The latest addiction...Green is Good

I have a new love..
He's tall, slightly sweet,
And he's green...really green....

 

If you haven't bellied up at a Starbucks and asked for a Green Tea Latte...well do yourself a favor....and your welcome.

OK, here's the skinny.
My Pop in-law (Matt's Dad) turned me on to these grassy colored lovelies.
He and the Hubs just returned from Japan where you can get the "real deal" Matcha Green Tea Lattes but since we hail from the good ole' US of A we will all have to settle on the uber chain Starbucks version.

Let me start by saying those of you who know me know I am a die hard, cowboy coffee, tar on the bottom coffee lover, through and through.
But alas, their are those days where the acidity gets to me and the jitters set in and I am like a bee flying around after drinking too much nectar..BZZZZZ.
So this is a toned down version an espresso filled latte.
We all know the great benefits of green tea and c'mon you have seen Asian skin right? That should be enough to convert you but here's a brief Matcha 101, my new addiction:

Japanese-style powdered green tea called "matcha" or "maccha." The type of green tea Starbucks uses in its lattes and frappuccinos is matcha (powdered leaf) green tea, not loose-leaf tea. The difference in color and flavor between these two varieties is astounding.

If you have ever seen green-tea flavored pastries, truffles, ice cream, or other sweets, you will notice a vibrant green color and a distinct flavor like a slightly floral mix of grass and nectar. This is due to the use of powdered green tea, or matcha. More specifically, matcha comes from tea leaves that are grown in the shade (imparting a slightly different flavor) which are then hand picked, "deveined", dried and powdered; this means the only thing you get in matcha is pure leaf (no stems or veins.) To prepare matcha, you do not "steep" it like loose-leaf or bag tea; instead, you mix the powder directly in and so you end up consuming the actual leaf (in powdered form)

Another benefit is the low caffiene content. I believe a grande espresso latte is 150 mg of caffiene but a grande green tea latte will run you around 80 mg.
Green tea does contain caffeine (called "theine" when it comes from tea), but not nearly as much as the same amount of coffee does; in addition, there are elements of green tea which act as calming or relaxing agents which, unlike coffee, actually calm you down and serve to counteract the caffeine a bit.

The difference for me is not feeling as  jittery. I feel alert but calmer and more relaxed. It's sort of a clean drink to the palette. (fancy pants huh?)
Anyway, I love it. It's pricey, yes but to still have my "fix" without a tummy acidity and the sometimes spell of jitters is worth it.

And in close I think Green Tea Milkshakes are in my near future. Warning: The powder is quite pricey but you can head to your nearest Asian market to find it.

So how about that! Two posts in 24 hours...Am I back? Maybe.