It is no secret. I adore, love, and admire all things Wendigo Tea Co. From the moment I first saw their website, I was hooked. After trying their tea, I was in love. From the high quality teas to the crazy adorable tea names to the amazingly created art work for each of the teas, this company has always been one of my favorites from the start.
Recently, Wendigo Tea announced they would start selling a high grade ceremonial matcha. Once I saw the adorable artwork for Kappa Matcha, I was smitten. But I will be the first to admit, I have not always the best of luck with matcha. Maybe it was how I was prepping the matcha or maybe it was that I just didn’t have the right matcha. Regardless, I had high hopes this go around.
I prepped my water right around 180F, scooped half a teaspoon of matcha in my bowl, added in 6 oz of the prepped water and went to work whisking away. After whisking for a few moments, I was ready for my first sip.
Right away you notice this gorgeous smooth creaminess that flows right to the very end. There are notes of a very subtle vegetal tone here and there. I eagerly gulped the matcha down and set about to make another cup. Not something I’ve traditionally done in the past with matcha.
This go around, I wanted to try I topped my matcha with a froth french vanilla creamer and after taking a sip, I was in instant tea heaven. That rich smooth matcha became this incredible matcha latte. After having one sip, I guess I sighed and said “Heaven in a Cup”. My husband just looked at me and laughed.
Kappa Matcha is insanely good. No other way to really say it. I have drank so many variations of different matcha drinks over the last few days, I think I’ve lost count. This will be a staple in my tea cabinet going forward and part of my daily routine for sure.
So what I’m trying to say is that Sky (owner of Wendigo Tea Co.) has once again offered us another amazing tea to enjoy every day. I’m quite obsessed with Big Foot, Nessie and Yeti. Now I can add Kappa to that list!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Wendigo Tea
Description
Welcome! I am the incredibly smooth Kappa Matcha.
This elegant beast is one of the highest quality Ceremonial Grade Matcha teas produced in Japan. I am organically grown close to the river, where the soil is very fertile giving me a mellow and deep taste, then am kept in shade the last 20-30 days until being stone ground and sealed with Nitrogen to give you the freshest and cleanest matcha possible. You can taste the difference. It is perfect for Koicha (thick and strong matcha) and Usucha (thin and weak matcha).
Compare me to any other matcha.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemonade Matcha from 3 Leaf Tea. . .
Today was one of those days that screamed- You need to drink Matcha. With the weather turning to winter and the days a bit more gloomy, I wanted a tea that would brighten up my mood, taste buds, and just overall provide a bit of sunshine into my day. That’s when I grabbed my sample of Lemonade Matcha from 3 Leaf Tea.
3 Leaf Tea specializes in amazing flavored Matcha blends and hot chocolate flavors. Flavors like Banana Hot Chocolate, Mint Matcha, and Pumpkin Spice Matcha just to name a few. Even though Lemonade Matcha cries for being made into an Iced Matcha Latte, I wanted something warm.
Brewed my water up to 175F, added a few scoops into the my mug, poured the water in and began whisking away. The matcha whisked beautifully. Pretty soon I was greeted with this gorgeous matcha beverage that craved a latte topping. I poured a bit of cream into my frother and when it was all set, I poured a generous amount on top of my matcha, creating a lovely Lemonade Matcha Latte.
As weird as a warm Lemonade Matcha Latte sounds, this concoction absolutely works. The matcha is lovely flavored, not too much but just enough that the lemonade flavor comes through. Bright pops of lemon and this vegetal sweet yet slightly bitter flavor mix perfectly with the cream frothed topping. A touch tart but with the cream, you almost get this lemon meringue style note. This latte is definitely telling me to grab a book, a blanket, and settle in for some much need me time.
Flavored matchas for me are very hit or miss. Sometimes the flavors are just too overwhelming for the matcha itself- not allowing the beautiful flavors that matcha naturally provides. They also have a tendency to be very artificially tasting. That isn’t the case at all with this particular flavored matcha. The flavors taste like they belong together. I never would have thought about adding lemon or even lemon juice into my matchas but I might just have to start. . .or I’ll just have to go the easy way and pick up more of this Lemonade Matcha.
This experience reminds me of how much I do love flavored matcha and need to put in an order to pick up some of 3 Leaf Tea’s Pumpkin Spice Matcha before its gone, along with a few other flavor offerings. Maybe even a few hot chocolate blends too. I can’t imagine a better way to bring in the winter weather!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: 3 Leaf Tea
Description
Bright, Tart, Fresh
All of the flavor of freshly squeezed lemonade without the added sugar. Bright and refreshing, a perfect treat.
INGREDIENTS:
Premium grade matcha infused with natural lemonade flavor
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Matcha from ZenTei . . . . .
In the last wave of summer weather, I brewed up a cup of matcha from ZenTei. It was an easy choice, after my eye caught a glimpse of its beautiful packaging on my tea shelf. This matcha is a hand-ground, organic green tea.
The powdered tea is smooth and green, though a bit muted in color. Matcha is best at its freshest and greenest, and I should note that I’m tasting this sample after a friend, so it’s possible my sample was just a little past its prime.
In the warm weather, I tried this iced, unsweetened and without milk. The matcha is very vegetal, leafy, and grassy. This is a culinary grade matcha, so it’s best when paired with other flavors in baking, or when mixed with juice smoothies, or in a foamy milk latte.
I definitely preferred this tea as an iced latte with vanilla almond milk. The sweet, nutty, frothy milk helped add more dimension to the grassy matcha, and added a touch of much-needed sweetness.
This is a versatile tea. Mix it in your next batch of cookies, prepare it in a traditional whisk and bowl, or shake it up in a milkshake bottle. Just don’t shake up a hot latte or you’ll be dealing with a matcha bomb; cold water matcha-shakes only. Perfect for a high-caffeine, iced latte, pick-me-up on a hot summer morning.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: ZenTei
Description:
Culinary-Grade Matcha has a stronger tea flavor than a traditional Ceremonial-Grade and allows the Matcha flavor to shine through even if mixed with other ingredients. Traditionally whisked into a frothy beverage, Matcha can be blended into smoothies, green tea lattes or green tea lemonade. Matcha is also perfect sprinkled over fruit or yogurt, added to salt to create a savory seasoning, mixed into baked goods recipes or added to ice cream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Matcha from Pinky Out. . . .
Matcha really is my best friend. I stick to one company and drink their Ceremonial Matcha every morning, via a milk latte with agave syrup. When I saw Pinky Out’s matcha in my sample box I was hesitant
. I’m one of those people that when I find something that I love I stick to it and I don’t really venture away…but I stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to give this stuff a try.
It was definitely different than traditional Ceremonial Matcha. Ceremonial grade is more vegetal and perhaps even a little less sweet than this stuff, but still very smooth. Pinky Out’s matcha was much sweeter generally and almost a little bit more “fluffy”. That is the best way I can describe it. It almost tasted flavored, like vanilla matcha maybe.
It was smooth and sweet, not so much vegetable-y. Which was a nice change from my usual. I definitely enjoyed this and if you are looking for a matcha that is on the different side, give Pinky Out’s powder a dry. I definitely will be enjoying the rest of my sample and possibly even buying more. Sometimes it’s good to switch it up!
A change of pace can always keep things interesting, right?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Pinky Out
Description
Created during the 12th century by Zen Buddhists in China, Matcha began as a ritual drink known to boast therapeutic benefits. The legendary Shogun warriors would partake in the ceremony of Matcha prior to going into battle to have an edge over their opponents.
As Matcha began to lose traction in China, Buddhist Monk and visionary Eisai brought the tradition of not only Matcha but tea drinking as a whole to Japan. It has since flourished and became a staple of Japanese culture.
Today, Matcha is highly sought after for the same reasons that Eisai realized. Pinky Out sources it’s Matcha powder from Japan to bring you the most authentic Matcha experience possible.
Ingredients: Organic Green Tea Powder from Japan
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Raspberry Matcha from Tea’s Me. . . . . .
I love Matcha tea. I love the vibrant green color, I love the grassy green flavor and I especially love the health benefits. I also love raspberries. They are in my top three favorite fruits.
So I was very excited to try raspberry matcha tea. I made a pitcher of this over ice because the weather is warm and I like my fruit teas served cold.
First of all, as soon as I opened the package I smelled a strong raspberry smell which made me very happy. And mixing this was a breeze, no clumping issues at all. Now on to the taste.
This is a perfect matcha tea for someone who wants the benefits of matcha but doesn’t like the flavor. I’ve heard that from a lot of people. This has a delightful, crisp raspberry flavor. It tastes like real raspberries, not raspberry flavor. It’s sweet and slightly tart just like the berries.
It’s absolutely delicious and a perfect summertime drink. I would make a big pitcher for a picnic and put lots of fresh raspberries in the add color and flavor and fanciness.
This tea is full of antioxidants, and it’s vegan and gluten free. It’s so nice to have a beverage that is delicious and very very good for you. It does have caffeine in it, although of course much less than coffee or black tea. This is definitely going to be a staple in my life this summer!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Tea’s Me
Description
Whether you want a boost of energy, refreshing drink orhealthy cooking ingredient, Tea’s Me raspberry matcha is here for you. Matcha is one of the healthiest drinks on earth and now boasts an amazing taste. All of our Matcha is sourced from Japan, the birth place of Matcha 500 years ago. Great for cooking, lattes, smoothies and of course tea.
Ingredients – 100% Organic Matcha, Cane Sugar and Raspberry Extract
