Moringa Green Tea Latte for National Tea Day

Moringa leaf powder and green tea are both green, but they are green in different ways. Moringa is vegetal and faintly peppery, with a mineral edge. Green tea is more floral, with a clean astringency from its catechins. Together they fill in each other's gaps, and warm milk rounds off the tannic edge that puts some people off green tea entirely.

Worth being clear about what's in the cup: this drink is caffeinated, because green tea is. A cup of green tea typically carries somewhere between 25 and 45 mg of caffeine — roughly a third of a cup of coffee. Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that has been studied for its influence on how that caffeine is experienced. Moringa itself contributes no caffeine at all; the leaf is naturally caffeine-free.

Serves 1 · 5 minutes

• 1 teaspoon Miracle Tree Moringa Powder
• 1 green tea bag — or one of our green tea moringa leaf tea bags, which blend both leaves already
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or any milk you like
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
• A pinch of ground cinnamon or cardamom, optional

1. Heat the water to about 175°F (80°C), not boiling. This is the single step that decides whether the latte is good. Boiling water strips bitter catechins and tannins out of green tea within seconds. If you don't have a thermometer, boil the kettle and let it stand uncovered for two to three minutes.
2. Steep the green tea bag for 2–3 minutes. Longer is not stronger, it is just more bitter — with green tea, over-steeping does more damage than under-steeping.
3. Meanwhile, warm the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it steams. Don't let it boil.
4. Put the moringa powder in a mug with a tablespoon of the hot milk and whisk it into a smooth paste before adding the rest. Skipping this is why moringa lattes so often come out speckled.
5. Whisk in the remaining hot milk, then pour in the steeped tea and whisk again until it's uniform and slightly foamy. A handheld milk frother makes short work of this.
6. Taste, then add honey or maple syrup if you want it. Dust with cinnamon or cardamom and drink while hot.

Iced version: steep the tea at double strength, cool it, then shake with cold milk, the moringa paste and ice in a jar.

Green tea's catechins — particularly EGCG — and moringa's polyphenols, including quercetin and chlorogenic acid, are both well documented as antioxidants in laboratory studies. Moringa leaf also contributes calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and beta-carotene, and the milk adds protein and calcium of its own.

What we won't claim is that any of this does something dramatic. It's a nutrient-dense, low-sugar hot drink with a modest amount of caffeine, and on an April afternoon that is quite enough to ask of it.

• Most of our blends are caffeine-free. Green Tea and Earl Grey are the two exceptions in the Miracle Tree range. If you want this latte without caffeine, use a caffeine-free herbal moringa blend and add a little extra moringa powder for depth.
• Don't boil the moringa either. The same principle as the tea: high heat dulls both the color and the flavor. Whisk it into hot milk, not simmering milk.

Happy National Tea Day.

Sources

• A 2016 review of black tea polyphenols in Molecules

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition.