If you love sweet, floral, and earthy flavors, then you’re going to love this saffron matcha latte. It’s infused with real saffron and is super aromatic and complex. Now, I’m sure you don’t want to waste your saffron, but trust me, this combination is one you’ll want to try.

Here’s how to make a saffron matcha latte at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super unique and fun to make!
• Try saffron in a different way, and in a beverage.
• It’s an easy to follow recipe that makes a cafe-quality beverage at home.
• Learn how to use saffron properly!

What is Saffron?

The world’s most expensive spice! Saffron is an earthy and slightly sweet spice with a vibrant yellow color. Traditionally, it was used as medicine, but now adds yellow color and aroma to food. It’s used worldwide from savory Persian tahdig, Italian Milanese risotto, and Swedish saffron buns.

Why is it so expensive? Saffron is actually the stoma of the crocus flower, which only produces 3 stoma per flower. It’s nearly impossible to pick them by machine due to its delicate nature, so each thread is picked by hand. Similar to vanilla!

What Does Saffron Taste Like?

Saffron has such a distinct flavor, it’s hard to pinpoint without trying it. It’s simultaneously floral, sweet, bitter, and earthy. Some culinary professionals say it smells smoky. To help visualize its taste, it’s like a combination of turmeric and smoked paprika, which is what fake saffron is made from.

But interestingly, because its from a flower like vanilla, they both ampllify flavors in dishes. Saffron can make seafood taste more briny or umami, while adding a sweet note.

Do Saffron and Matcha Go Together?

I think so! Matcha has a similar-ish flavor to seafood: umami, savory, and slightly grassy. Saffron enhances matcha’s flavor, adds a nice sweetness, and gives it more depth.

If you add too much saffron, though, it can overpower the matcha and wash away all its yummy flavors.

How to Bloom Saffron

Did you know that you need to bloom saffron for the best flavor? Many spices release their aroma and flavor when they bloom in warm water or oil. But unless you’re a chef or care about cooking, blooming spices aren’t always common knowledge.

However, if you don’t bloom saffron for a drink, you probably won’t taste it at all. Saffron has 3 compounds responsible for its unique aroma and flavor: safranal, picrocrocin, and crocin. Many home cooks are divided on whether to use cold or hot water for infusion. But at a molecular level, hot water (between 30 – 40 C) facilitates osmosis of compounds much better than cold water.

It’s common for people to infuse saffron with an ice cube, but hot water gives you the most intense flavor and color.

Saffon Matcha Latte: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• 1 matcha bowl
• 1 matcha whisk
• 1 tea sift
• 1 mortar and pestle

Ingredients:

• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• Blooming Saffron:
• 5-6 threads saffron
• ¼ cup warm water
• Cardamom Sweetener:
• ½ tbsp cardamom syrup or
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

Saffron Matcha Latte Recipe

1. Bloom Saffron. Add saffron to the mortar and crush into dust with the pestle. Add warm water to the mortar and bloom the saffron for 10 – 15 minutes until the water is bright yellow.
2. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha powder into a bowl, then add hot water (160-175 F). Whisk vigorously with a chasen in a zigzag motion for 20 – 30 seconds or until a froth forms. The foam should be velvety with small, tight bubbles.
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice, cardamom syrup (or sweetener), saffron, and milk, then stir to combine. Add your whisked matcha on top and garnish with 2 – 3 threads of saffron or a pinch of ground cardamom.
4. Mix and Enjoy!

What Other Flavors Pair Well With Saffron

Saffron is one of those spices that pair wonderfully with a variety of spices and ingredients. If you’re not convinced, just look at all the dishes that have saffron in it.

For example, it’s amazing with rice, which is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. That saffron rice pairs well with most stewed meats and warm spices like coriander, cumin, cardamom, and ginger. It’s also great in yogurt or butter.

In dessert, saffron pairs well with rosewater, pistachios, apples, apricots, and more. Sholeh zard is a Persian saffron and rose rice pudding and it’s fragrant, creamy, and delicious.

Tips for the Best Saffron Matcha Latte

• Use Saffron Sparingly: 2 – 3 saffron threads are more than enough for a single serving as its pretty potent, especially once bloomed. However, this depends on how fresh the saffron is. If your saffron is older or has lost some potency, you might need to use double the amount.
• Store Saffron Properly: Like most spices, saffron is freshest when in an airtight container and somewhere shaded and cool. My dad has a stash of saffron that sits in an airtight jar in a cupboard for best longevity.
• Avoid Boiling Water: For both saffron and matcha, use hot but not boiling water. Boiling water can scorch both ingredients and impact the flavor negatively—they’ll become super bitter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is saffron good for you?

Saffron is an ancient medicine for a reason! This gold spice has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, mainly from its carotenoids and flavonoids. Those compounds. A study shows that the compounds in saffron have benefits against age-related diseases like type-2 diabetes, glaucoma, Alzhemer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Why is saffron so expensive?

Labor. Saffron is only hand-picked to preserve the threads, which are extremely delicate and prone to crushing. Crushed saffron is not ideal, as it’s extremely short-lived. The flower is also sensitive to the environment and has a short-harvesting window, making it even more expensive to harvest good quality saffron.

How do you tell saffron is good quality?

You can use saffron’s appearance as an indicator of quality. Good quality saffron is bright red with orange tips and has a strong earthy aroma. You can also look for the ISO 3632 certification which indicates high safranal and good color, flavor, and aroma.

Other Matcha Recipes to Try

If you love saffron, then that’s a good indicator that you like complex flavors. Matcha is a great tea that pairs with many other ingredients, and it’s so fun to try! Here are some other matcha recipes to try next:

• Cardamom Matcha Latte
• Rosemary Matcha Latte
• Maple Miso Matcha Latte
• Salted Tahini Honeycomb Matcha Latte
• Jasmine Matcha Latte