Sometimes you have no idea that certain delicious drink exists, and that is why you are free from craving it. Then one day, a well-meaning friend of yours suggests that you try Green Tea Frappuccino at Starbucks around the corner… The day you try Green Tea Frappuccino, also sometimes referred to as Green Tea Powder Smoothie or Matcha Smoothie, you are not going to be the same person anymore. You are going to crave this drink, because it is overwhelmingly delicious and extremely good for you. Well, let me stop right here. Matcha Tea is good for you if it is not overloaded with tons of sugar, syrup and whipped cream.  Matcha tea is prepared from Matcha powder (or Green Tea Powder), which is high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Because you basically drinking the tea made from green tea powder, you are consuming the whole green tea leaves with all its goodness. You may wonder why you should bother making your own Matcha Smoothie instead of just buying one. Here are the reasons why you may want to make Matcha Smoothie by yourself:

Reason# 1: To ensure that you are drinking the healthiest version of Matcha Smoothie. When you make your own Matcha Smoothie, you are in control. You can use finest Organic Matcha powder produced in Japan. You can make your drink not as sweet as the one you buy. You can choose to use organic milk. You can choose to use vanilla syrup in moderation. You can choose to skip having whipped cream on your drink.

Reason#2: To polish your skill of making Matcha Smoothie. Not only you are able to customize your drink, but you get to experiment, making different variations of Matcha Smoothie until you make it to perfection. Every time you have your drink, you may think “next time I should try using a little bit more of vanilla syrup” or “next time I may try using less ice”. One day you will come up with the perfect combination of all the ingredients and you may rightfully call Matcha Smoothie your signature drink. Your friends and your family will wait with great anticipation when they can try Green Tea Powder Smoothie prepared by you, next time they are visiting.

Reason#3: To save a fortune. Making your own Green Tea Powder Smoothie will help you to save big times. If you buy this drink, you are looking at paying around $5 every time you are in a mood for Matcha Smoothie. If you buy Green Tea Powder you may pay around $15 at once, but the can of Matcha will last you a while, even if you indulge into drinking your newly favorite drink daily. I am not even talking about the benefits of drinking Organic Match Tea on a regular basis. You may also want to invest in a quality bamboo whisk and cup for match preparation.  With the amount of money you will save by making your own drink, it’s worth having your own Match preparation kit at home.

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make that perfect Green Tea Powder Smoothie:

Half of teaspoon of matcha powder;

Two ounces of hot water (turn your kettle off right before water boils);

Four ounces of milk;

Half a cup of ice (the cup that you will use to drink your Matcha Smoothie should be your measurement cup);

Two teaspoons of sugar;

One teaspoon of vanilla syrup.

Pour hot water into a cup to dissolve the matcha powder. Make sure you use special bamboo whisk to stir the mix until the powder dissolves. Add sugar, and after it dissolves add milk. Stir in the vanilla syrup. Transfer the mix into a blender and blend with the ice cubes. You may want to try different variations, and use almond or soy milk instead of cow milk. If, instead of blending the mix with ice, you pour the mix over ice in a glass you will have what is known Iced Green Tea Latte, instead of Matcha Smoothie, or Grean Tea Smoothie.  If you wish you can top your Green Tea Smoothie with whipped cream to make it look even fancier.

Enjoy your drink without feeling guilty for breaking your budget. Moreover, rest assured that you are choosing a far healthier option of Green Tea Smoothie compare to the ones you usually buy.

Hot summer days are fast approaching; it is important to stay hydrated during those days. Besides drinking lots of water, drinking iced tea will do the trick as well. Isn’t it relaxing and fun – to sip some tasty and nourishing iced tea while sitting at your backyard at one of those quiet summer nights? Not only iced tea is tasty and nourishing, but it is also a guilt-free drink. If you choose to make your iced tea without any sugar, you are consuming lots of nutrients without adding extra calories to your diet.

Traditional iced tea is made from green, black or oolong tea. But there are also tons of option to make your cool summer drink with tisanes – blend of flowers, herbs and fruits. Most of the times, tisanes are also referred to as herbal teas. My personal favorite is Fairytale tisane, which is naturally sweet thanks to its floral and slightly spicy taste.

There are some tricks that you need to know though in order to prepare the best iced tea.

“Canadian Living” Magazine shares the important rules of making iced tea:

“Iced tea is a favourite summer sipper and easy to make from scratch. You probably already have everything you need in your cupboards right now to whip up a tasty pitcher of iced tea. All it takes is a few tea bags, water and a bit of sugar and you are on your way. Making iced tea from scratch also lets you control the amount of sugar you use, or you can skip the sugar altogether and just add lemon for a tart, thirst-quenching drink.

1. Use enough tea bags

When foods are served cold, the flavours become dull. A stronger tea – such as Darjeeling, Jasmine or green teas – is necessary to have a well-flavoured tea served cold. Use two tea bags for every 3 cups of water for best results.

2. Don’t oversteep

If you prefer your tea stronger, use more tea bags rather than lengthening the steeping time. Allowing tea to overstep brings out the tannins in the tea and can make it bitter. For weaker tea, reduce the steeping time rather than taking away tea bags for better flavour.

3. Add sugar to hot water

If you sweeten your tea, add the sugar to the hot tea in order to dissolve the grains. If you prefer to sweeten your tea afterwards as per each persons taste, use a simple syrup rather than granulated sugar which will leave sugar grains in your glass.

4. Cool before refrigerating

Putting hot tea into a cold fridge will make your tea cloudy. Allow your tea to cool before you refrigerate.  If you do end up with cloudy tea, try adding a bit of boiling water to it – it will sometimes do the trick!

5. Keep it real

Don’t use artificial lemon juice. Only use real fresh squeezed lemon juice from fresh lemons for the very best flavour.”

For full article on secrets of the best iced tea click here.

Whether you enjoy quite family time or have a huge summer party at your place, make sure you prepare some iced tea to treat your friends and family.

Every person cherishes something particular in a simple act of enjoying a cup of tea. There are several principles which are associated with tea though. These principles originated from Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Wa (harmony) is the important principle of Japanese tea drinking. Social harmony is one of the highly valued principles in Japan. Through tea ceremony harmony is achieved by the host and guests. The participants pay attention to details and work together to make that special cup of tea.

Kei (respect) is a major quality in Confucian philosophy.  Etiquette of tea is crucial in Japanese Tea Ceremony, and it is achieved by following the indirect rules. There is a certain structure in the way the host chooses the tools and prepares tea and in the way the guests enjoy drinking tea.

Sei (purity) is perceived as inner quality of tea. But it is achieved through rituals aimed at external purity; the host and the guests wash their hands and the host cleanses all the tea gears. Sugar is not put in tea deliberately, so the purity of tea is kept.

Jaku (tranquility),  is achieved not just through peaceful state of mind.  In this concept, tranquility means finding the state of calmness through taking a natural path.

At Ekoleaf we appreciate the wisdom and principles associated with tea that has been collected through generations. We also have our own philosophy of tea drinking. Simply put, we believe that tea drinking can enrich our lives and enhance the quality of the present moment. Whether tea is enjoyed in solitude or together with our loved ones, there is much more to the cup of tea than one could describe.  A cup of tea brings you closer to your loved ones, and makes you feel at peace with yourself.