I love coffee, but I am not a habitual coffee drinker. I save my coffee intake for studying, moving, 12 hour work shifts etc. Because of this I am pretty sensitive to caffeine. One cappuccino and I'll be buzzing the whole day. This can be great for exam cramming sessions, but I also find that sometimes I get jittery. My hands shake, my stomach turns, and I have trouble falling asleep at night. I call it caffeine anxiety and it is a very real thing.

I had heard a bit about matcha and decided to try it out as a coffee alternative. Matcha is like green tea on steroids. It is a powder made from grinding green tea leaves, this type of processing means it is much higher in antioxidants than regular green tea.

I find with matcha you get a sort of mental clarity and calmness that coffee doesn't offer. It's effects are more subtle, good for those with a weak caffeine tolerance like me.

I first tried matcha at my favorite local coffee shop Just Us. Matcha has quite a strong, bitter taste, so it needs a little sweetener, and the barista suggested I try it with their lavender syrup. I was surprised at how well the flavours paired together, and I made a mental note to try and recreate the drink at home. On Saturday while at the Seaport Farmer's market I discovered a vendor that sold locally-produced culinary lavender, and I knew it was fate. If you don't feel like making the syrup, you can substitute 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup, which is still delicious.

Matcha is traditionally made using a special brush made from bamboo, but I make it at home using my blender with good results.

I am lucky enough to have access to a cappucino machine with a milk frother at home, but I have found some tricks to make milk foam at home without one. After some experimentation, I found the easiest and quickest way to make matcha was to simply combine hot milk, boiling water, and matcha in a blender and let it run for a minute or so. This ensures there are no clumps of matcha powder in your latte, and makes it nice and frothy. If you like a latte with a good amount of foam on top, then and easy trick is to place the milk in a jar and shake it for a minute or two until it is frothy, then heat it in the microwave. Alternatively you could heat it over the stove until it begins to bubble to replicate steamed milk. Lots of options!

This is also great over ice making it a winner for all seasons.

Lavender Matcha Latte

serves 1

For the Matcha Latte:

1 1/2 tsp matcha powder

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup of milk of choice

1 tbsp lavender syrup

For the Lavender Syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1.5 tbsp culinary lavender buds

To Make the Lavender Syrup:

1. Place the sugar, water, and lavender in a small pot over medium heat. Cook until all of the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

2. Place the syrup in a jar and store in the refrigerator. Wait at least 1 day before straining off the lavender and using the syrup. Return to the fridge to store. The syrup will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

To Make the Matcha Latte:

1. Boil the water and place milk of choice in a microwave-safe cup and microwave for 2 minutes. Place the boiled water, heated milk, and matcha in a blender along with the lavender syrup, and blend for about 1- 1 1/2 minutes until matcha powder is dissolved and the mixture is frothy.

2. Pour into a mug and enjoy while hot.