Black Sesame Matcha
A creamy blend of toasted black sesame and matcha. This Black Sesame Matcha by Ismat Awan is cooling and refreshing but equally as comforting - a beverage that suits all seasons, and especially this transitioning weather.
It's nutty, velvety and visually striking - offering maximum depth with minimal ingredients. This recipe serves 1, but can easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled and more. Make it this long weekend.
Recipe & Imagery by Ismat Awan
Here's what you'll need:
Ingredients:
Sesame cold foam
- 1 tsp sweetened black sesame paste (store-bought or homemade)
- 3 tbsp (45ml) pure cream
The Base
-
80ml full cream milk (or your preferred dairy alternative), iced
The Matcha
- 1 tsp Slow Article ceremonial grade matcha, sifted
- 30ml (2 tbsp) hot water (approx. 80°C - just off the boil)
Method:
1. Prepare the sesame cold foam: in a small bowl, combine the sweetened black sesame paste and pure cream. Whisk until you reach soft peaks. Do this using a small whisk or handheld frother. The cream should be thick enough to hold its shape. Tip: Do not over-whisk; you want a dollop texture, not butter. The cream will naturally have texture due to the sesame.
2. Whisk the matcha: place the sifted Slow Article matcha into a small bowl or chawan. Pour in the water. Using a bamboo whisk (or a handheld frother), whisk in a rapid zig-zag motion until the tea is frothy, silky, and free of clumps. Set aside.
3. Assemble the layers; fill a 250ml glass with ice and pour in the 80ml of milk.
4. Slowly pour the whisked matcha over the iced milk. Finally, gently dollop the black sesame cream over the top. The dark sesame flecks will marble through the vibrant green matcha for a stunning visual effect.
5. Enjoy intentionally; the Slow Article way.
*Notes:
I made my own sesame paste, following the linked recipe above. I amended the yield for my needs:
½ cup toasted black sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp honey
I pulsed all of the above in a 2-cup food processor for about 10 minutes. This process takes a while but is worth it. You can also use a pestle and mortar or a NutriBullet, as it's a small amount. I didn't end up with a loose paste; it was a dry paste, but still worked beautifully in the drink. You can add a bit of hot water if you would like this to be runnier, but I quite enjoyed having the flecks of the black sesame throughout the drink.
You can dial the sweetness up or down as much as you prefer. Serve this cold or hot; for hot, steam the milk instead of using ice.
