Rhubarb Kumquat Matcha Latte

Rhubarb Kumquat Matcha Latte

A winter of Korean flavours behind us, we found ourselves reaching for something brighter.

Spring shows up first in the ground. Before the trees have quite decided, rhubarb is already pushing up — pink stalks under the last of the cold, one of the first things the British soil gives back each year. A pink that's a little cheering just to look at.

Pink rhubarb stalks in spring

Its flavour tastes like the season it comes from: sharp, bright, the kind that wakes you up. To finish, a squeeze of fresh kumquat — the small, sweet-sharp citrus Koreans reach for in spring, eaten skin and all. In Korea it doesn't take well to the cold, so it grows mostly on Jeju, the same island where much of our matcha comes from.

Rhubarb from British ground, kumquat from a warmer soil, matcha to anchor the two. A mouthful of spring — here's how we make it.

Making it at TOKKIA

Ingredients

For the rhubarb syrup

  • 250 g rhubarb, peeled and cubed
  • 370 g sugar
  • 25 ml water

For the fresh rhubarb blend

  • 250 g rhubarb, peeled and cubed
  • 400 g sugar
  • 80 ml water

For the rhubarb cream

  • 100 ml rhubarb syrup
  • 300 ml fresh rhubarb blend
  • 150 ml double cream
  • Kumquat juice and zest

Vegan tip. Replace the double cream with 150 ml plant-based cream.

For the drink base

  • 3.5 g matcha
  • 35 ml hot water (70°C)
  • 110 ml milk
  • Ice cubes

To finish

  • A little kumquat juice

Method

  1. Peel and cube 500 g of rhubarb, then split it into two equal halves.
  2. Cook one half with 370 g sugar and 25 ml water until completely soft. Take off the heat and let it cool completely.
  3. Blend the other half with 400 g sugar and 80 ml water until silky.
  4. Whip together 100 ml rhubarb syrup, 300 ml fresh blend, 150 ml double cream, and the kumquat juice and zest until smooth.
  5. Fill a glass with ice. Pour in 110 ml milk, then add the whisked matcha.
  6. Top with 80 ml of the rhubarb cream and squeeze in a little kumquat juice.

Making it at Home

Choosing rhubarb. Look for firm, brightly coloured stalks; the pinker the stalk, the pinker your drink. Trim and discard the leaves — only the stalks are used.

Water temperature. 70°C sounds precise, but here's an easy way: boil your kettle, then let it sit for three or four minutes. Too hot and the matcha turns bitter; too cool and it won't dissolve.

The cream. Whip it until it's thick enough to hold its shape when poured, but still pourable. You want it to float on top of the drink, not sink.