Everyone knows Seattle is the coffee town. I like coffee, but I cannot forget about tea.
In the first weekend of October, I visited the Northwest Tea Festival 2016 in the Seattle Center. My everyday drink is more tea than coffee, so it was good surprise to find out how many artisan tea makers and importers are here in Seattle area. I learned a lot about tea, especially the green tea lecture was quite interesting, by one of the vendors, Sugimoto America— the Japanese Green Tea Maker since 1946.
I enjoy a variety of tea every day. My regular tea is Japanese green tea, called Sencha. In Japan, my parents have a few favorite tea makers and we regularly order tea leaves from them. Sometimes my mom mails those tea to me in Seattle.
Speaking of green tea, I also love tea flavored desserts, especially the green tea ice cream. I usually buy a pint of ice cream in a local ice cream maker, but for the green tea ice cream, I like making my own. I want my green tea ice cream to be rich creamy and strong green tea flavored, such as the one I had been eating in my childhood.
In my neighborhood, there used to be the pink ice cream truck coming once a week. I was so excited when I heard the music from the ice cream truck! I asked my mom small change and dashed for an ice cream. Unfortunately, they stopped making ice cream when I was about the upper grade of elementary school, but they had the BEST green tea ice cream.
By the way, my neighborhood used to have many trucks coming: ice cream, tofu, bakery, stone-roasted sweet potatoes, mini library, the kerosene for a heater, and more. My neighborhood is in rural area and it didn’t have many big stores, so those trucks were useful, especially for elderly people. For the tofu truck, it is not the “food truck” you may imagine, they are not selling a packed lunch or sandwich for to go. I took a bowl from the kitchen. The tofu truck owner picked tofu from their tofu tank and put it in a bowl. I brought back a tofu carefully not to drop. My mom made a dinner with that tofu I bought. This was small house chore which kids can do. But not anymore. We have many grocery stores now. It is convenient, but feel a little sad to loose this style of shopping.
To have strong green tea flavor into ice cream, I use both Matcha (green tea powder) and Sencha (basic kind of Japanese green tea leaves). Matcha has the mild sweetness and deep green color. Sencha has mild bitterness and umami in flavor. I want both in my ice cream, so I steep sencha first in the milk and add matcha lator.
Matcha is translated into “powdered green tea” in English. However, if you take Japanese green tea leaves and mill into powder, that is not matcha, that is actually “the green tea powder”. Match and Japanese green tea (Sencha) are from the same tea tree, but the way of growing is different. For the Sencha, tea leaves are grown under sunlight. For the matcha, tea leaves get shading and grow under indirect sunshine, that way tea leaves gets tender and sweeter than regular sencha, then ground in a millstone in the end. It takes lots time and effort, that’s why matcha is usually expensive. The green tea powder is like the instant coffee powder, so please don’t confuse matcha and the green tea powder. Matcha is originally for Japanese tea ceremony.
One more thing about green tea, Japanese green tea and Chinese green tea are different. Japanese green tea leaves are steamed before drying, but Chinese green tea are pan fried before drying, so taste different. I enjoy more aroma in Chinese tea and I enjoy more strong umami flavor in Japanese tea. For the ice cream, please use Japanese green tea leaves.
First, heat the whole milk, condensed milk, Japanese green tea leaves, and a pinch of salt in a pot. Once it comes to boil, turn off the heat and cover. Steep for 10 minutes.
The sweetened condensed milk is the key ingredient for my ice cream. The condensed milk can add a rich creamy feel. I tried different ratio of sugar and condensed milk to recreate memorable green tea ice cream. I think 6 oz condensed milk and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar is perfect.
Meanwhile, dissolve matcha with 2 tablespoons of water.
After steeping, strain the milk mixture in a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Discard the tea leaves. Add dissolved matcha in the bowl and whisk well. Strain again into a pot and turn on the heat over medium heat.
In a new bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow color. Slowly pour the half of heated milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper egg yolks.
Return the tempered egg and milk mixture back into the pot. Cook it over medium low heat while stirring constantly to avoid curdling until the custard coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and strain it in a new bowl with a fine mesh sieve.
Whisk in heavy cream. Refrigerate to chill completely.
Churn the ice cream base according to the instruction of an ice cream maker.
Transfer the ice cream in an air tight container, and cover it with a plastic wrap. Freeze it until the ice cream becomes firm.
My recent favorite way of eating green tea ice cream is affogato style. Pouring the hot matcha over green tea ice cream. Making the hot match is easy, just whisk matcha and hot water until frothy. I used the traditional matcha whisk, called “chasen”, but you can use a regular whisk and bowl.
- 1.25 cups whole milk
- 6 oz sweetened condensed milik
- 1 tablespoon Japanese green tea (Sencha)
- a pinch salt
- 1.5 tablespoons matcha (green tea powder)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 ea egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1.25 cups heavy cream
- Heat the whole milk, condensed milk, Japanese green tea leaves, and a pinch of salt in a pot. Once it comes to boil, turn off the heat and cover. Steep for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dissolve matcha with 2 tablespoons of water.
- After steeping, strain the milk mixture in a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Discard the tea leaves. Add dissolved matcha in the bowl and whisk well. Strain again into a pot and turn on the heat over medium heat.
- In a new bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow color. Slowly pour the half of heated milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper egg yolks. Return the tempered egg and milk mixture back into the pot.
- Cook it over medium low heat while stirring constantly to avoid curdling until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain it in a new bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Whisk in heavy cream. Refrigerate to chill completely.
- Churn the ice cream base according to the instruction of an ice cream maker.
- Transfer the ice cream in an air tight container, and cover it with a plastic wrap. Freeze it until the ice cream becomes firm.
- Heat it over medium low heat while stirring constantly to avoid curdling. When the custard coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and strain it in a new bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Whisk in heavy cream. Chill it in a refrigerator completely.
- Churn the ice cream base according to the ice cream maker.
- Place the ice cream in an air tight container, and cover it with a plastic wrap. Freeze it.
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 4-6 scoops, green tea ice cream (recipe above or store-bought)
- In a bowl, put matcha powder.
- Pour 1/3 cup of hot water and whisk vigorously until frothy.
- Scoop the green tea ice cream in a bowl and pour the matcha over ice cream.
Matcha Powder says
Till now I know only about Matcha green tea and never thought that matcha powder can be a part of such delicious deserts. Thanks for sharing such great recipes, I am going to love it.
Misa O'Donnell says
I am so glad to hear that! Matcha green tea ice cream is the BEST dessert♡