Matcha Recipes by the Book

I drink matcha regularly. I drink it at home and at cafes. My homestyle matcha is usucha or thin matcha. My go-to cafe matcha is a matcha latte. When I've branched out at home it to test matcha recipes from tea cookbooks. I  have reviewed four green tea and matcha cookbooks on the blog. The reviews include a recipe or two so it's worth reading each one.

© Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com. Superfood Matcha White Chocolate Bark, Photo © Patrycia Lukas

Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz

My second favorite of the green tea cookbooks I've reviewed is Matcha - The Cookbook. I love the aesthetics of the book. The recipes are good, too. I am tempted to make again the Superfood Matcha White Chocolate Bark. I've got matcha, white chocolate, and dried fruit in my pantry.

The Matcha Miracle by Dr. Mariza Snyder, Dr. Lauren Clum, and Anna V. Zulaica

If you are looking for simple matcha recipes, then The Matcha Miracle is a good option. Of the recipes I tested, my family's favorite were the Dark Chocolate Matcha Truffles. Even if you've never made truffles before, this is a no-fail recipe. Check out the recipe is in the review.

The Healthy Matcha Cookbook by Miryam Quinn-Doblas

My favorite of the matcha cookbooks I've reviewed is The Healthy Matcha Cookbook. I had been following Miryam's Instagram feed long before her cookbook was published. The photographs of her delicious recipes are beautiful.

New Tastes in Green Tea by Mutsuko Tokunaga

The recipes in this cookbook use sencha, gyokuro, and matcha. However most of the recipes in New Tastes in Green Tea are matcha-based. I can recommend the Matcha Coconut Drink!

Share your favorite tea cookbooks and matcha recipes in the comments.

Books that Inspired Tea Book Authors with Jane Pettigrew

This review series brings you the books that have influenced some of my favorite tea book authors. Jane Pettigrew is today's guest. Jane is the award-wining author of 17 books about tea. Her most recent book is World of Tea.

Jane Pettigrew's lastest book, World of Tea, is aptly named. I dare you find a more comprehensive resource about the current state of tea. One of the wonderful aspects of World of Tea is the breadth of coverage of tea cultivation. In 434 pages she writes about every country on each continent that produces tea. Almost half of those pages are devoted to Asia which makes sense; China, India, Japan, and Taiwan are tea meccas. There are 17 states in the U.S. producing tea. I hear a lot about Kenyan tea but there are 19 other countries producing tea in Africa. Tea is even produced in Oceania -- Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. Jane Pettigrew also makes the basics of tea interesting. Her chapter on origin and terroir, species and cultivars, and harvesting and processing is not a regurgitation of information you've read elsewhere. She presents new details about these subjects. Also, the graphics and photographs describing tea processing provide a fresh perspective.

Here are three of the books that have influenced the career of Jane Pettigrew, a well-regarded authority on tea.

All About Tea by William H. Ukers

This two-volume work was one of the first books I came across at The British Library in London when I started researching the history of tea. William Ukers investigated and documented every possible aspect of tea - history, cultivation, processing, ceremonies, tea businesses and tearooms, tea politics, tea regions, and so much more. I was fascinated at the breadth and depth of his writing and of the subject and the more I read, the more I was drawn in.

The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo
A friend gave me a copy of this book in 1988 and I have treasured it ever since. This is the book that captures people's souls and spiritual understanding of the importance of tea in our everyday lives. It is the true tea bible that keeps us on the right path and reminds us constantly of the need for tea in our lives. Anyone who cares about tea should carry this book with them through life.

Tea For The British by Denys Forrest
I discovered this book during my first explorations into tea history at The British Library and found so many references to British history and tea's importance in London, my home town, that I simply had to obtain a copy for myself. That book has been on the shelves of my study since 1985 and I still dip into it from time to time to check a date, a place, or an event that shaped our tea history. Mr Forrest's work led me from an understanding of the British tea story to a desire and need to know more about the tea history of other nations. And I'm still learning.

I am a fan of the botanical illustrations on the cover of Ukers's All About Tea. This book in particular looks like a gem. Thank you Jane for sharing these influential books with us. Share the books that have influenced your journey as a tea drinker, blogger, or book author.

This blog post contains an Amazon affiliate links and images.

Books that Inspired Tea Book Authors with Lu Ann Pannunzio

This new book review series brings you the books that influenced some of my favorite tea book authors. The series launches with Lu Ann Pannunzio, blogger at The Tea Cup of Life and author of Tea-spiration: Inspirational Words for Tea Lovers.

Tea-spiration: Inspirational Words for Tea Lovers is a book concerned with the way of tea in your life. The central content of the book is divided among five chapters starting with the Introduction. My favorite page in the Introduction is an infographic relating one's sensing of tea. The subsequent chapters guide you through making a place for tea, choosing your tea-ware and teas, opening a bag of tea for the first time, drinking your first sip of tea, pairing tea with food, the final sip, caring for your tea-ware, and storing your tea. Tea-inspiration is a narrative companion along your daily and lifelong journey with tea.

I asked Lu Ann to tell us about the books that influenced her career in tea and she provided the following stories.

Life by the Cup by Zhena Muzyka

I remember picking up this book with interest because of one of the endorsements saying it’s “a book with heart that you can stop, sip and enjoy not only a cup of tea but a cup of life.” Sound familiar? ;)
The author shares her story of her tea dream throughout the book, shining light on the struggles before her successes. To say it is an inspiring read would not be enough. The author went from being a single mom with little to no money for her son’s life saving surgery to owning a multi-million dollar tea company. I believe this book has influenced my career in tea because it opened my eyes to how one can overcome limitations.

The Tea Companion by Jane Pettigrew

This was one of the first books I picked up to dive deeper into the world of tea. I actually have not read it since the first time I picked it up years ago. I don’t even have my own copy! It was a library book I checked out, but one I remember really well as I often read this book more than the college textbooks I should have been reading at the time. Reading it allowed me to travel the world more with my cup of tea as I was learning about the regions tea is grown and tea production methods. The information had me hooked. This tea textbook was just the start of a very long and joyous tea journey to come.

Writing Down to the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

This is a newer read for me. Not tea related, but since my career in tea is becoming more focused on writing blogs, articles and books, I think a writing themed read is appropriate here. The author connects writing with Zen practices. I constantly take it off my book shelf to read bits and pieces as I find it helps get the creative juices flowing (much like a cup of tea does!). As a writer, I’m sure you can agree, some days are easier than others to write. I really do find that this book has helped me stop staring at a blank Word document and freeing the writer within, whether it is tea content for the blog, writing for my next book, or articles.

The Tea Companion is one of two Jane Pettigrew books in my library. I have been keeping a short stack of writing books on my nightstand and would love to add Writing Down the Bones. Thanks to Lu Ann for sharing books that have inspired her career. Share the books that have influenced your journey as a tea drinker, blogger, or book author.

This blog post contains an Amazon affiliate links and images.

Tea Sommelier by François-Xavier Delmas and Mathias Minet - Book Review + Giveaway

I recently finished a tea sommelier course so my interest was piqued when Tea Sommelier, a new tea guide by François-Xavier Delmas and Mathias Minet was brought to my attention. Delmas and Minet are renowned in the tea industry for the Le Palais des Thes boutiques so I knew I would be reading quality content. I wasn't disappointed. A pleasant surprise was the playful graphic design which is hinted at by the cover image. The charming graphics and straightforward narrative make this book an accessible guide.

A brief introduction precedes eight chapters covering election and preparation, tasting, tea types and processing, tea plantations, tea families, tea and food pairing, cooking with tea, and sommelier training. My major quibble with the book is the order of the chapters. For example, Chapter 3 (What is Tea?) which details tea botany, tea types, and tea processing should be the lead chapter. Leaving aside my preference for the flow of the content, in my short time with the book, I've already grown attached to particular chapters. Chapter 5 (The Families of Tea) might be my favorite chapter. Twenty major tea types and tea styles are given their own factsheets on preparation, aromatic profile, dominant and secondary aromas, and pairings. Another favorite section is the spread titled "In My Pantry". Imagine the teas in your stash and then imagine what food or drink you could prepare with those tea, all in a matrix!

Tea Sommelier is a great reference book. It is not esoteric, however. Nor is it solely a book for people beginning their journey in tea. Can you explain retronasal olfaction off the cuff? Win a copy of Tea Sommelier and read pages 40-41 to refresh your memory or to learn how olfaction works. Enter the giveaway below.

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A copy of Tea Sommelier by François-Xavier Delmas and Mathias Minet was provided for review.

Jane Pettigrew World of Tea - Book Review + Giveaway

As luck would have it, this week I received my Tea Sommelier certificate and my children start school. In honor of all of this school news, I am delighted to share my review and a giveaway of Jane Pettigrew's new book, World of Tea.

World of Tea is Pettigrew's 18th book and her longest at 434 pages. You could read it cover to cover. It's worthwhile to do so even if you've been a longtime student of tea. Pettigrew's writing is anything but dry so don't worry that you'll be treated to a dull read about the world of tea. You could approach the book as a lively reference and use the excellent Table of Contents or Index to guide your journey.

The book is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the basics of tea: origin species and cultivars, terror, harvesting, processing, storage, and preparation. You may have read these elementary aspects of tea in other books before, but Pettigrew makes them seem fresh again. I especially like the graphic representation of how different categories of tea are processed.

The remaining six chapters cover the world. A chapter is dedicated to each continent on which tea is grown: North America, South America (Central America is included here and not with North America), Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. These six chapters are where Pettigrew's expertise really shines. The reader is presented with a staggering amount of detail about teas in each region in each country in each continent. Those details include number of gardens, total area of cultivation, terrain, altitude, main cultivars, types of tea, and more. The chapter on Asia is over 200 pages long. Furthermore, Pettigrew tells the story of how tea arose in each place. So many stories! Did you know that a five-acre experimental tea plot was planted in Washington, DC in the 1850s?

Related: United States of Tea - Mauna Kea Tea, Hawaii

I have found a new gold standard for tea books. It's World of Tea by Jane Pettigrew. Enter the giveaway below to win a copy for your library.

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A copy of World of Tea by Jane Pettigrew was provided for review.

Bana Tea Company Sweet Clarity Puerh

Image: Cover of Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (source)

Have you read the Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See? If you are looking for tea person's perspective on this book, read Nicole Martin's book review. I have. You should, too. Bana Tea Company has prepared a book club tea tasting kit and guide. I'm part of a book club specific to this book. We've only met once and during that session we drank Sweet Clarity Puerh Spring 2016. I did not take any photographs but I think you still should read this tea review.

The dry leaf is oh, so incredibly deeply sweet. I wrote that exactly in my notebook. I used 3 grams and infused it in 195F water. The first steep at 1 minute was sweet and fruity with a lingering tail note of butter and leather with a creamy mouthfeel also experienced on the lips. Smooth.

Infusion number two was 90 seconds long. The liquor was still sweet but the astringent green tea-ness raised its head. The third infusion of 2 minutes was more leather. We walked about food pairings at this point. I offered that this puerh would pair well with an upside down apricot cake (there is such a thing though I have not baked one yet). The puerh had a deep sweetness and apricot jamminess. A sweetness lingered in the back of the throat. We all noted that the tea was feminine, multilayered, complex.

One of the group said the liquor from the fourth infusion (also 2 minutes) smelled like creme brulee. There was also a rocky note; a mineral aspect to the tail note that stuck to my cheeks. The fruity sweetness was still there. This puerh stayed in character but revealed something new in each infusion. We wrapped up our first book club meeting after this infusion but I went on to drink three more cups of this tea. Keep reading.

The fifth infusion was soft and easy to drink. I drank it all before noticing that I hadn't taken any detailed notes. Infusion six smelled "so jammy!" The liquor had a mineral fragrance. The liquor tasted mostly sweet. My lower gums and cheeks were slightly numb during this infusion, pleasantly so. The seventh and final infusion yielded a straw yellow liquor that again was mostly sweet with a faint note of fruit. The last three infusions were made using 200F water. Steep times were 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes, respectively.

I am so thrilled that I have more of Bana's Sweet Clarity!

Book Review - Matcha The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz

© Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com. Photo © Patrycia Lukas

I have been practicing my matcha whisking technique as part of my formal tea studies with ITEI. Even before I had the proper motions, I enjoyed preparing and drinking matcha at home. I like my matcha in between koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin tea). I have also prepared beverages and baked with matcha. Many of the recipes have come from matcha cookbooks I reviewed on this blog. I was lucky in cases to have culinary grade matcha to prepare the recipes. Currently, I happily have a lot of ceremonial grade matcha. I prefer to use this type of matcha in simple beverages. I think the taste of a ceremonial matcha gets lost in a baked good. For this reason, I gravitated towards the beverages section of Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz. I did go outside the Drinks chapter to make the Superfood Matcha White Chocolate Bark for a school bake sale. I substituted cranberries for goji berries and eliminated the pumpkin seeds and pistachios (nut allergies). The bark was a big hit and sold out quickly. The matcha really stood out in terms of color and taste with the white chocolate base. I also made a semisweet chocolate version.

© Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com. Superfood Matcha White Chocolate Bark, Photo © Patrycia Lukas

Matcha - The Cookbook is a sleeveless hardcover. The cover design is striking. White lettering and photos of vibrant matcha pop against the dark purple background. The ends papers are matcha green. The photographs, by Patrycia Lukas, are gorgeous, numerous, and well placed throughout the book. The book is organized in two main parts: history and guide & recipes. Within the former section, the chapters are History of Matcha, Green Tea Utensils and Tips, Japanese Tea Ceremony, How to Make a Cup of Matcha Tea, Why I Love Matcha, and Matcha - How to Recognize Quality. The Recipes section has chapters on Healthy Starts and Snacks, Drinks, Savory Matcha, Sweet Matcha, Baking, and Matcha Spa. All non-fiction/reference style books should have an index, and this cookbook does. This book's subject, matcha recipes, dominates the book. The history and guide section is only nine pages out of a 175 page book. This section presents a quick introduction to matcha rather than a deep dive into the tea. Volume and weight measurements are provided for each recipe. Many of the recipes are accompanied by a set of author's tips. For example, for the No-Bake Matcha Cream Cheese Tart, Gretha recommends using a tart pan with a removable bottom. For the Chocolate Fondants, you can use heatproof espresso or teacups if you don't have ramekins.

© Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com. Four-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake, Photo © Patrycia Lukas

The recipes have a logical order. Moving from snacks to baked goods, the recipes increase in complication. Within a subsection, an ingredient made for one recipe can be used in a later recipe. The matcha syrup prepared for Kiwi Caipirinha on page 55 is used in the Green Tea Gin and Tonic on page 57. Also, stand-alone recipes can be paired. One example is serving the Matcha White Hot Chocolate (p. 42) with the Matcha Marshmallows (p. 118).

You will find the usual suspects and some creative recipes. The matchaccino seems similar to the popular matcha latte but have you had a layered Salted Caramel Coconut Matcha Latte? You've heard of bullet coffee, right? Gretha Scholtz created the Bulletproof Green Tea. The book has a recipe for matcha dusted nuts in the Sweets but in the same chapter has a recipe for White Chocolate Matcha Panna Cotta.

Baking, the final chapter, has many sweet recipes but is distinguished from the prior chapter, Sweets, by the baking process. Most of the recipes in the last chapter are jaw dropping either because of novelty or beautiful presentation or both. Consider the Four-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake, the Dark Chocolate Triple-Layer Matcha Cake, and the Fully Loaded Matcha Drip Cake. Each element of the latter recipe, which is also the last recipe in Baking, is made with matcha. The cake, chocolate bark, buttercream icing, ganache drizzle, and decorative pieces.

© Matcha - The Cookbook by Gretha Scholtz, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com. Green Hollandaise Sauce, Photo © Patrycia Lukas

I would only use poor quality or old matcha for the Spa recipes, and Gretha Scholtz admits to the same. Would you wear a matcha face mask while soaking in a matcha bath? If a matcha spa is not your thing, consider drinking your matcha in Bulletproof Green Tea or Matcha Lemonade. The bulletproof tea was very rich. Definitely add a sweetener; I used honey. The lemonade was refreshing and you can get away with using less sugar. Have more of a savory tooth? Want to stay truer to the umami nature of matcha? The Savory chapter might be your go-to. Much of what appealed to me about this chapter were the sauces and dips. A dip makes eating raw vegetables fun and a sauce can make an ordinary dish outstanding.

What are your favorite matcha recipes?

The cookbook reviewed in this post is courtesy of teNeues Media.

World Atlas of Tea, a Book Review

An alternate title for this blog post might be "Not Your Typical Book Review". A book review is typically written in essay form and adheres to the following pattern: summarizes the content, analyzes the content, and recommends (or not) the content. I could do this quickly and note that in four parts, Kris Smith provides an overview of Camellia sinensis, its cultivation, harvesting and processing, and history; a guide to steeping tea; a primer on tea blending and mixology; and a tour of tea producing countries, the regions therein, and the tea types common to each region. The content in World Atlas of Tea is what you will find in many other tea books with the possible exception of the tea blending and mixology chapter but what makes Krisi Smith's different is the topic of this blog post which was inspired by the post Elements of an A+ Picture Book written by Bethan Woollvin for This Picture Book Life.

Around the world of tea

Immediately I know that this book will discuss teas grown around the world, and indeed it seems to do so. Tea culture originated in China, and for this reason, China is often the tea producing country first discussed in most books. In World Atlas of Tea, the chapter on tea producing countries begins with Africa followed in order by the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, the Far East, and South America. The book's subtitle explicitly lets the reader know the content of the book -- "from leaf to cup". Krisi Smith describes the plant, its varieties, its harvesting and processing methods, and preparation styles. Finally, the photo is evocative of many aspects of tea agriculture. There is a certain fetishizing of hand plucked tea grown on small single farms so I appreciate the cover photograph of a machine harvested garden. The garden does not appear to be a particularly high altitude but there are hills planted with tea as well as mountains in the distance which might also be planted with tea. The fog or rolling mist is also an evocative elements of the photograph. We get a certain sense for the importance of terroir in tea cultivation. Finally, because the cover image is of a landscape and not one depicting high grade loose leaf teas or specialty tea ware, the book appeals to a wider audience.

Related to the atlas concept, the book includes a diagram of historic tea trade over land and by ocean. The trade with the Americas is missing but this visual helps to understand the immensity of the impact of tea.

Visual display of information

As much as I enjoy the printed word, I am a visual learner. Illustrations, diagrams, and maps help me to fix lots of detailed and complex processes. (Have you read Edward Tufte's Envisioning Information or The Visual Display of Quantitative Information?) One of my favorite illustrations is the explanation of tea processing. Another is the regional map; the Africa map is shown in the second image in this post.

[On 8 June 2017, the image of the Maasai woman pouring tea was removed by request of the photographer.]

Deepening engagement with tea culture

Another type of visualization used in this book is photography. Many tea books have excellent photographs. The reason I call out the photographs in this book is the subject matter of the pictures. I don't think I'd ever seen underneath a Japanese green tea shade structure or Masai women serving tea outdoors. For those of us will not have first hand experience of a gyokuro harvest or of preparing milky tea in Kenya, these photographs provide more depth to our engagement with tea.

Beyond rural places and boutique spaces

Do you spend lots of time gazing at photographs that depict modern, minimalist, nonindustrial tea spaces? I do, and I enjoy these photos. What about jaw-dropping mountainous or sloping landscapes with scant evidence of human activity besides the presence of tea plants? I like these types of photographs, too, but variety is healthful. We rarely see photos of industrialized tea production on social media but it's part of the history of our favorite beverage. The caption for the black and white image above is: "The busy packaging hall of an English tea-trading company in 1932. As we can see here, this was work carried out mainly women." I suppose industrial packaging is now done by machine.

One of my favorite photographs in World Atlas of Tea shows a rail line running in the midst of a tea garden with urban residential housing in the near background. Did you know that tea is grown in urban areas in Japan?

World Atlas of Tea could be improved with photographs of tea leaves and liquor. A map of Taiwan and its tea producing regions is noticeably absent. The teas listed in the section of tea types grown in China does not include all the types and understandably does not include all the varieties in each type. Finally, and this particular point might only be applicable if one intends to use this book as a reference, the index could have been better prepared.

Do I recommend World Atlas of Tea by Krisi Smith? Yes. I think it would make a good addition to your tea library.

A review copy of World Atlas of Tea and all images are courtesy of Firefly Books.

The Tea Planter's Wife, a Book Review

When I lived in Virginia last year, I attended the Ceylon Tea Festival at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, DC. I enjoyed many of the teas I drank so when Crown reached out to me about reviewing The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies, a novel set in Sri Lanka, I happily accepted the offer.

The mood evoked by the book jacket design is carried throughout the plot. While the book is not a thriller, it is suspenseful and contemplative. There are so many secrets! Although tea is not a central character per se, the politics and economics of colonial tea production inform many of the relationships in the book. The landscape is described so evocatively in parts that I could imagine myself watching the action unfold. Nuwara Eliya, described as "to Ceylon tea what Champagne is to French wine", is the setting of the novel and coincidentally that is one of the teas I received as a parting gift from the tea festival.

An international bestseller, The Tea Planter's Wife has been marketed as a story about a tea planter who's secrets could drastically alter the future of his new family. However, I think a different framing could widen the appeal of this novel. Following Gwen(dolyn), the tea planter's wife, one becomes aware of the racial bigotry, ethnic tensions, and class and gender relationships that infused plantation life in pre-independence Sri Lanka. I actually found these dynamics to be the most compelling element of the book and look forward to reading more about the history of tea plantations in former British colonies.

Read the novel for its mysterious plot set on a tea plantation. Or read it as a window into colonial tea society.

Thank you to Crown for a review copy of this book.

Book Review + Recipe: 'New Tastes in Green Tea', by Mutsuko Tokunaga

New Tastes in Green Tea © 2004, 2010 by Mutsuko Tokunaga. Photos by Kenji Shinohara

Matcha might not be the new chocolate but I have not disliked any matcha drinks, dishes, or desserts I have consumed. I have reviewed a couple of matcha cookbooks and what distinguishes Mutsuko Tokunaga's New Tastes in Green Tea from the other titles is the attention to Japanese green tea culture and matcha's place within it. The book is divided into four sections and two of these provide extensive detail about types of Japanese green teas, how to prepare them including tea utensils, and the cultivation and processing of green tea in Japan. The book is not limited to Japanese green tea, however. Ms. Tokunaga  provides a short history of tea and how different teas are processed. You will find recipes for contemporary sencha, gyokuro, and matcha drinks as well as blending herbs, black teas, and flowers with green teas. In a separate section are the recipes for dishes and desserts. There are five matcha spreads, many savories, and several cakes and sweets.

The flow of the book could be improved if drink and food recipes were consolidated in one section. I appreciate the compactness of the book but it does not stand out among other more traditionally sized cookbooks on my shelf. New Tastes in Green Tea contains numerous photographs but in the world of tea and cooking bigger might be better. It is worth noting that I have a 2016 paperback edition and it's likely that the 2004 hardcover edition is more substantial in terms of overall size and photo presentation. Overall, New Tastes in Green Tea is well written with a balanced mix of science and prose and well-placed and illustrative photographs.

New Tastes in Green Tea © 2004, 2010 by Mutsuko Tokunaga. Photos by Kenji Shinohara

I am sharing one of the matcha drink recipes from New Tastes in Green Tea with you today. The drink is Matcha Coconut, pictured bottom left. It is prepared with matcha, milk (I used whole cow's milk), coconut milk, and sugar. You could probably use the milk and sweetener of your choice. The finished drink was delicious though it was not photogenic because the coconut milk separated. Next time I will use coconut cream to achieve a smoother consistency. I could taste the earthy green notes of the matcha which were balanced by the cream flavor and texture of the two milks. The amount of sweetener called for was just enough to round out all the other ingredients.

Matcha Coconut Drink
serves 1

1 tsp matcha + 2 tsp hot water
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp sugar
a little aloe or any cut fruit

1. Mix the match and hot water, and stir briskly until the paste becomes smooth.

2. Add the milk, coconut milk, and sugar, adjusting the proportions according to taste.

3. Serve garnished with diced aloe of your favorite fruit.

Recipe courtesy of New Tastes in Green Tea © 2004, 2010 by Mutsuko Tokunaga.

I am looking forward to making the Matcha Yogurt Sour, pictured bottom right. One of the ingredients is condensed milk!

P.S. For more recipes check out my review of The Healthy Matcha Cookbook and The Matcha Miracle.

Book Review: 'Tea with Milk', A Picture Book by Allen Say

Image: Tea with Milk, by Allen Say (c/o hmhco.com)

Are you familiar with Allen Say's picture books? The stories are not just for children. I first learned about Allen Say in a round-up of his books written by Danielle Davis of This Picture Book Life. Here's an excerpt from that post,

All Say’s books are rooted in a certain time and place. In specificity. They are beautiful, realistic watercolor paintings accompanying unadorned text. They are straightforward and they always seem true. They have compassion for their characters. They reflect on the past in a way that is satisfyingly bittersweet.

Image: Allen Say (c/o hmhco.com)

Since then I have read a few of Say's books; I borrowed them from my local library. One of my favorites is Tea with Milk. I think you could have probably guessed this! I wanted to share the story here because as I noted, I like the book, but also because the book is a lovely story about Japanese American and Japanese culture. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The protagonist of Tea with Milk is a girl named Masako. Her parents call her Ma-chan and speak to her in Japanese. "Everyone else called her May and talked with her in English." May lives in San Francisco until she completes high school. Then her homesick parents relocate the family to Japan. No one there calls her May. She no longer eats "pancakes and muffins" or drinks "tea with milk and sugar" at her friends' houses. In Japan she has to attend highs school again where she is considered a foreigner or a "gaijin". She takes flower arranging, calligraphy, and tea ceremony lessons at home. Her mother plays matchmaker. Frustrated with this new way of life, Masako leaves home and travels to Osaka wearing "the brightest dress she had brought from California." She finds employment in a department store in the city but finds it dull. She is offered a new job in the same department store after she helps an English speaking family but for this role she has to wear a kimono. I won't write anymore because the rest of the story is worth you reading on your own. It does involve tea with milk and sugar and another move and the creation of a family.

Image: Image: Tea with Milk, by Allen Say (c/o amazon.com)

One thing I found humorous is the current Japanese green tea, especially matcha, craze in the U.S. juxtaposed against Masako's desire for tea with milk.

Speaking of Japanese green teas, I will share my matcha making tools on the blog tomorrow.

P.S. You can see all of Allen Say's books here.

Book Review - The Healthy Matcha Cookbook (& Recipe Excerpt)

There are many things to like about Miryam Quinn-Doblas's The Healthy Matcha Cookbook. One, the book is hard cover and has a dust jacket illustrated with a photo of a delicious looking Barley Risotto seasoned with 2 teaspoons of matcha. I have not yet made this recipe but perhaps I should, soon; after all, it's the cover photo! Two, the pages are stain resistant. I don't have to worry about wiping every bit of spice or sauce off my fingers before turning the page, though the book is designed such that I don't have to, which brings me to three. Each recipe and it's accompanying photo are in a facing pages layout. Four, the focus of the book is the recipes. Five, in keeping with the emphasis on recipes, there is relevant information about matcha as well as the other ingredients used to prepare the dishes. Six, there is a Resources chapter; it's short but practical. And seven, the book has a handy conversion chart for metric to imperial and Fahrenheit to Celsius. One more thing, the index is logically designed.

There are four categories of recipes: Energizing Breakfasts, Healthy Snacks, Lean Meals, and Decadent Desserts. I chose a dessert (Chocolate Chunk Cookies) and two breakfast recipes (Breakfast Frittata and Breakfast Parfaits). The frittata could work as an entree or "lean meal".
The cookies, and many of the desserts, contain coconut oil. I stored them in the refrigerator to prevent the coconut oil from going stale.  I liked the cookies, especially warm. The coconut oil was the predominant flavor so if you are not a fan of coconut oil, this might not be the cookie recipe for you.
The egg dish was also good. I didn't make it to the recipe, though. One change was that I used cumin because I did not have tumeric (the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon). The combination of matcha and cumin was delicious. The matcha added a deep green color and flavor -- similar to fresh spinach, and not baby spinach -- to the eggs.

My favorite of the three recipes was the parfait.  Again, I strayed slightly away from the recipe. I used regular whole milk and not plan Greek yogurt but this recipe is versatile so I think using a yogurt of your choice, or fresh fruit of your choice (as suggested by Miryam) will produce tasty results. The best part of this recipe was the "matcha yogurt" as I call it of yogurt, maple syrup, and matcha. I will definitely use this matcha yogurt in other recipes. And thanks to Skyhorse Publishing, I am sharing the full Breakfast Parfait recipe below.

Breakfast Parfait recipe reprinted with permission from The Healthy Matcha Cookbook: Green Tea–Inspired Meals, Snacks, Drinks, and Desserts by Miryam Quinn Doblas (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015.)

You can find Miryam and her recipes at EatGood4Life. She's on lots of social media platforms, too. The Eat Good 4 Life Pinterest boards are a delight. The Healthy Matcha Cookbook: Green Tea– Inspired Meals, Snacks, Drinks, and Desserts is sold on Amazon (affiliate link) as well as via Skyhorse Publishing.

A review copy of The Healthy Matcha Cookbook was provided by Skyhorse Publishing. Recipes were prepared with culinary grade matcha courtesy of Mizuba Tea Co.

Book Review - The Matcha Miracle (& Recipe Excerpt)

My family and friends have been taste testers for several recipes from The Matcha Miracle, a new cookbook written by Dr. Mariza Snyder, Dr. Lauren Clum, and Anna V. Zulaica and published by Ulysses Press. Dr. Snyder is a wellness practitioner, Dr Clum is a chiropractor, and Anna Zulaica is a nutrition consultant.  All three authors have been co-authors on other cookbooks. Lasheeda Perry, the fourth contributor to the book, is not listed on the cover. Lasheeda has an undergraduate degree from Johnson & Wales and has worked on the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts culinary team.

There are four chapters in the book. The first three focus on the history, benefits, and use of matcha. The fourth chapter is composed of recipes and is subdivided into five sections: Tea, Smoothies and Adult Beverages, Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks, and Dessert. A strong feature of this cookbook is the range of recipes. Matcha is used beyond drinks and desserts. In the Lunch and Snacks section, matcha is treated as a spice, and a savory one at that.

I made three beverages (Classic Matcha Tea, Homemade Matcha Nut Milk, Chocolate Matcha Shake), one breakfast item (Breakfast Toast), and one dessert (Dark Chocolate Matcha Truffles). To prepare a bowl of thin matcha,  I added two (not heaping) chashaku of matcha to my chasen, poured a small amount of hot (not boiling) water and whisked in a "m" motion, then thinned out the tea with more water, again whisking in a "m" motion. Since I was using culinary grade matcha, I added a bit of raw honey to sweeten the  tea.

The Dark Chocolate Matcha Truffles was our favorite of the five recipes I made.  I served the truffles at a weekend block party and they received rave reviews.  Thanks to Ulysses Press the entire recipe is excerpted below. A couple things to note before preparing these tasty truffles. At room temperature, the ganache was not firm enough to scoop into neat balls. [My recommendation: chill the ganache in the bowl then scoop balls onto parchment paper and then chill them the balls.] Also, at some point, the chilled ganache balls will warm up while they wait their turn to be rolled into uniform truffles and dipped in matcha. [My recommendation: roll them in batches.  Also, sprinkle matcha over the entire parchment sheet and then roll the truffles in the matcha.]

Dark Chocolate Matcha Truffles
Makes 24 Truffles

Ingredients:
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
⅔ cup chopped semisweet chocolate *I used semisweet chocolate chips*
¼ cup matcha green tea powder *I used Mizuba Culinary Grade Matcha*

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and butter over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the chopped chocolate to the scalded cream and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Cover the bowl very well with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the ganache is cooled and set, using a small scoop, scoop balls of the ganache onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Roll the balls with your hands into smooth, uniform balls. Dip each ganache ball into the matcha and shake off the excess. Serve at room temperature.

The Breakfast Toast was the runner-up recipe.  The combination of sprouted bread, whole milk ricotta, matcha, raw honey, and sea salt hit all the right notes, and in a balanced way.

There are several more recipes I'd like to make from the book, mostly in the lunch and snacks and desserts sections. I think the proportions in the beverage section need some tweaking. The nut milk and chocolate shake were not as flavorful as we expected.  The flavor of the cashews was not pronounced in nut milk even before adding the matcha. With 1.5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, the chocolate shake was barely chocolatey. I compensated by adding more cocoa powder but that only overpowered the matcha flavor.  It would be great to see photographs and coated pages in a second edition of this cookbook.

Thank you to Ulysses Press for the review copy. Also, I am grateful to Mizuba Tea Company for providing the culinary grade matcha used in the preparation of these recipes.  I would recommend their cooking matcha.