OAT MILK MATCHA LATTE (VEGAN)

My Favorite Matcha || My Favorite Peach-Apricot Tea

Hey there, cuties! Welcome to La Vita Vivi.

So many drink trends have been popping up lately, and I admittedly have fallen in love with the at-home matcha latte!

Benefits of Matcha

• High in antioxidants
• Boosts brain function
• Helps protect the liver
• Helps prevent cancer
• Promotes heart health
• Boosts metabolism

Tea Ceremony History & Significance

Although matcha powder originated in China, matcha has been a part of the Japanese culture for over 800 years and the Japanese are known for perfecting the cultivation process. (Source: https://www.chalait.com/blogs/matcha-guide/japanese-matcha-vs-chinese-matcha#:~:text=Originating%20in%20China%2C%20Matcha%20has,perfected%20the%20Matcha%20cultivation%20process.)

Japanese tea ceremonies represent "harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity which we must embrace in order to achieve the main purpose of the tea ceremony. This event is unique as every process from the tea equipment preparation until the tea is drunk has a distinctive technique." (Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813048969#:~:text=Japanese%20Tea%20Ceremony%20represents%20harmony,drunk%20has%20a%20distinctive%20technique)

In China, "it is a significant way to show respects. In a wedding, such an act is to show respect and gratitude to parents for all the years of love and care. A tea ceremony also meaningful in many other ways. It's a symbol of purity, stability and fertility." (Source: https://www.teasenz.com/chinese-tea/chinese-wedding-tea-ceremony.html#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20a%20Chinese%20wedding%20tea%20ceremony&text=It%20is%20a%20significant%20way,of%20purity%2C%20stability%20and%20fertility)

In Korea, the philosophy is that "it is very important to remain natural while drinking tea together. At first the different steps may seem complicated, but it does not take long to master them and for the drinking of tea, alone or with others, to become a part of life. (Source: http://www.easterntea.com/tea/panyaro.htm)

Now, you're probably here to learn how to make the actual latte, so keep reading on to learn how I make the best vegan version using my favorite non-dairy milk: Oatly's Barista Edition Oat Milk!

Step 1: Add high-quality matcha to cup

*Using a tall cup will prevent your matcha from splashing all over the place once you whisk. Trust me, I know!

Step 2: Add hot water & whisk for 10 seconds

*Hot water helps the matcha dissolve faster (1 tsp matcha : 1 cup water). You can use a traditional wooden matcha whisk to incorporate, but I love using this electric handheld foamer that I got from Amazon recently because the end result is just as great and it works so fast. It feels like you're your very own barista! I was a little intimidated of this little whisk at first, but trust me it is SO easy to use and now it is my go-to tool for whipping up a bunch of sauces and salad dressings, too. 😉

Step 3: In a separate cup, add your favorite non-dairy milk

*Warm up your non-dairy milk of choice if you're having a hot latte. Otherwise, you can pull the milk straight out of the fridge and use it cold. I've been LOVING the Oatly Barista Edition Oat Milk because it is more luxurious and creamy than the original version. Feel free to add honey or agave at this stage if you prefer your latte a little sweeter as well. If so, I suggest warming up the milk slightly even if you're having the iced version so the sweetener has an easier time dissolving into the milk.

Step 4: Whisk milk until frothy

*I whisked until it basically "grew" to the top of the tall cup. It was so fun and literally just takes seconds for the milk to get to this stage!

Step 6: Top matcha with whisked milk

*Pour the frothy milk into the serving cup slowly so you don't disturb the matcha underneath. Then, top latte with some extra matcha powder for garnish.

*For the iced version, I like using a steel straw too!