The superior MCU: Matcha, Chai, and Ube

Writing and Photos by Maya Campbell

Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea powder made of finely crushed green tea leaves. It has antioxidant properties and is widely thought to improve health, as well as having a significant amount of caffeine in it. The latter component is one reason why many people have been employing a matcha latte as their daily pick-me-up instead of a classic coffee. Matcha’s antioxidant properties come from consuming the whole green tea leaf instead of simply steeping them in hot water and discarding them after.

Fun Fact: According to TheZenSite and the Chanoyu Quarterly, the earliest forms of matcha were actually invented in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and were eventually brought over to Japan by Buddhist priests. Soon after, the powder became a central part of Japanese culture, being used in rituals, dyeing, and simple consumption.

Masala chai, a blend of spices, black tea, sugar, and milk is an Indian beverage with wide popularity in Southeast Asia. Although the tea itself originated in India, the additions of milk, spices, and sugar were introduced during British colonization. The spices in question are normally a blend of cloves, cardamom, ginger, and black peppercorns, but some blends of chai also include nutmeg or cinnamon. The specific sweetener used in chai also varies, with some using raw sugar, honey, agave, or other means of sweetening the beverage. Like matcha, chai has been used by some as a coffee substitute due to its caffeine. Some have taken it a step further pulling shots of espresso overtop the chai, which constitutes a ‘dirty chai.’ Although this combination is certainly not traditional, it is wdelicious. A traditional cup of chai is served simple with heated milk, sugar, and spices. Conversely, the more well-known in the west chai lattes have steamed milk or iced milk along with the tea blend.

Perhaps the least mainstream of the three drinks, the ube latte is a Filipinoadjacent beverage consisting of steamed or cold milk, sweetened condensed milk, ube halaya, and espresso (if desired). The drink itself is not traditional to Philippine cuisine, but ube halaya, a main component of the drink, certainly is. Ube halaya is a mixture of boiled purple yam (ube), sweetened condensed milk or sugar, and butter cooked until thickened and combined. Traditionally, it is used to fill pastries, flavor desserts, or just to eat by itself. The ube latte incorporates halaya in the milk portion of the drink, and the results are a picture-perfect purple drink. The flavor of ube can be described as vanilla-like and nutty, but less earthy than other sweet potato varieties. Fun Fact: A common misconception about ube is that it is the same thing as taro. While they are similar in taste and geographic origin, taro is actually primarily used in savory cooking, unlike ube being used almost exclusively in desserts. Additionally, taro is more white in color in place of the distinct purple color that ube is known for.