Caramel Popcorn Matcha

Another tea from my Momo box. My whole family loved this! In the words of my grandmother: “This is better than coffee!” lol! I ended up making six almond milk lattes with this matcha because everyone in the family liked the smell of it. I’m glad they enjoyed it because there was something about it that I didn’t like.

The matcha was darker and you could tell it was finer than the matcha I had from Joy’s Teaspoon this morning. At first it didn’t seem to dissolve better than the Izu Matcha (and I had even strained it to make sure there would be no clumps), but then it just seemed to melt into the hot water when I started whisking. Very nice!

The matcha definitely smells of caramel, but there is a popcorn scent too. It reminded me of popcorn jellybeans, which I liked for a little while as a child but now I can’t stand one bit. That’s probably what turned me off of it. The taste was exactly like the smell. I really think I could have enjoyed this if it was just a caramel matcha, but the popcorn jellybean taste really was a miss for me. The smoothness of the powder itself when whisked into the drink however make me sure that I would like to try some other Redleaf matchas in the future, so I’m glad I got to taste it!

I got my first ever Red Leaf order (and hence first flavored matcha) today! It’s funny it’s taken me so long—they were a wishlist company as soon as I joined Steepster, and I’ve knocked out just about every interesting company I’ve encountered in the year since (with a few exceptions, but the others far more recently discovered such as Todd and Holland, Tea Hawaii, The O Dor, Naivetea, Shang, Silk Road, Red Blossom, and Yunnan Sourcing). I think I was a little afraid of matcha, and my early unflavored forays with a few different companies’ promotions while not the worst thing ever didn’t really appeal to me (too bitter without a lot of sweetener, which to my mind defeats the purpose, and also made me WAY JITTERY). But I’d like a new morning ritual to make getting out of bed less crappy once the weather warms up (strong breakfast blends have been my savior this winter), and it can’t always be gyokuro. I was a little worried I’d find flavored matcha too chemical seeming or even strong, kind of similar to the way 52teas is often so hit or miss for me. And while this certainly isn’t traditional or whatever, it’s quite good! It feels more like a snack in a cup than tea as I’m used to it. The smell is definitely sweet caramely buttered popcorn, complete with the roasty sweet corn element. It was a delicious afternoon snack (I couldn’t wait ‘til tomorrow, whee). And I don’t feel any harsh green burn in my mouth afterward, and so far so good in terms of feeling energized but not jittery. (I have a feeling I’m only ever going to consume matcha with milk, to keep the jitters down…bonus, it gets me to drink milk, which I need to be doing a lot more than I have been lately.)

My method:

In my white 16oz wide round mug (I prefer these as matcha bowls because they show off the color and are the right size and shape for foam or whatever, plus there’s a handle):

1/2 teaspoon matcha, sifted (I’m going slow with amounts in hopes of minimizing ultimate measures to save money and prevent jitteriness!)
2 oz hot water (~180F, just because that’s what was on hand in my set water heater at the time)

whisked with a cute little bamboo chasen (glad I’m finally using it…it was a promo thing the first go-round when unflavored matcha didn’t really take) until nice n’ bubbly.

Meanwhile, 1 cup of milk heated around 1 minute in the microwave. When I’m done whisking the matcha with water and the milk’s finished heating, I pour most of the milk in the mug but reserve a little and use my wand frother to foam it up and top the mug off.

Delicious! I ordered all Basic, Robust and was a little nervous the flavor’d be too strong at that level but so far so good as a subtaster, hee. I did the “buy 3, get 1 free” deal on Red Leaf’s site but one of my matchas was missing, hope that gets sorted quickly. Otherwise though, I think I’m going to enjoy this flavored matcha venture this spring (I’m also curious about making cold protein shakes with it post-weightlifting)! Yay. They even threw in a free sample of the eggnog one, which is pretty awesome as I was eyeing it anyway.

Now I’m curious how many 1/2 teaspoon servings are in the 30g packets. Hm…

My first encounter with this matcha was amazing! I opened up the pouch, preparing it for the tin that will keep in the yummy goodness. The small size fits perfect in the tin with a little wiggle room…enough to be able to get the measuring spoon in.
I was immediately brought back to my younger days when I attended the carnival. It smelled that good! I had intended to prepare this hot, but after the delicious smell, I decided to make as a latte instead. I frothed up a nice 10oz glass of milk (cold) with 1 tsp of matcha. Let me just say, it was hard not to immediately make another one!
I did purchase this blended as white matcha as I was looking for the caramel flavor to shine through more than an earthy flavor. The taste was just as it smelled…creamy caramel with a hint of popcorn flavor. I purchased the delicate level and it had plenty of flavor so I don’t think I’d need to go higher on this one. I also did not need to add any sugar to increase the flavor or sweetness.
My plan for the rest of Caramel Popcorn is to mix it as a latte. I don’t think I’ll be sharing this one, but keeping it all for myself! Now I just need to order more Cotton Candy flavor and have a few friends over for a Carnival Matcha party!
Here is how I ordered my Caramel Popcorn Matcha from Red Leaf Tea:
Size: Small
Quality: White Matcha
Flavor: Delicate
Storage: Air tight refill flat pouch – would definitely recommend purchasing a tin for your matcha to keep it fresh. I did not order one this time since I already had a tin.
To get your own tasty Caramel Popcorn Matcha from Red Leaf Tea – GO HERE NOW!!!!
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-popcorn-matcha.html
In closing – YUM!!!!

Okay, this matcha comes courtesy of threewhales. Thanks! It is really good. I was pretty apprehensive about a popcorn flavored matcha, but it is perfectly balanced. What a great accompaniment for an evening of movie watching!

ok, this is really good! I think matcha must go stale v fast because it seems much stronger in the foil. thanks cavocorax! :D drinking w/half&half water/milk because I am lazy & it’s easier to make this way. YUM. Smell is pinging my Kernel’s popcorn butter pecan addiction… oh jeez, I wonder if we have a Kernels local….. /o\

My first ever flavored matcha and I am in love.

I got—

Size: Small (30g )

Matcha: Classic

Flavoring: Distinctive

My first task was getting the powder into the tin, no easy task and I’m very glad I put a sheet of newspaper down first. Once that was accomplished I put some water on to heat to 175 and about 6oz of coconut milk(my preferred latte base) in the microwave. I used my electric frother to mix the matcha into 2oz of hot water then mixed that into the coconut milk.
I took a tentative sniff and wrinkled my nose. It tasted, well simply it tasted like burnt caramel. I was getting nervous but I bravely went on bringing the cup to my mouth.
Then came the moment of truth…
WOW this is good! The flavor is round and true with the sweetness of the carmel. Not a hint of the burnt flavor I was smelling all sweet corn and butter and sweetness. This would make an awesome iced drink I think. Yesterday I went to a cafe that had coffee ice cubes so your iced coffee didn’t get watered down as they melted and I think that would translate well to iced matcha. Of course before i go making any iced drinks I suppose I better get some ice trays.
But I digress. This is delicious. I was a bit nervous trying a flavored matcha so I went with what I felt like was the safe rout of making it into a late but I think this would stand up by itself as a good wake up drink.

Find it at http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-popcorn-matcha.html

One of my true weaknesses is opposing flavors. Sweet and sour, spicy and sweet, and of course my love for sweet and salty. The perfect combination of amazing-ness.

When I was planning on putting in my order to Red Leaf Tea, they had caramel popcorn matcha on sale and I figured why not. After opening the package the aroma filled my nose. I was in heaven…All the buttery notes of popcorn caught my attention and were soften with the creamyness of caramel. I thought theres no way it can actually taste the way it smells. I planned to prepare it traditionally and added a couple ounces water with two bamboo spoonfuls of matcha. After whisking for a good minute, a nice frothy foam formed and finally time for the first sip!

The taste was delicate and had the perfect balance of butter and sweet creamy caramel. A bit of the matcha flavor came through, but I barely detected any bitterness or vegetal flavor. Now that I knew what it tasted untainted, it was time to turn it into my favorite style, tea latte. I warmed up some vanilla soy milk and just a touch of agave. I normally sweeten my teas with Truvia, but I figured the agave flavor would add more emphasis to the caramel.

At this point is where this matcha truly shined. The touch of milk and sugar brought out the flavors even more. It was like a warm cup of salty, creamy, buttery, caramely goodness. I also equally enjoy this matcha as an iced latte. When I’m in a hurry before muay thai or jiu jitsu practice, I throw everything in my magic bullet and voila! tons of foam and a latte under a minute. This is the perfect alternative to any energy drink and it’s became my favorite ritual of the day before practice.

I definitely recommend this flavor to anyone who loves sweet and salty or loves caramel. You can purchase this match from:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-popcorn-matcha.html

My favorite green tea iteration when in Canada.

GCTTB

I had pulled this one from the GCTTB because I had purchased a DT’s matcha shaker and had wanted to give it a whirl. It’s been months now that the matcha shaker has sat unused and unopened. Until this moment. The shaker works really really well, btw, and it is totally a simple thing, so I would recommend it to anyone who was looking for such.

This matcha, as others have noted, is lovely. It has a sweet buttery caramel flavour and a bitter note. I may have added a touch more leaf than necessary which has contributed an unwelcome artificial flavour. Also, I am drinking this straight up. I am sure that milk or cream would be a welcome addition and would smooth out the bitterness.

Thank you, VariaTEA, for adding this to the box.

Flavours of popcorn, sweet and buttery caramel, with a definite matcha taste. I made this as a soy latte and it was pretty fantastic.