This article originally appeared on https://travelfoodsteps.com and has been reproduced with permission. The article can be found here.
Matcha and Hojicha, have been the “in” thing since about 2014.
But, who else has had this experience? I sometimes find myself ordering a Matcha latte in a random café or coffee chain, only to take a first sip and realise that something is off, or this is not the taste that I am looking for. The self-proclaimed “Matcha latte” either tastes like sugar overload or simply just milk with an artificial tinge of Matcha essence.
Think my worst experience is when I had to add water to a “Matcha latte” because it was cloyingly sweet to drink on its own. Pretty sure these options don’t give me the health benefits that real Matcha is supposed to offer! Real Matcha/Hojicha is really hard to find and this is why over time I don’t “anyhow” order a Matcha drink just because it’s in a menu, sad but true!
In fact, with so many coffee chains and cafes claiming to make Matcha-related drinks nowadays, do we actually have an idea what real Matcha or Hojicha tastes like?
One day, I had a friend who posted Craft Tea Fox’s bottled latte on his IG story and captioned “best latte ever” or something (can’t remember the exact words), and that intrigued me. Is it really that good? How good can bottled lattes taste? Then I saw the source of their ingredients, it says Uji, Japan. Ok, sounds legit, maybe it’s worth a try.
I decided to buy 1 bottle of each flavour and for a lack of a better phrase, my sister and I never looked back. My sister asked me to buy the 6-lattes bundle for her as a gift and since then she has been comparing every matcha latte she drinks to Craft Tea Fox’s. I guess CTF became a benchmark, a very high one at that.
Matcha
The Matcha latte boasts a creamy mouthfeel and slight bitterness.
Do you know that Matcha is the only suspension tea in the world? This means it does not ever fully dissolve. My favourite part is when prior to drinking, I shake the bottle slightly, and I can see it resulting in a creamy yet not overly milky suspension – this action in itself is quite therapeutic!
The milk to Matcha to sugar ratio is also well-balanced. I have a sweet tooth so this drink is really a best of both worlds in combining sweetness and fragrant bitterness. You also know straight away this is not made with cheap Matcha powder.
When I drink it, I have the urge to stand beside my window and look out and appreciate life.
Hojicha
I actually prefer the Hojicha latte as compared to the Matcha because of its sweeter yet earthy flavour. Think some may describe it as a “strong nutty” flavour but most importantly the latte remains light and smooth.
I tried the Matcha latte first before the Hojicha. And when I got to the Hojicha, it gives me the “this is the taste I am looking for” feeling even if I had not tried many other lattes.
You know the feeling when you found the one?
I am no tea expert, but the above is what I felt when drinking their lattes!
Anyway, I am particularly sensitive to caffeine, even drinking bubble tea can keep me up at night. But I personally found that the lattes act as a quick perk-me-up in the day but I can still sleep quite well at night. That’s a sure plus for me! Roasting supposedly reduces the caffeine content of the final brew so maybe those caffeine-sensitive like me can consider drinking the Hojicha instead.
I like how the lattes come in cute glass bottles with classy designs, which keeps my tummy and Instagram well-fed. They are also delivered chilled in Styrofoam boxes, and if you don’t want to keep the bottles you can return them to the courier for recycling. I also like that I can enjoy high quality lattes at the comforts of my home and without paying for service charge in a café. My only grumble is drinking one bottle at one time is not enough.
I got my regular dose of Craft Tea Fox lattes from here – there’s islandwide delivery in Singapore! They also have a subscription bundle that makes it easier and more affordable for you to incorporate it as part of your regular routine too!
This article originally appeared on https://travelfoodsteps.com and has been reproduced with permission. The article can be found here.
