BOOST! iced matcha chai latte

***13 JUNE UPDATE: this recipe has just been chosen as 1 of 5 finalists in the EatCleanTea #summerofmatcha competition! I would be SO GRATEFUL if you could take the time to VOTE FOR ME PLEASE – takes just 2 clicks: CLICK HERE TO VOTE! thank you so much x ***

Oh hey there summer! Where do you go to slumber I wonder when we are plunged into the damp and dark depths of winter time and time again? Can I come with you next time please? I promise to be good…

The perfect, heady image of summer for me is lolling about outside in an unfeasibly wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses (and little else), sipping from a glass of something very long and very cool as the icecubes clink merrily into oblivion and I get sucked headlong into a good fat book.

What’s your summer cooler of choice? Today I’m drinking a healthy and refreshing take on a chai latte – the spices and almond milk are toasty and sweet and the addition of magical matcha gives you that mellow buzz whilst helping to boost your metabolism, lower cholesterol and detox the body. The ginger will also boost your immunity and, along with the cinnamon, lower your blood sugar level – bonus!

Enlivening, delicious and oh so good for you, it’s basically India-meets-Japan in a glass. Try it for yourself – fusion never tasted so good…

BOOST! iced matcha chai latte

Ingredients:

Makes one glass

1 teaspoon EatCleanTea Matcha & Ginger powder*
3 tablespoons hot water (not boiling)
1 cup (about 240ml) unsweetened almond milk (I use Alpro)
good pinch cinnamon
small pinch ground cloves
small pinch ground cardamom
few grinds black pepper (trust me…)
agave syrup, to taste (optional)
ice (if it’s summer!!)

*An alternative brand of good-quality matcha will obviously work too! If substituting, just add a pinch of ground ginger into the milk with the other spices.

Method:

Whisk the matcha and water together in a glass and froth up as much as you can!

On a medium heat, warm the almond milk together with the chai spices for about 10 minutes. Tip: the longer you let the spices infuse the milk, the tastier it will be.

Pop some ice cubes into your matcha glass and strain the milk onto your matcha. I like it straight up but you can sweeten to taste here with some agave syrup if you like.

Enjoy immediately or will keep refrigerated for a day or two. Tip: why not prepare the night before and keep in the fridge for those early morning starts?