Editor
From earl grey tea cakes to matcha soft serve to Hojicha lattes, tea-infused desserts and coffees have been growing popularity in Malaysia. The balance between the light and flavorful nature of tea and the sweetness of traditional desserts, it’s no wonder the trend is here to stay.
While Malaysian cafes have brought us this medley of flavours, it comes with a long queue and high price tag. Rather than burning a hole in your wallet, why not try making it at the comfort of your own home? Don’t worry, you don’t have to sift through clumpy matcha powder. What I’m talking about is Hankook Tea’s Green Tea Mix and Hojicha Mix. That’s right, you can now easily fix yourself a matcha or Hojicha latte faster than you can say grande green tea frappe!
Background
Hankook Tea is a Korean 70-year-old family run business that focuses primarily on making high-quality teas. Grown and cultivated in Honam Tea Estate, Hankook Tea is dedicated to producing the best quality teas that are organic and free from pesticides. Other than powdered tea, they also produce tea leaves such as green tea, brown rice green tea and also teaware.
So we’ve always heard the buzz about how amazing tea is, but what exactly are its health benefits? For starters, matcha and Hojicha are both green teas, except Hojicha is roasted which is what gives it the deep, nutty flavour at a much lower caffeine dose. Both variants of green tea are packed with antioxidants, particularly catechin, a type of antioxidant that has been proven to fight against cancer-causing radicals, prevent heart disease and stroke. It can even help boost metabolism and detoxify the body naturally.
You might be concerned with what is Hankook Tea’s Green Tea Mix and Hojicha Mix actually made of. Worry not because the Green Tea Mix is made with only two ingredients - powdered green tea and pure cane sugar. It’s also free from additives, colourings, fillers and creamers, so lactose-intolerant folks, feel free to dish out the non-dairy milk!
Instructions
Because of how finely milled and silky the powder is, you can use both hot or cold milk to make a perfect cup of matcha or Hojicha latte that will not turn clumpy. Here’s how you can easily brew yourself a cuppa.
Green Tea Mix
To make a cup of hot green tea latte:
- Mix 1 sachet of powdered Green Tea Mix into 150-250ml of hot milk.
- Stir well and enjoy.
*Feel free to adjust the amount of milk for your preferred taste.
To make a cup of cold green tea latte:
- Mix a sachet of powdered Green Tea Mix into 150-250ml of cold milk.
- Stir well and enjoy.
*Feel free to adjust the amount of milk for your preferred taste.
Hojicha Mix
To make a cup of hot Hojicha latte:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of Hojicha Mix into 150-250ml of hot milk.
- Stir well and enjoy.
*Feel free to adjust the amount of milk for your preferred taste.
To make a cup of cold Hojicha latte:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of Hojicha Mix into 150-250ml of cold milk.
- Stir well and enjoy.
*Feel free to adjust the amount of milk for your preferred taste.
Here's What I Thought
Green Tea Mix
If you can’t stand the bitterness of matcha, this is the drink for you. The sweet matcha mixed with creamy milk is definitely a great alternative to traditional coffee. Whether it’s hot or cold milk, what you get is a velvety and comforting drink that not only gives you a caffeine fix, but also the amazing benefits of matcha.
Hojicha Mix
The Hojicha Mix is my absolute favourite of the two. It has a deep, roasted flavour that brings your latte to a new level. When the Hojicha powder hits the warm milk, the fragrant aroma takes over the room. Even with the creaminess of the milk, the roasted tea flavour still lingers to give you a bittersweet note.
Final Verdict
Convenient, fast, versatile and tasty, the Green Tea Mix and Hojicha Mix (available in Kmall soon) are surely gems that shouldn’t be hidden. You don’t have to break the bank every single time you crave for matcha or Hojicha.
Personally, my favourite combination is the Green Tea Mix with warm soy milk. The deep, bittersweet flavour of matcha marrying the nutty taste of soy milk definitely sparks up a celebration in my tastebuds.
The best part? I’m not restricted to just regular milk, the possibilities are endless!
