Matcha Outlet

Yummy!! I made a hot latte with this today, it frothed up really quite nicely but I think I might have used a tad too much water, it’s not quite as strong as I would like it to taste. But it is still delicious! Question, can you submit a review from a long time back for Red Leaf’s matcha program? I would need to edit it and just add the link, but I would like to submit for the discount for reviewers.

I have been bombarding my friends to try matcha hehe, we are having a tea party tonight with a bunch of them so I think I will make them one of these and see what they think. Hopefully they think it’s as tasty as I think it is (and then they can use my code to get 50% off and I will get free matcha mwahaha). See previous notes on this matcha :)

Another backlog, sorry, just got back in the land of decent interwebs – this as a hot latte went excellently with my new years breakfast at the fam’s cabin. It gave me some well needed energy, I don’t do mornings well, especially the day after new years.

Yum, had this with sugar and hot milk this morning. I must say, I should have brought a few more teas with me from the city…I’m wanting a bit more variety than the bunch that I brought! Oh well, at least I brought this one, it’s always tasty and gives me energy :)

Backlog from yesterday afternoon – ah, my updating might be a bit sporadic for a bit, I’m at my parents for Christmas and there’s a lot to do and people to visit with. This matcha was tasty yesterday, made it with hot milk and sugar again, yummy! I think I will finally give this a rating :)

So I am having a hot matcha latte for breakfast today! It frothed up pretty good this morning, and I added it to hot milk and added a bit more hot water. I tried it with only a little sugar, but it was a bit tart, so I added a bit more, in total probably a tsp. Oh, and I used probably a bit under 3/4 of a tsp of matcha, and the flavor is perfect right now! Sweet, juicy blueberries, yum!

Matcha is growing on me a bit, I am curious to try other flavors, but I don’t know..I still enjoy regular tea leaves a bit more :P however, if Red Leaf has a sale again, I probably will have to pick up some more flavors for me hehe.

This is my first matcha! Haha, of all my black Friday/Cyber Monday orders, this was the second last one I placed, and it’s the first to arrive! Yay for fast shipping :) so yes I tore open this box and was super excited to see all the matcha, unfortunately, only one pack is for me and the others are for Christmas presents! Also got 2 whisks and 2 scoops for the gifts as well, not one for myself yet. But onto my first experience with my matcha, the blueberry one!

Here is the type I ordered:
Blueberry Matcha
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Matcha Type: Regular Matcha
Flavor: Robust

So upon opening the package, BLUEBERRY!! SOO MUCH BLUEBERRY! I was amazed at how intense it was! That must be the robust flavoring haha! It smelled ridiculously berry like, and I was very excited to try it out.

So now here is where my attempt begins. It was not the best attempt, but bear in mind, it is my first, and I didn’t really know what I was doing, and also didn’t have the proper tools haha. So I measured out roughly .5 tsp (used a baking spoon) and put it in my metal strainer to remove clumps. I put it in a plastic blue bowl, and got out my kitchen whisk. It was a big big for the task to be honest, and I really wish I had ordered a whisk for myself! I boiled water, and let it cool for a bit, then added roughly 3 oz to the bowl.

And then I tried to whisk…lol, it didn’t really work! I got a few bubbles, but I’m pretty sure it was more my unorthodox (and not very good) whisk/technique that caused this.

But I persevered with my task. And finally i thought hey I’ll just try it like this. So I put it in my cup, added some more water and a bit of sugar.

And it actually isn’t too bad! For a first attempt, it tastes pretty decent :) it’s a lovely green color, LOVE IT, and it smells like a blueberry, and what I’m tasting is a muted blueberry (and a real blueberry at that, fresh and juicy!) and some green teaness. I confess, I haven’t actually tried plain matcha before trying this, so I’m not really sure what matcha tastes like. But overall, this is pretty good, which means it must be AWESOME if I actually knew how to prepare it right!

Oh, and I feel a caffeine buzz coming on, probably contributed to this long review hehe. I am so excited to experiment with this! I want to try it cold, with milk, smoothies, everything! I can’t wait to get this perfected. I will hold off on rating this until I get my technique down.

ETA: I had to try it again haha, so after finishing my cup with water, I tried again using a ceramic bowl and a bit less water when whisking this time. YAY I got some bubbles to stay!! And I added it to hot milk with a bit of sugar and it’s really good this way too! :D

I have joined the world of Matcha! :)

I chose this tea because I found the idea of Green Papaya interesting and a little something outside of what I would normally choose. But because it tends to be sour, I chose the Imperial Matcha base for this, thinking that the sweeter, better tasting base would help offset some of the Green Papaya’s more acidic nature.

And I was correct … I find this to be delightfully balanced. Tart but not too sour, and very nicely sweet. I’m actually loving the Imperial base at the moment, I might have to start upgrading my orders from Red Leaf from this point forward. I like this a lot.

It tastes creamy and rich and sweet and just … oh-so-yummy. The papaya BRIGHTENS the bowl with its acid, I taste that note on my tongue toward the finish and into the aftertaste, and it is really pleasant. It is sour, but I don’t feel the need to pucker because of the balance brought by the sweetness of the Imperial Matcha.

Beautiful Matcha.

Edited to Add: We will be giving away this Matcha with these specifics (Imperial Matcha, Distinctive Flavoring) in a contest on SororiTea Sisters that will begin January 5th!

This was my first matcha experience and I don’t know if I can live without it now! I tried it a few ways; mixed with hot water, shaken up in a cold water bottle, and in a smoothie. I loved it in the cold water and the smoothie the best. In cold water it was like a grassy earthy yet sort of rich and thick drink that was nice to keep on my desk throughout the day. As a smoothie I added a teaspoon to almond milk and mixed fruit and it added a SLIGHT grassy earthiness, but mostly a freshness that enhanced the flavor of my drink.

The flavor of this matcha truly shows it’s quality, it is fresh and crisp. I ordered the basic grade of flavoring so I didn’t have a ton of the flavor that people say comes with the robust setting. However, this was a great way for me to try matcha for the first time, I could really tell what the taste of the tea was like without too much added extra.

This is an amazing way to get your antioxidants, speed up your metabolism before a workout, or simply to enjoy a strong fresh green tea at its most natural and pure form. You can buy your own here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/english-toffee-matcha.html and I highly recommend you do so!!

I got my first Red Leaf Tea package on Friday, yayy!!! So I first tried this Saturday morning as a hot cup. I smelled the English Toffee sweetness immediately upon opening the bag, but when I brewed it I really couldn’t taste it at all. Luckily, I really enjoy the taste of matcha!

So I had about 3 cups throughout my lazy Christmas movie watching present wrapping day, then on Sunday I threw a tsp into a smoothie of strawberries, almond milk, and maple greek yogurt to drink after a circuit workout. My new favorite breakfast. Not only do I love the natural sweetness and earthy taste of the matcha, but after drinking the smoothie I feel like I’ve just had a really good sleep. I feel refreshed and awake, I feel strong and healthy. I will absolutely continue to order matcha to create a delicious healthy breakfast, and maybe I’ll try a robust flavor too.

Sunday I also brewed this cold in a water bottle to take with me for the day while my boyfriend and I went to buy our stockings. I don’t like it as much cold as I do in the smoothie but what an amazing natural energy boost that doesn’t give me jitters or a crash.

I’m way more impressed than I expected to be.

I am a day late on Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas swap due to, well, not having internet on day 2 but better late than never!

I made a small iced latte with this (since it’s late and I would rather not od on caffeine) and it’s Valentine’s Day in a cup. Sweet strawberry, smooth champagne, and I think in combination these flavors are better than separate. I found my champagne matcha a little bubblegum-y, but there’s none of that here. And the strawberry definitely doesn’t taste artificial! I put quite a bit of sugar in (come on, it’s a love tea!) and this is such a sweet, creamy treat. And such a nice twist on day 2’s theme! People are being so creative, makes me a bit worried about my day. I hope everyone likes it!

On a side note, I think I am going to make some little tea cakes with this for Valentine’s Day, maybe with whipped cream frosting. Mmmm.

Many thanks to Azzrian for this! I’m not a huge flavored matcha fan. But this is something special! It smells and tastes just like Strawberries and Champagne! But with a rich creamy flavor to it. Yum! I wrote more on the blog (link below). I also want another cup, but seeing as it is now almost 10pm I think I’ll pass…

http://thepurrfectcup.com/2012/12/15/on-the-1st-and-2nd-days-of-christmas-a-steepster-swap-part-1-and-2/

today I am having teas that I’ve already had before, because I don’t have time to compose long tasting notes since it’s our holiday and I’m busy cooking the holiday dinner. The cupcakes just came out of the oven, the ham is now in there doing its thing, and now I need to go prep the apples for baking. :)

This is yummy and it is giving me another boost of energy, which is needed today!

Thanks DaisyChubb for adding this listing and thank you to Azzrian for this 2nd day of Christmas tea inspiration! It is YUMMY! I prepared it as a latte, using mostly hot water and a splash or two of half & half to make a latte, and it turned out amazing. AMAZING. It is truly strawberry and champagne, and I think I like this better than the straightforward strawberry matcha … the champagne complements the strawberry perfectly… truly is a match made for life! :)

Thank you Azzrian, for participating in the 12 Days … and for such a creative way to think of Day 2!

Since it’s my day for twelve days of tea and I know what that is like, I’m having this again. It’s so good.

Day 2 of the 12 days exchange. I’ll tell you, this is blowing my advent calendar out of the water!
This became my very first matcha latte. It was pure heaven! I’m almost ashamed to admit that I have never had actual champagne. I can’t actually tell you how realistic it tastes, but it’s naturally sweet and smooth. I love it!

SIPDOWN!

I drank 3 cups of this one tonight just to make it a sipdown. :P I’ve enjoyed its spun sugar yumminess, but I don’t think I’ll re-stock it. I’m ready and excited to continue my Red Leaf Tea adventures with some new-to-me flavors. There’s so many I want to try! How do I choose??

I really wanted to make this Gingerbread Cookie recipe by DaisyChubb: http://www.daisychubb.com/recipe-zombie-gingerbread-men-matcha-ginger/

But I didn’t have any ginger matcha. :( I did have cotton candy, maple syrup, caramel, and cheesecake matcha in my stash…so I opted to make Gingersnap Cotton Candy Matcha Cookies!

To see photos of my creations, go here (although they are nowhere near as cute as what DaisyChubb created. I am simply not as talented a baker): http://www.flickr.com/photos/96132028@N08/sets/72157633585326552/

My improvisation kind of worked out. It made for really sweet, really sugary cookies with a ginger zing. In all honesty, I could have done without the ginger I think. But my mom and husband (fiancé at the time) loved them!

This is a recipe probably best left unaltered. But hey, it was worth a shot because I was really craving matcha cookies! Thanks to DaisyChubb for posting the recipe! And by the way, those zombie gingerbread men are soooooo freaking cute!!

OMG!!! The dry leaf aroma is spot on cotton candy!!! I gave it to my fiancé to smell and he said, “Ooh that smells good!” I asked him what he thought it smelled like, and he quickly and confidently replied, “Chocolate!” LOL! Well, so much for his opinion. I think that it smells exactly like sugary, slightly caramelized, spun sugar. Yum!

I bought the classic matcha with robust flavoring. Hmm, the taste of this one is really interesting. It’s not nearly as sugary as I would have thought from the aroma. The grassy matcha flavor is actually still quite strong, and the cotton candy flavoring lends the tea a natural sweetness. I had expected more in-your-face sugar. But this is delightful!

It’s so amazing to me that this tea has no added sweeteners. How is that even possible?! A peek at the ingredients list reveals “pure matcha powder from green leaves” and “cotton candy natural flavor.” It definitely tastes natural. But it must be a sweetener or sugar or Stevia or something!

This is definitely not one to get with a lighter flavoring level or I’m not sure you’d taste it at all. Maybe I’ll be bold and go for the “There’s Matcha in there?!” flavoring next time. :D Don’t get me wrong; I can definitely taste cotton candy. But the cotton candy flavor and the matcha flavor seem to be almost equal. Soooo delicious! I’m off to make a second cup because this one disappeared rather quickly. It’s just too yummy!!

Oh yeah, you can get yours here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cotton-candy-matcha.html

Backlog:

Thank you to Azzrian for sending me some of this Matcha … I enjoyed it. I was hoping for more of a caramelized flavor with this one, but I liked the macadamia nut flavor. It was tasty!

Here is my full-length review of this one: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/01/24/macadamia-praline-matcha-from-red-leaf-tea/

Thank you so much Azzrian for sending me a sampling of this Matcha.

I’m enjoying this as a latte … I used mostly water to prepare it, withheld a couple of tablespoons of hot water, and added a splash of warmed milk in place of the withheld water. This produces a very satisfying latte.

This is a tasty flavored Matcha, but I can’t say that it’s my favorite that I’ve tried thus far. I’m really glad that I got to try it though! (Thanks again Azzrian!)

This has a strong Macadamia Nut flavor, but not as much of a caramel-y praline flavor that I had hoped for. I can taste hints of it, but, it’s just not exactly what I envisioned when I thought “Macadamia Praline”. I also taste the Matcha which adds a lovely creamy element that melds so well with the sweet, tasty, macadamia nut flavor. Definitely good, and like I said, really happy I tried it, but, I’m glad that I tried it as a sampling rather than buying the pouch, because there are others that I think I’d rather have in stock.

I actually remembered to sift today. More often than not I forget.
Only I used a different bowl since my regular one was in the dishwasher, and I think it made my matcha taste mucky a little. Still tasty overall, but it kept settling on the bottom and I could feel the sediment when sipping. Oh well, lesson learned.
Note to self: do not use glass bowls when whisking delicious caffeinated beverages!

My original plan of adding this to smoothies seems to be failing. I can’t taste it, everything is so overpowering!
Granted, kale and parsley are relatively strong greens. Bah. I need to repurpose my wheatgrass matcha. Perhaps I’ll have to do it up as just a regular latte. Sad because I love my vegetables etc, but can only handle so much green stuff in one day, so that means my wheatgrass consumption will be cut in half!
On the bright side, I can now start using that awful white matcha tea I have leftover. Any bitterness will be hidden. yay!

I made a veggie smoothie! parsley, cucumber, frozen green beans, chlorella, oj, ice, and hemp seeds. Pretty darn tasty, I gotta say. Only issue is that now I am freezing and need a tea to warm up :)

Oh ew. This gets a little meh when made hot and then cooled. Flat and tasteless. I got distracted and so ended up sipping from my mug an hour after making my cuppa… and let’s just say never again. The contrast is just too strong, between hot and cool. I need to try it waterbottle brewed.