Most people in our latitudes function in the morning primarily thanks to caffeine. Even in the office, the coffee machine is indispensable and small queues regularly form in front of the machine. Of course, there is also the (much smaller) fraction of tea-drinkers, and every now and then someone indulges in cocoa. So it’s safe to say that warming beverages are in high demand, but the selection of those seems limited at first glance.
For a long time now, coffee shops in the world’s metropolises have been trying to find creative alternatives, which are artfully prepared by baristas and sold over the counter for a small fortune. Among other things, I was tempted to try creations with promising names and even more impressive colors. Whether Rose Petal Latte – Caffée Latte with rose blossoms and syrup, Charcoal Latte – the black/white drink with the superfood activated charcoal, blue Spirulina Latte, Beetroot Latte or Cardamom Latte (both available in this country as a powder at Sonnentor)… the selection is almost limitless and is expanded annually with new hypes.
What began a long time ago with the creamy oriental original drink Chai Latte is now available in all variations. As you have probably already noticed, the main ingredient is always (plant) milk.
To give you a taste for it and to show you an alternative to the third or fourth coffee a day, we provide you with the following three variations to make yourself today: Matcha Latte, Turmeric Latte & Earl Grey Latte. The preparation is easy peasy in all three cases! As a base, barista milk is ideal for your creamy specialty with fluffy milk foam. My favorite: Barista oat milk with soy content (can be foamed particularly well!). With all ingredients, it’s best to look for organic products for better quality and fair harvest conditions for the pickers.
Matcha Latte
Matcha is finely ground green tea powder. The Japanese national drink has, depending on the variety and the time of harvest, either a mild-sweet or rather tart taste. Due to the complex harvesting and grinding process, this type of green tea is considered particularly precious and healthy.
Matcha contains, among other things, catechins, carotenes, and vitamins A, B, C & E. In addition, L-theanine, which provides relaxation in the brain, and a good portion of caffeine, which in combination with the amino acid provides a gentle wake-up effect. Its ingredients have an antioxidant effect and can fight inflammation in the body as well as repair cells. The risk of cardiovascular disease is demonstrably reduced.
The tea specialty is prepared with a match whisk in a bowl. For this, about half a tsp of the powder is poured over with about 80ml of hot water and whisked from the wrist until foamy. Then pour with frothed (plant) milk and enjoy!
Turmeric Latte
Turmeric Latte – often called Golden Milk – contains a blend of warming spices.
The main ingredient, the powder of the turmeric root, is a true healing agent that has now arrived in Western medicine and is used in a variety of ways. Instead of taking capsules, one can consume a cup of the Golden Milk daily and benefit from the following: Turmeric has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, antioxidant – so it protects against cell damage – and helps with gastrointestinal problems as well as fat burning.
The intense taste of the spice is irritating for many people at the beginning, but you can feel your way and get used to it. To half a teaspoon of turmeric as a starting dose (later it may be a whole teaspoon) add a strong pinch of cinnamon, also – according to preference – ginger, cardamom, and a pinch of pepper. Mix these spices with half a cup of water in a saucepan and boil briefly until a homogeneous mass is formed. Stir this into hot plant milk and mix in half a tsp of coconut oil, which helps the body absorb the nutrients. Sweeten with a little agave syrup.
Earl Grey Latte
Earl Grey refers to a black tea blend infused with bergamot flavoring. Apart from the traditional British 5 O’clock Tea, this tea drink has much more in store.
Like all black teas, Earl Grey has an invigorating effect: its caffeine content perks you up and stimulates metabolism, circulation, brain, and heart. In addition, genuine bergamot oil has a mood-lifting effect, which is known as aromatherapy. Attention: for this, in any case, it is necessary to pay attention to a high-quality product, because in cheap teas aromas are imitated artificially.
For the production of Earl Grey Latte, either a finely ground tea powder is also taken, which is available in selected online stores (as well as in our case), or alternatively, loose tea is boiled. To do this, pour about a teaspoon of tea in a strainer with half a cup of hot water and after about 5min infusion time, fill the second half with foamed milk.
