cheesecake matcha a try though, in part because the caramel matcha was so incredible but also because I thought I might have fun making cheesecake combinations as I order other flavours.
Once again, at first cut, it was an outpouring of gorgeous Cheesecake l smell! I was immediately hopeful that because of the creamy smell, it would prove to be a cheesecake flavour that I enjoyed. I shouldn’t have doubted Red Leaf. I love that I can fit all of my matcha into the little tins from Red Leaf – it’s great having uniform containers to house all my matcha!
I’m still not confident in my ability to prepare and enjoy straight matcha so I opted for a cheesecake matcha latte. I must have gotten better at preparing matcha because this time i was able to get a nice froth going in my bowl even though I’m likely using a whisk and bowl that are too big for this!
I added the warm milk to the matcha and was instantly pleased with the creamy cheesecakey smell that rose from the mug. I didn’t add any sweetener or other additions – just some warm milk and matcha. I wish i could capture how amazing this latte was. I pretty much started drinking it and before I knew it, I was holding an empty mug and frowning. What I love about the cheesecake flavour is that even though I opted for the robust flavouring, it’s not an in your face taste. I still get the matcha taste behind the cheesecake, but it’s blended so nicely. I’d be willing to try this on a delicate flavour as well some time…but then there’s also that whole red, black and white matcha! Soooo many choices!
Thank you Red Leaf tea for making such a wonderful Cheesecake flavoured matcha! I’m really looking forward to trying out many more of your flavors, and better yet, combining them for more tasting adventures! I’m fairly certain that once i review the Pear Matcha that I also picked up from Red Leaf, I’ll be making a caramel cheesecake latte to enjoy!

My matcha was composed of the following:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)
I also recommend that you get the container – the lid screws on and off which keeps your powder safe from spillage as well as fresh.

Buy it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

In my previous Red Leaf Tea orders, I’ve dived into the dessert-y flavors first. In this batch I got Bavarian Cream and Cookies & Cream, but for some reason I’ve really been feeling like fruity flavors recently. The Coconut Matcha last night was such a success, so I decided to try Pear for a little burst of energy this afternoon.

As a side note, I don’t usually find myself too affected by the caffeine content in tea. I will drink a cup of strong black in the morning if I have to get up early, but I think it’s more the flavor and briskness that perks me up. I can drink caffeinated teas late at night with very little effect. However, for some reason matcha is very different! I have a weird sleep cycle, and I’m often very tired after waking up well into the afternoon. A cup of matcha, though, makes me feel wide awake! It’s really nice to be able to have something that makes me feel refreshed that isn’t espresso—-which works for sure but makes me jittery. Matcha, though, gives me a caffeine boost with no jitters! Oddly enough I can still drink it at night though, usually as a hot latte it’ll have the same effect as warm milk. I think the only explanation is that matcha is made out of magic. Perfect, delicious, magic.

Anyway, my Pear Matcha was composed of the following:

Size: Small (30 grams)
Matcha Grade: Starter
Flavor Level: Distinctive

And you can find it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pear-matcha.html

Much like my Watermelon Matcha, this smells a little artificial when you first open the bag. Like pear hard candy—which is pretty hard to find, but it does exist! It actually kind of reminds me of Japanese pear gummies, which are quite tasty but, you know, candy. However, I chalk the smell up to it sitting around in a bag for a while. It seems to happen with some teas, like the smell gets trapped in there and it smells way different than how it tastes.

I made this a bit differently than usual. Sifted it into a mug, added a bit of sugar, whisked in 2 ounces of hot water. I’m so anal about the amount for the “starter” portion: I always measure out exactly 2 ounces! As if, you know, a little more or less would really hurt haha. I guess since I am still new to matcha, though I’ve tried quite a few flavors, I am still very particular when making a cup. I added cold water and some ice cubes after—I was tempted to do a latte, but I am both low on milk and didn’t know if milk + pear is really a good idea. I DID do the coconut with milk, but then again coconut and creamy go together in my head when pear really just doesn’t.

Anyway, this definitely has the fresh pear taste LiberTEAS mentioned! Juicy and delicious, but I do find it a bit more artificial (and really just a bit) than the other ones I’ve tried. Maybe I just added a bit too much matcha to the mug? However, it’s what I usually use so I’m not sure. It’s really good, just not one of my absolute favorites I’ve tried from them. I mean they can’t ALL be my favorite, right? I think I’ll try mixing this with caramel next for a more dessert-y feel!

OH MY GAWD! This stuff is incredible.

Yes, I know that I pledged that I would not open any more new ones until I finished off at least one of the ones I already had opened, but last night, I came up with a genius plan. Or at least, some way to justify having all these open packages of Matcha.

Here’s the plan: It’s alright to open a new one so long as I’m actually having some of the stuff that’s already opened on the same day. And I plan to do that today, because I need at least 2 bowls of Matcha today to get all the housework done! Lots to do, not enough energy to do it, Matcha to the rescue!

Anyway… this stuff is fantastic! This may be one of the best ones I’ve had so far. And not just for the flavor that it has on its own, but also because it represents a lot of versatility – I can mix this Bavarian Cream with just about any of my fruit flavors to have a rich, creamy, fruity, yummy dessert-y Matcha and satisfy my sweet tooth cravings.

So rich and creamy, I love how well the idea of Bavarian Cream works with Matcha which is also rich and creamy… just a perfect pairing. Wonderful!

When I placed my last order at Red Leaf Tea, I was really debating the 4th type I was going to get. The first two were easy: Cookies and Cream and Bavarian Cream, since they were on sale! The third, Pear, I’ve been wanting to try for a while thanks to LiberTea’s reviews. But what for the 4th? There are so many I want to try, and Cotton Candy almost won out. But for some reason I was feeling like celebrating the end of summer, and tropical flavors seemed perfect for that! Though I almost went with the Pina Colada, I picked Coconut instead for simplicity’s sake. My matcha was composed of the following:

Size: Small (30g)
Matcha: Starter Grade
Flavoring: Distinctive

Distinctive is kind of my go-to flavoring now, though I do plan on trying Robust for Tiramisu since it is my all-time favorite dessert and I want a TON of that flavor packed in there! For this one, I am really glad (once again) with my flavor level choices: there’s just enough coconut. In fact, it’s not really that strong…. at first. While it smells very coconut-y in the bag, the first sip only had a trace of coconut. “Oh no!” I thought, but since I have faith in Red Leaf’s flavoring I soldiered on.

At the end of the cup, I found myself wanting so much more. It is SO coconut-y, which is funny since I found myself kind of going “where’s the coconut?” at first. It’s not a toasted, bake-y coconut, but a fresh young coconut taste. If I didn’t know better, I would swear this was made with coconut milk instead of water! Well, water and regular milk. I did this as an iced latte: mixed up the base with water, then poured in cold milk and whisked some more for that tasty foam layer. That seems to be my preferred way of drinking matcha, though I do like hot lattes, smoothies, and of course matcha just made with water! It’s fun that you can do so many things with it: I think baking or candy making is up next, maybe some matcha toffee? Ice cream seems almost too easy, just add matcha to a custard base! It has to be custard, I’m so spoiled I find Philly-style bases a bit meh.

Back on topic, this matcha is tropical heaven. I close my eyes while sipping it and I could seriously be sitting on a beach, stretched out on the sand! I dunno if they drink matcha on beaches, but damn they should. I am so happy I got this one, it’s delicious and I think it will mix really well with the ones I have and plan to get. Coconut Mango, Coconut Cheesecake, yum yum! You can get this matcha here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/coconut-matcha.html

Cheesecaaake!! Oh boy. Cheesecake is my favourite dessert. There are so many different varieties, and I am in love with almost all of them. My mom used to make a no-bake version that was whippy and light, with a thick, crumbly, spiced graham layer, and topped with a good old fashioned can of pie filling. And of course nothing can beat a good slice of baked cheesecake. I remember one of my first baking projects I tried as a teenager was a cheesecake. It turned out amazing and I was hooked. The top cracked something terrible, but man was it goood.

I was surprised and thrilled that Red Leaf’s take on cheesecake tasted so much like a good quality slice of baked goodness. I have been wanting to try this flavour for quite a long time and I’m so glad I did! This is how I ordered my matcha:

Flavouring: Robust
Quality: 50/50 matcha

I am super happy with my choices. The robust flavouring is the perfect amount for me in this one, it’s nice and strong without being overpowering. I love cheesecake so much that I knew I would want it to be really, well, robust. And the 50/50 matcha base is really nice! It’s smooth and refreshing; really mellows out the green tea flavour. I ordered it in hopes of getting my girlfriend to try it (she’s not the biggest green tea fan, so I thought the 50/50 might be easier to convince her on) but no luck yet. I’ll make sure to get her to taste my smoothie next time I make one, because I’m pretty sure that would be impossible not to love!

Speaking of which, my favourite way to enjoy this matcha is in a smoothie. I have had this twice now in two days, it is pretty darn addictive! I make em with frozen fruit, yogurt, juice, and about a teaspoon of matcha for a single serving. The cheesecake flavour really shines, permeating the entire drink with its creamy goodness. The yogurt adds that cheesecake tang and the matcha flavour is subtle but delicious. I took a matcha smoothie to work with me this morning and it filled me up and gave me a nice bit of energy from the tea goodness. I think this will become my go-to breakfast.

Tonight I tried it as a hot matcha latte. The cheesecake flavour is a lot less prominent than in my smoothie, but it is still an amazing creamy treat this way. It is buttery, smooth, and a little toasty, in a way. I am finding I can never go wrong with a Red Leaf matcha latte.

Next, I hope to try an iced latte, because I think the cheesecake flavour pops best as a cold drink. Maybe I’ll try mixing in a bit of boysenberry or caramel matcha too! I love how versatile the different flavoured matchas are for blending. There are so many combos that I want to try, and steepster folks come up with some pretty inventive blends that look amazing.

This ones a winner. You can score yourself some cheesecake matcha from Red Leaf here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

Ohmagerd.

My new matchas came in the mail today, and I had to rip into this one right away. I don’t have time to write a full review right now, but I couldn’t contain my excitement about the delicious concoction I made with this, and had to share with you folks immediately.

Ready for it?

Strawberry. Banana. Cheesecake. Smoothie.

It was possibly the best smoothie I’ve ever made/had. Sweet and tangy and creamy with this deliciously smooth cheesecake flavour that was waaaay more true to life and delectable than I expected.

Voila: my smoothie mix

-Generous helping of vanilla yogurt
-3/4 tsp sifted cheesecake matcha
-Handful of frozen strawberries & bananas
-Good pour of pineapple orange banana juice

All whizzed up in my magic bullet! It tastes like fruity liquid cheesecake (if liquid cheesecake were delicious. I imagine it would actually be kinda gross.)

Been really busy productive today: shipped out some amigurumi commissions, blocked my lace shawl I finished knitting this weekend and applied for my first american job! fingers crossed!

Yum, I topped this off with some caramel matchaccino to save on sugar and it worked! I got the lemony cream taste, with a caramel side and thicker texture. Uggg, I drank this 7 hours ago and I can feel that I need more tea! Gah, been busy!

Must sip down some matchas! This one is close, maybe another 2 servings. I made this with soymilk, sweetener and lots of ice cubes.

Uggg another hot day today. I might have to give in and turn on the AC, crying at the power bill.

Smoothie time!

I saw my jiujitsu instructor has a video making a honeydew melon and frozen banana smoothie. http://youtu.be/G2SVlAmdMRk I went ultra lazy mode and put the melon in the blender instead of juicing. I also added some bavarian cream matcha – you know, for some extra creamy and caffeine.

Very good! The melon was soft, the banana added nice sweetness and the matcha grassy/creamy added lots of ooomph!