Microground Tea: Explained
Our Microground Teas are the newest innovation to the Sloane Tea collection. While we do call them Microground Tea, they differ greatly from orthodox tea (loose leaf tea). Tea as we know it is defined as a beverage made by steeping the dried or processed leaves of the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, in water for a period of time. In steeping the leaves, we are creating an infusion which is in essence a liquid extract of the leaves. Whereas, with our Microground Teas, the result is not simply an infusion of the ingredients. Due to the nature of its powdered form, you are actually consuming all of the raw ingredients from the tea leaves themselves, as well as all additional ingredients like spices or botanicals.
So while a steeped cup of Heavenly Cream loose leaf tea and a Heavenly Cream Microground Tea latte technically contain all of the same ingredients, the method by which you are enjoying the ingredients is different. Much like with matcha, while it is made from green tea, it is a powdered form of the green tea and not just an infusion. This is precisely why matcha tastes very different from green tea. They have similar profiles as they are derived from the same plant and contain the same ingredients. However, they are not only processed differently, but they are also prepared and consumed differently.
The addition of milk to our Microground Teas also impacts the flavour profile. With a regular cup of Heavenly Cream loose leaf, you are steeping for 5-6 minutes in 100°C water and consuming the resulting infusion. With a Heavenly Cream Microground Tea latte, we are mixing essentially a more pure and concentrated version of the Heavenly Cream loose leaf tea we are used to, with 12 oz of milk or non-dairy alternative. Since the main component of a tea latte is in fact milk or non-dairy alternatives, which have a high fat content, we require something richer, bolder, and more concentrated to cut through the fat content and still have flavour. Similarly to when making a coffee-based latte, we use espresso rather than regular brewed coffee as we need something stronger to cut through the milk and still provide the flavour notes that you get when drinking straight coffee.
The higher the fat content in cow’s milk, the creamier and naturally sweeter your tea latte will be as well. If you choose to go with an alternative milk like oat or almond, these will add a subtle nutty flavour to your tea latte.
Why Choose Microground Tea?
Our Microground Teas are an innovation we created first and foremost to simplify the tea latte process. It allows for an effortless preparation process and produces a beverage that isn’t muddled with sugar/sweetener or anything artificial.
The traditional way of making a tea latte consists of making a tea concentrate out of orthodox tea and then adding steamed milk. With our Microground tea, we skip the tea concentrate step and add the Microground tea directly to steamed milk. It is a literal one step process: add 1 teaspoon of micros to milk and steam.
A delicious tea latte can be achieved with orthodox tea or Microground Tea. Microground Tea simply makes the process quicker and effortless. You don’t have to worry about over-steeping the tea or portioning differently for a concentrate versus a regular cup of tea.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Microground Tea
There are a few tips and tricks for executing the perfect tea latte, beyond just adding the Microground Tea to milk and steaming:
- For a naturally sweeter tea latte, we recommend using milk with a higher fat percentage.
- If you’re experiencing trouble with the powder not dissolving quickly, simply add 2 ounces of boiling water and whisk until combined (like matcha) before adding to your milk or non-dairy alternative.
- If you want to go the extra step and truly get as close to a latte from your favourite cafe as possible, play around with simple syrups! A vanilla simple syrup for example, will help take your Heavenly Cream London Fog to the next level. Use equal parts water and sugar and heat until combined. You can then add any additional flavour you desire!