Green tea ice cream is a Japanese ice cream flavor made from certain type of finely milled green tea powder called matcha. It is extremely famous in Japan and further parts of East Asia. Almost all ice cream distributors market a version of it based on the specific green tea powder from which it is crafted. It is unique and refreshing change from regular flavors. It was primarily found in Japanese cafeterias and market, but is presently moving into mainstream availability in the United States. They are fairly easy to make and can also be made at home.
The green tea ice cream is served in various ways. Sometimes it is served in a cup or bowl, parallel to the way it is done in the western parts, but they also serve this delicacy in between monaka. Monaka is a famous Japanese sweet made of adzuki jam stuffing sandwiched between two thin crunchy biscuits or wafers made from mocha (Japanese rice cake).
How to make green tea ice cream at home?
Other than Japan, it is not commercially available to most people. Due to this reason, many people simply make their own. Until they are widely available in local markets, one can find a creative method to make it themselves. One can prepare it from scratch with minimum of concern. It is easy and delicious. Remember, the two recipes given below are not the only methods to prepare this snack. There are various methods to prepare it.
Easy way:
An easiest way to do this is combine vanilla ice cream with green tea powder. Well, it is not a true or natural green tea ice cream but serves as a simple solution to those who are unaware of more traditional recipes. This method is definitely a keeper and can whip up more to experiment with other flavors.
More traditional recipe:
Those who can afford bit more time and patience, here is a traditional method to prepare it.
The ingredients required are: 1 1/4 cup milk (preferably chilled), whipping cream, sugar (preferably brown sugar), matcha powder or green tea powder and lastly an ice cream maker.
Note: Eggs are optional but most recipes for this desert don’t require eggs.
Lets get started. Prepare a bowl with mixture of ice and water and make sure that the mixture is as cold as possible without having it entirely frozen. Now, pour your whipping cream to another bowl. Keep this bowl inside the first bowl filled with mixture of ice and water. Using an electric mixer whip your cream until it is thick.
Now, take some matcha powder and brown sugar and mix in one cup of milk (Make sure that before whisking the milk is evaporated and then well chilled. Also it recommended to use less condensed milk, that is about one third cup less than what is being used here in this procedure as it’s bit too sweet). Mix these three ingredients well and pour this mixture into whipping cream. Then, blend the entire content properly. Make sure, while mixing this mixture your whipping cream shouldn’t dissolve and should stay foamy.
Pour the mixture slowly into an ice cream maker (it should be turned on). Usually it takes about 20 minutes for the entire content to solidify. Once done, just take and treat yourself to an extremely delicious green tea ice cream.
Note: Those who don’t own an ice cream maker can still make it. Just freeze the final mixture of whipping cream and milk (along with green tea powder and brown sugar).
In order to decrease the fat and calorie content from this desert one can make use of non-fat milk or soya milk which are low on both calorie and fat. One can also add ingredients such as pistachio nuts to make it more creative and also to increase the nutritional value. Even if you are a weight watcher, you can afford a cup of green tea ice cream.
Remember, green tea powder or matcha is the prime ingredient of this ice cream. It has the highest autoxidizing characteristics that help in increasing one’s metabolism. Even a health or weight watcher can afford to have a cup of healthy ice cream such as this one. All that said, it doesn’t mean one can have huge servings because regardless of prime ingredients, it is still an ice cream made from sugar (or sugar syrup in few cases) and whipping cream.