Starbucks-style Green Tea Latte -- MINUS the pricetag!

As much as I slam Starbucks for their overrated, overpriced coffee and mediocre ambiance, I have to admit to one guilty pleasure: green tea lattes. The fact of the matter is that green tea, in and of itself, is not hard to find. These days, with Oprah evangelizing its weight-loss value, and with the focus on all things "all-natural" and "green", green tea has really found a market!

However, there is a difference between "regular" green tea (ie. loose-leaf tea) and 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)

Well, since plenty of people are on the green tea bandwagon -- but NOT so many places offer matcha (because it is quite a bit more expensive), I had become quite addicted to Starbucks green tea lattes for my "green tea fix." (What held me back, though, was the pricetag... nearly $4 for a 20-ounce serving!)

Many times I simply crave green tea instead of coffee. Why? There may be several reasons, but in general, let's suffice to say that green tea is better for you than coffee is: 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. Because of this, when I drink green tea I feel alert but relaxed; coffee will often make me feel jittery or wired, sometimes to the point of even causing disconcerting heart racing or panic attack symptoms, since I recently appear to be caffeine-sensitive.

Enough of the background story about matcha and green tea, and on to the good stuff --
how to make your own for a fraction of the price!

The first step, of course, is to order your own matcha. To get the Starbucks Green Tea latte/frappuccino flavor, it must be matcha, not sencha or loose-leaf green tea (which are much cheaper.) Now, matcha is not cheap... if you do a search on the Internet you will find plenty of suppliers, but many of them will charge $30-$60 for just 100 grams of matcha (admittedly, matcha varies in quality, but I would never pay that much... not even for the good stuff.)
What I've found to be a pretty reasonable deal is to order the bulk/catering-sized bag of matcha from Inpisa, a Texas-based Asian import company on eBay. They sell a 500 gram (1.1 lb.) bag of matcha for $50... quite a bargain, if you compare to other matcha prices. One "serving" of matcha (for example, 1 cup of tea) requires 1 teaspoon of matcha, and according to the approximate calculator at GourmetSleuth, 500 grams would yield over 100 servings. So, for $50, you will be getting over 100 cups of tea! That's 50 cents per cup!

Now, for green tea lattes and milkshakes you will need a few extra ingredients, so you can count on the cost being closer to 80 or 90 cents per cup... which is still WAY cheaper than buying a Starbucks latte or frappuccino! Plus, you get the added bonus of having your own matcha available for making green tea cookies, green tea cheesecake, green tea ice cream... you name it. If you like green tea flavor, you'll be in heaven.

Green Tea Latte (1 cup)
1 tsp matcha
1 tsp sugar
1-2 oz. hot water
8 oz. milk, soy milk, or rice milk (I like to use a blend: 4 oz. 2% milk and 4 oz. vanilla soy milk)

Scoop matcha and sugar into cup. Heat water to boiling or near boiling. Pour 1-2 ounces into the cup and stir thoroughly (if you have a matcha whisk, it might help break up and mix in the matcha powder pieces so they do not clump together too much.) Once mixed, add the milk or milk alternative. This may cool the temperature lower than your liking, so if you prefer you can heat the milk over stovetop OR microwave the final mixture for 30-60 seconds. What will work even better is if you happen to be lucky enough to have a milk steamer or frother (usually part of a latte/cappuccino/espresso machine)

Green Tea Milkshake (1 serving)
1 tsp matcha
2-4 scoops vanilla ice cream (depending on size of scoop and how much you want)
4-6 ounces milk or milk substitute

Throw ingredients into a blender or smoothie maker (start with the ice cream, then add the milk, and sprinkle the matcha on top; otherwise it may clump together at the bottom.) Blend on medium, then high, until smooth. Pour and enjoy. :)