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I was so happy to find my envelope from Red Leaf Tea in my mailbox yesterday afternoon. I was hoping it would come before the long weekend, and alas, it did! I was impressed at how quickly my tea shipped to Canada.

Oh boy. I’ve been wanting to try a flavoured matcha for so long, and now I’m left wondering why I waited so long! This is truly delicious, easier to prepare than I expected, and gives me a lovely natural energy boost to boot.

When I was placing my order, I was delighted to find all of the customization options. It’s really a nice touch and allows you to have your matcha exactly the way you like it. I opted for the starter grade matcha with distinctive flavouring. I was hoping to have a nice punch of caramel flavour, but I didn’t want it to cover up the sweet, grassy loveliness of the matcha itself, and that’s exactly what I got!

I love that Red Leaf’s flavourings are all natural. And the caramel is so very true to its name! A rich, buttery, dark caramel scent and taste. It really does satisfy sweet cravings in a healthy way, as advertised. It reminds me of the scents in the kitchen when I make my grandma’s special brown sugar fudge recipe. Sweet caramelized sugar with cream and a touch of butter. I am picky when it comes to caramel flavoured things but this one hits the mark!

I am quite new to matcha, and I can’t wait to experiment with making all sorts of different drinks and incorporating it into baking. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to make a decent bowl of it myself, but it is actually pretty simple to prepare. I started with a large, wide-mouthed mug, a tea strainer, and a mid-size springy whisk. Even with these less than ideal tools, I was able to make a really nice bowl of matcha! I’m thinking of investing in a bamboo whisk to make the process go a little smoother. I might just add one to my next matcha order. Can’t wait to try the cheesecake matcha! And the cotton candy, and the french vanilla, bavarian cream, boysenberry, pear, coconut..so many possibilities! But back to my preparation. I simply sifted a generous teaspoon of matcha over my mug with my tea strainer. Then I added a small amount of very hot (but not boiling) water and whisked vigorously. After it was fully dissolved and some bubbles had formed, I topped it up with more hot water. Simple as that! It’s a bit fussier than preparing a regular cup of tea, but it is SO worth it.

I tasted it plain before adding any additions. I generally like a bit of milk and sugar in my tea, and this one is no exception. But I thought I’d try it in its natural state first to get a sense of the true flavour. It was a bit too much for me straight up, probably because I’m not used to the strong flavour of matcha. It had a slight natural sweetness, which was lovely, with a smooth green tea taste. I got a nice hit of caramel at the end of the sip. I’m sure if you love drinking teas straight, you’d enjoy it this way. Adding milk and sugar really brought the caramel taste to life, completing the sweet creamy texture.

I’ve only had this matcha for a day, but I already find myself craving it. I had a cup last night in the evening, and then another cup when I woke up this morning. I was feeling a bit sluggish this afternoon so I made a bowl of matcha, and it really gave me some pep and made me smile! I can see matcha becoming a part of my daily tea lineup very quickly.

If you want to get your hands on some of this goodness, head over to Red Leaf Tea and get yourself some Caramel Matcha. It is pretty magical stuff!

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html