Darjeeling Pistachio Latte

This creamy latte has a delicious nutty and pistachio flavor that pairs perfectly with the elegant taste of Darjeeling First Flush black tea. Plus, we make it with only 100% natural ingredients, with no artificial flavors or pre-made syrups.

You've probably seen pistachio lattes increasingly available in coffee shops in major cities. Although they have a pistachio-like flavor, they're often prepared with pistachio syrup or pistachio flavoring. At Replantea, we want to go a step further and teach you how to make a latte with authentic pistachio milk prepared at home.

Pistachio milk

Pistachio milk is harder to come by than other nut milks. Fortunately, making it at home is very easy and requires minimal preparation.

First, soak the shelled, raw pistachios overnight. Although this step isn't crucial for making the milk, it will give it a creamier, richer flavor. You can prepare the milk a day in advance and reheat it in a saucepan before serving.

Remove the pistachios from the water and place them in the blender jar. Add 100ml of fresh water and blend until you have a smooth, creamy milk. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to make your pistachio milk.

What is Darjeeling tea?

Darjeeling tea is a black tea grown in the Darjeeling district, a region of India very close to the Himalayas. It is distinguished from other Indian black teas, such as Assam, because it is made from a different variety of tea plant. While most Indian teas are made from the tea plant known as Camellia sinensis var. assamica, this black tea is made from the Chinese cultivar known as Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is the same one used in China to make white tea, green tea, and oolong tea. In this article, you can learn more about the Camellia sinensis tea plant .

The main difference between Darjeeling and any other black tea is that it isn't fully fermented. Specifically, Darjeeling First Flush, which is the first to be harvested and the most prized, typically has greenish notes. When brewed, it has a medium body and a flavor with floral and muscatel notes, smoother than most black teas.

Buy Darjeeling Firsh Flush Black Tea >>

How to prepare Darjeeling black tea?

Being a more delicate tea, the Darjeeling tea preparation process is more similar to that of a green tea than a black tea. Infuse the leaves at 90°C for 3-4 minutes.

Darjeeling Pistachio Latte Recipe

This Darjeeling Pistachio Latte is very healthy and nutritious. Pistachios are lower in calories than other nuts and help maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The creamy texture of the latte helps stave off hunger, giving you a feeling of fullness.

Darjeeling First Flush black tea provides the typical robustness of black tea and a good dose of energy and focus, thanks to its theine and L-theanine content. Its polyphenol and theaflavin content helps maintain good intestinal health and improve digestion.

To finish the latte, we will add our favorite plant-based milk and chopped fresh pistachios for decoration.

Ingredients

• 50g raw pistachios, shelled and unsalted
• 200 ml of water
• 2 small spoons of Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea
• 1 small spoonful of honey
• 100 ml of vegetable milk (almond or oat)

Instructions

1. We prepare the pistachio milk as we have previously mentioned.
2. Heat the pistachio milk in a small saucepan. When it begins to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the two tablespoons of Darjeeling tea. Let it steep for 3-4 minutes and remove the tea leaves using a strainer.
3. Add the honey to the saucepan and stir with a spoon until it dissolves. Once the honey has dissolved, pour the contents of the saucepan into a cup.
4. Froth the plant-based milk and add it to the cup. To finish the Darjeeling Pistachio Latte, chop a couple of pistachios and sprinkle them over the milk foam.

This latte can also be enjoyed over ice during the warmer months. Simply prepare it as described, refrigerate it until cold (about 2 hours), and pour it into a tall glass with plenty of ice.