I love having tea in the afternoon around 3 or 4pm. In the autumn or winter, I reach for cozy chais, rich pu'erh, or roasted oolongs. As the weather warms up and the days get longer, however, around March or April I look for something that has the taste of spring, and orange blossom is something that is fresh, floral and fruity that I always associate with this time of year. Maybe it's because I took a trip to Morocco in late March one year and I never forgot how amazing the orange blossom-flavored desserts were. At any rate, I love to incorporate it into my food.
There's also nothing like the gentle pick-me-up of a matcha latte in the afternoon. I first discovered that orange blossom paired beautifully with matcha when visiting a local coffee roasters. They were featuring a hot matcha, pistachio and orange blossom latte. It tasted like the essence of spring.
At home, I re-created the recipe, though made it iced since I like to have an afternoon matcha on ice and added honey, which is a natural pairing for orange blossom (I've had baklava and honey cakes flavored with orange blossom, which is heavenly). I also discovered this drink also tastes good when made with almond milk instead of pistachio, which can be a bit pricey and hard to find.
Note that less is more when it comes to using orange blossom water in this recipe, especially if you have never had it before. Start with a small drop and always add less rather than more, as it can be quite strong and might come off as "soapy" in flavor, especially if you use too much or are not used to the flavor. Even thoguh I love the flavor, I always measure to make sure I am not adding too much.
Iced Orange Blossom Matcha Latte
Equipment
- 1 Matcha whisk or electric handheld whisk milk frother
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Orange blossom water Orange blossom water is often found in the middle eastern or mediterranean cooking section of a grocery store
- 2-3 tsp Honey (to taste) I like to use local honeys
- 1-2 tsp Matcha powder I like to use a higher quality matcha, like uji matcha. Lower quality matchas can lack flavor or taste "fishy" so it's worth it to spend a bit more for a better quality matcha
- 1-2 tbsp Water If using a handheld whisk, warm up the water; if you are using an electric whisk and are lazy like me, it can be cool
- 1 cup Plant-based milk, such as almond or pistachio You could use any kind of milk and the measurement is approximate, but I prefer almond or pistachio milk
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Put your orange blossom water, honey, matcha powder and water at the bottom of a glass
- Use a whisk or electric milk frother to mix the orange blossom, honey, matcha and water together until well mixed and the matcha is frothy and no longer lumpy
- Add the milk and ice
- Serve and enjoy
