What’s in Coconut Matcha Pre-Mix?

Coconut matcha pre-mix is a matcha tea with natural coconut flavouring and cane sugar. In fact, it contains a lot of sugar – 75% of this pre-mix is cane sugar, and 25% is organic Japanese matcha. That is perhaps one of the highest amounts of sugar in a pre-made matcha mix on the western market. This means, if you are using one teaspoon of mix per cup of water, you’ll be drinking 3 grams of sugar. Which is actually not that much at all – that is, if you like sweet drinks. For comparison, 1 packet of sugar or 1 sugar cube contain 4 grams of sugar each.

This blend contains caffeine too. However, the caffeine content of 1 teaspoon of this blend will b lower than a caffeine content of 1 teaspoon of pure matcha powder. Therefore, it may be a good choice if you want to reduce the caffeine intake.

Coconut matcha pre-mix smells super nice. There are a lot of green matcha notes coming through an intense creamy coconut scent and it smells very sweet. So, what’s good about pre-mix blends? They differ slightly from regular matcha powder, as you can use them straight from the pouch, with no need for sifting or extensive whisking. Plus, they usually already contain a sweetener.

How to make this tea?

The best way to make this tea is using hot water to dissolve it, then topping it up with cold water and serving with ice. This, however, doesn’t mean you can’t drink it hot. But when made with hot water, it will be a VERY sweet drink. For some tea drinkers, this may be just too much sweetness.  

This matcha is not suitable for whisking because of a high sugar content, so it’s better to use an electric frother instead or simply shake it in a water bottle.

To make a cup of coconut matcha, use ½-1 teaspoon of powder and mix it with hot water at 80 degrees Celsius. To make matcha milk tea, use ½-1 teaspoon of tea powder, add 50-70 ml water and top up with cold milk or steamed and frothed milk.

We tried both and the best way is by far to drink it with milk:

• with frothed and steamed milk served as hot latte or plus ice as iced latte
• topped with cold milk and served with ice as iced matcha milk tea

Milk will reduce sweetness significantly, and it will feel like a completely different tea, leaving only coconut and matcha to dominate the blend.

It’s one of those teas you need to treat as a dessert, especially if you are using 2 rather than 1 teaspoon of pre-mix. Because the sugar content is so high, it may not be a suitable replacement for a pure matcha powder, especially if you love the pure unsweetened flavour of matcha.

Who may like this tea? If you prefer very sweet drinks, this is a tea for you. However, it’s not suitable for tea drinkers that want to drink matcha traditionally. It’s great for making lattes or iced milk teas. As a dessert blend served with milk and/or ice, it tastes delicious. It’s perfect for spring and summer garden tea parties, or even as an after-gym drink.

Coconut Matcha Tea Recap

Water or milk? Water or milk

Day or night? Day

Hot or iced? Hot or cold

Sweetened or pure? Pure as it already contains sugar

Caffeine? Yes

What’s the price? £6.91 on Tealyra website (100 grams pouch)

Where to buy? Get it from Tealyra website

More coconut teas:

The post Coconut Matcha Pre-Mix Tealyra appeared first on All That Tea.

Ingredients for making Black Tea & Coconut Milk Boba

Coconut cream: Coconut cream is much thicker than coconut milk. It’s high in calories (over 200 kcal per 100 grams). It’s rich in fat and usually contains about 2 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein per 100 grams. On the other hand, coconut milk is very low in fat, and if unsweetened, contains the same amount of sugar as coconut cream, but slightly less protein. Barista style coconut milk will often have much more sugar.

Milk: In this recipe, coconut cream is mixed with regular milk to get the best texture. For a vegan friendly drink, use a milk alternative.

Black tea: Choosing good quality black tea leaves is a must if you want to get the best tasting boba tea, especially if you want to keep the layers separated. Both colour and flavour will matter. You can use tea bags too, but loose tea will often have a better flavour will less bitterness and no murkiness.

Boba pearls: Black sugar boba pearls go really well with this black tea and coconut milk boba. Other good flavours are original boba or homemade hojicha boba pearls. For the best flavour and chewiness, cook boba pearls before serving.

Sugar: Neither black tea nor coconut cream are sweet, so you will need to use a sweetener. Add sugar only to coconut cream and milk, not to black tea. 1 teaspoon will be enough for a lightly sweetened tea. You can add 1-2 teaspoons more, depending on how sweet you want it to be.

Can I replace coconut cream with coconut milk?

Yes, you can replace coconut cream with regular coconut milk. There are dozens of coconut milks out there, so choose those with a higher sugar content and better texture. If you are using pure coconut milk, just add 100 ml of milk instead of 50 ml of cream and 50 ml of dairy milk. To keep layers apart, you may need to add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar more – depending on which coconut milk you are using and how sweet you want it to be. However, if you have coconut cream at home, use it. It will give a much nicer texture and flavour. Coconut milk is usually quite watery, often more than other plant-based milks.

Which black tea is the best for making this boba tea?

To make the best tasting coconut milk boba, always use high quality black teas. Pay attention to the flavour profile and choose teas with malty, chocolaty or sweet notes. Alternatively, you can choose vanilla, cream, Irish cream, chocolate or coconut flavoured tea blends. If you are using flavoured blends, don’t add the vanilla extract. We used a standard loose leaf Assam tea with a strong malty flavour.

Steps for making Black Tea & Coconut Milk Boba

Cook boba pearls: Start with cooking boba pearls. Cooking boba pearls will take about 10 minutes, and you can prepare tea and coconut milk while they are cooking.

Make the tea: Bring fresh water to a boil and steep 1 heaped teaspoon of black tea leaves in 120-150 ml of water for 3-5 minutes. Always make tea right before assembling the drink, otherwise it will get murky and potentially bitter. Do not add any sugar to black tea. Strain it after 3-5, add vanilla extract (optional) and set aside.

Mix coconut cream with milk: While the boba pearls are cooking and tea steeping, mix coconut cream and milk in 1:1 ratio and add sugar. Simmer it over low heat while stirring, until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat.

Assemble the drink: To get a pretty layered look, always follow the correct order when assembling the drink. Add coconut milk first, then add tapioca pearls and lots of ice, and then slowly pour prepared black tea over ice cubes.

Can I add sugar to black tea?

Do not add sugar to black tea if you want a perfectly layered drink. Once you mix your layers (if you want to), this boba tea will be sweet enough even if you don’t add additional sugar to black tea. But to truly enjoy the flavour of both layers, do not over brew black tea as it will become bitter. Also, use high quality black tea only, the one you’d typically drink and the one you enjoy.

Do I need to coat boba pearls in honey or simple syrup?

Cooked boba pearls need to be coated in simple syrup or honey or they will stick to each other. If you are using freshly cooked boba pearls, you don’t need to coat them. They won’t stick in a drink. However, if you are using coated boba pearls that you already cooked a day or two before, you may need to reduce the amount of sugar.

Print

Black Tea & Coconut Milk Boba

Super tasty layered coconut milk boba tea

Course Drinks

Keyword Black Tea, Boba Tea, Coconut Tea

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Equipment

• saucepan for cooking boba pearls
• saucepan for heating coconut cream and milk
• Infuser or a teapot for brewing black tea
• Serving glass 300-350 ml

Ingredients

• 50 ml of coconut milk
• 50 ml of water
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 heaped teaspoon of black tea leaves
• 120-150 ml of water
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract optional

Instructions

• Cook tapioca pearls following instructions on the packaging.
• Bring fresh water to a boil and steep 1 heaped teaspoon of black tea leaves in 120 ml of water for 3-5 minutes. Strain or remove the infuser/tea filter. Add vanilla extract (optional).
• Add coconut milk, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, and milk into a small saucepan. Start heating it on low heat until sugar melts. Do not let it boil.
• Pour the coconut milk into a serving glass.
• Add cooked tapioca pearls.
• Add ice.
• Now slowly pour brewed tea into the serving glass, pouring directly over ice.
• Add more ice if needed and serve.

The post Black Tea & Coconut Milk Boba appeared first on All That Tea.

What does it taste like?

Keep reading.

What’s in Chocolate Coconut Cream tea?

Chocolate Coconut Cream tea from Tea and the Gang is a blend of Chinese Bai Mu Dan tea (White Peony), desiccated coconut, apple pieces, rose hips, cocoa nibs and cocoa shells and natural flavouring. Being a white tea, it contains caffeine. It doesn’t contain any sweeteners.  

It smells lovely, creamy, with deep cocoa notes and a light coconut scent in the background. A super important thing to mention is that this is a white tea, and nonetheless, Bai Mu Dan (Pai Mu Tan) tea. White peony will naturally be quite light, in both colour and flavour. It has a creamier and more intense flavour than most silver needle teas, but it will never be as strong as black tea. Because of its depth and strong body, black tea rather than white tea is usually used as a base for chocolate teas. 

Just like other blends from this brand, this tea has large unbroken leaves, and all ingredients are equally pretty. Another delicious tea from Tea and the Gang, Strawberry Champagne is made with white tea too, so if you love strawberry teas, check out the review here.

Chocolate Coconut Cream tea smells lovely, like a box of fine chocolate pralines. The scent is quite intense, but also light and airy.

How to brew this tea?

You know how the first rule of brewing a delicious cup of tea is not to over-steep it? With this tea, you can forget this rule. In fact, when you slightly over-steep it, you will intensify the cocoa flavour. It won’t become bitter either. White tea notes are more pronounced in the flavour than in the scent and blend in with the cocoa and coconut notes really well.

Use 2 teaspoons per cup of water and steep for 5 minutes at 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Fahrenheit).

This tea has a light sweetness and unless you add sweeteners to all your teas, you won’t be needing any. If you do, a pure white or light brown sugar may work the best for this tea.

Chocolate Coconut Cream tea is great for tea drinkers that want to enjoy a light dessert tea without an overpowering flavour. It’s a brilliant choice for tea drinkers that are trying to switch from heavily flavoured teas to pure teas too. Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this tea is that it feels so refined and sophisticated. Flavour is strong but light, without artificial notes. It’s a beautiful tea for afternoon tea parties or as a liquid dessert after a meal. If you brew a stronger cup, you can also serve it with a splash of milk. White teas are not usually served with milk, but many will taste delicious.

Chocolate teas may not be the first choice for making a cold brewed tea, but Chocolate Coconut Cream tea blend taste wonderful when cold steeped too. The flavour is refreshing, and while slightly less intense, it’s still beautifully chocolaty. Learn how to cold brew tea here.

Who would love this tea? If you love chocolate flavours and are looking for beautiful and sophisticated flavours, this tea is for you. It’ also a great me-time tea for slow sipping on a lazy Sunday afternoon and it’s very easy to brew.  

Tea Recap

Water or milk? Water or water and a splash of milk.

Day or night? Day.

Hot or iced? Hot or cold.

Sweetened or Pure? Pure.

Caffeine? Yes

What’s the price? Starting from 3.19 GBP.

Where to buy? Get it from the Tea and the Gang website.

Tea and the Gang teas are available from Amazon.co.uk too.

The post Chocolate Coconut Cream tea – white tea blend for chocoholics appeared first on All That Tea.