Turmeric Tea Powder (formerly Golden Matcha)

T is for… Turmeric Tea Powder.

There was some water left behind in the kettle so I probably added 8 or 10 ounces instead of the 6 ounces I measured out. Plus the 6 ounces of coconut milk. So this cup could be a little stronger. The flavor is strong enough for me today though. I can taste the turmeric; my first sip was gritty so I’m sure much has settled and is waiting for me at the bottom of my cup.

Today has been a good day. I put my phone away (actually, I handed it to James and asked him to put it somewhere), grabbed some books and spent the afternoon reading on the porch. The break was needed after some exhausting text convo yesterday about our foster cat. Now that that the sun is going down, this cozy caffeine-free rooibos is welcome. Though I don’t taste any rooibos, only turmeric and vague spices.

Latte Sipdown (239)

I dumped what was left in my sample tin of this into 8 ounces of milk that was being frothed. I don’t love turmeric, because its always more earthy than I would like it to be, but I had this before with a drizzle of honey and it was pretty good. I made this the same way, though I might have put more honey than I intended. It helps cover the earthiness and provides a nice counter balance to the spice. However, the extra amount of honey I added by accident has made this too sweet and now instead of balancing the spice, it is trying to overpower it. It’s fine but as a rooibos matcha that focuses on turmeric, this was never going to be a favorite. I am surprised at how much I did enjoy it though.

Noticed I had half a cup of coconut milk left and I wanted to use it up, and I had some Golden Milk mix in the past that I quite liked in coconut milk, so I thought I’d try this matcha tonight, since it uses a rooibos base rather than green tea and thus is caffeine free (I switch to herbal-mode after 6 pm). Wisked up half a teaspoon as a warm latte with 50/50 hot water and coconut milk.

While I have enjoyed other flavored matcha by Bird & Blend I’ve tried in the past (granted, they were with actual green tea matcha), I am not a fan of this. The separation is pretty bad, leaving a sort of “cinnamon grain” texture to the sip. And it doesn’t taste like turmeric to me at all? It tastes very strongly of rooibos and cinnamon spice. It’s a strong cinnamon flavor too, with a bit of that honey/woody red rooibos taste beneath. It is quite heated, which is likely the doing of the multi-spice blend used, but other than getting the hot sensation in my mouth, I’m just not getting the flavor. And then the coconut from the milk, which was meant to compliment the turmeric (as I like that flavor pairing), but since I’m not tasting any turm at all, the coconut flavor seems very strange juxtaposed with the rooibos and cinnamon.

I mean, I will be able to finish the cup… but meh. Big pass for me, and I will definitely be finishing off the little sample tin by dumping it into a pumpkin spice smoothie this weekend.

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar – Day 17

Ugh, after some grueling travel involving plane cancellations and unplanned overnight hotel stays, I’m finally back home… Thank goodness.

I expect that I won’t like this “matcha”, since I’m not a big turmeric fan, so I’m only preparing a half-size portion using a half teaspoon of the powder and 4 ounces of soy milk.

It’s interesting to say the least. The turmeric is the strongest flavor, and I find it to be quite earthy. There’s also sweet cinnamon, which does helps to curb the turmeric a little bit. But then there’s also some strong ginger and/or black pepper, which gives it a bit of a spicy aftertaste. Even prepared with milk, it’s quite strong on the spice.

Not for me! But I already knew that would be the case, so no biggie.

The Bonne Maman jam for today is Pineapple-Passion Fruit (Ananas-Fruit de la Passion) spread. Yum, this one is delicious! It’s very pineapple-y with just a touch of passion fruit in there. Sweet and luscious and yummy! It reminds me of candied pineapple a bit, but with a more juicy flavor.

I really had a craving for golden milk last night, which I indulged since I had some coconut milk on hand. It was pretty excellent; creamy, sweet, coconutty, with a nice edge of spice. I added 1 tsp of honey and an extra sprinkle of both turmeric and cinnamon to my cup, and the result is basically liquid joy. I didn’t ever think turmeric matcha would be something I’d actively want to keep around, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy a large tin when my sample is gone. Deliciousness!