Stevia Matcha Green tea is high in nutrients and perfect for any occasion. It's beautiful bright green color and wonderful taste make it great for every day of the week. Drinking it so often can make it somewhat boring after a while. To keep your Stevia Matcha tea exciting and always something you look forward to, let's explore some ways to prepare it.

Traditional:

As a hot tea, Stevia Matcha's penetrating smell and amazing flavor really come to life. To enjoy Stevia Matcha as a hot tea:

1. Bring your Stevia Matcha powder to room temperature [18°C (64°F) to 23°C (73°F)], and sift through a strainer.
2. Scoop 1 ½ to 2 rounded teaspoons of sifted Stevia Matcha into a tea bowl or cup
3. Add ¼ to 1/3 cup of hot, simmering water (this may be more or less diluted based on your preference).
4. Briskly whisk your Stevia Matcha. As the Matcha begins to dissolve, move the whisk briskly back and forth as fast as you can in the middle of the bowl or cup. The whisk should be vertical and barely touching the bottom of the bowl or cup. Once your Matcha has developed a soft, light foam, slowly lift the whisk from the center of the bowl or cup.
5. Enjoy your frothy, healthy cup of hot Stevia Matcha Green tea!

Traditional with a chill:

1. Stevia Matcha is excellent as a chilled or iced tea, perfect for hot summer days and when you're on the run. To prepare chilled or iced Stevia Matcha-
2. Get a 16 oz water bottle or glass that accomodates 16 oz.
3. Measure ¼ teaspoon (or more if you like) into the bottle or cup with 16 oz of cold water. If you've opened a new bottle, be sure to sip a little so you don't overfill it!
4. Shake or stir vigorously to dissolve the Stevia Matcha powder.
5. Drink immediately, pour over ice or refrigerate.
6. If desired, add a sugar substitute or honey to sweeten it to your liking.

Red Leaf teas is offering an interesting new line of matcha teas that have not just matcha but additional ingredients blended (ground) in with the matcha powder itself. It seems there are dozens of offerings in their "matcha plus" lineup that will interest any who are not strictly purists when it comes to matcha and it's well worth taking a gander at the myriad flavor combinations by checking out their site. For today, I'll be reviewing Red Leaf's organic matcha blended with stevia.

I was intrigued to try this offering because I typically do any sweetening of teas using stevia. Matcha is not a drink I typically sweeten when drinking, but I have seen sweetened matchas on the market. For myself, the addition of sugar to a matcha makes it unappealing, so a stevia sweetened matcha sounded like it would be well worth a try. For those unfamiliar with stevia leaf, it is the leaf of a shrubby herb and has an intense sweetness that makes it suitable for diabetics and those looking for a powerful sweetener without actually using sugar. While highly refined, it may appeal to those looking for an alternative to both sugar and artificial sweeteners like splenda or aspartame, etc. In its green powdered form, stevia looks quite a bit like matcha, only duller green. The stevia matcha offered by Red Leaf looks much as you would expect a matcha to, only perhaps a little less brilliant a green.

I used a heaped bamboo scoop of matcha to 4 ounces of 160 degree water and whisked it heartily. The matcha whisked up to a bright green, cheerful froth. In taste, this matcha is definitely sweet, and it is not merely tasting of matcha's natural sweet-bittersweetness. The flavor of the matcha is hard for me to put my finger on. I am used to sweetening with stevia and I find this a little much for my tastes. I made several preparations of this matcha and found that my most favorable cup was using 6 ounces of water. Even then, while my sip started off pleasant and not overpowering, a bitter tang developed to close each sip. I didn't really like that. In higher concentrations, stevia can take on an overly piquant, biting sort of sweetness and for my taste buds this particular offering is too much on that side of the fence. I think I might like this better as a thinner matcha, or as a matcha that I used to make a latte style beverage or even an iced dessert. On its own as a sipping matcha, it's too intense for me. I also find that the stevia seems to alter the natural bittersweet flavor of the matcha itself and give it a metallic, sharp and overly sweet taste.

If you are looking for an alternatively sweetened matcha, this is perhaps worth a try, particularly if you are thinking of adding milk to the matcha to make a more latte style matcha. I found the flavor a little overwhelming and think I prefer my matcha au natural! Still, in terms of innovation, this is very interesting and might well be worth checking out.

Jamie
Teaviews.com Reviewer

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