“I believe in the magic of preparation. You can make just about any foods taste wonderful by adding herbs and spices. Experiment with garlic, cilantro, basil and other fresh herbs on vegetables to make them taste great.” ~ Jorge Cruise

Last Spring, while living on the North Shore, my husband built a raised garden bed for our tiny backyard.

We love to cook and often craved (and missed) the California-style fusion cooking where one just adds a few healthy herbs or veggies and the whole dish takes on a new life of flavor vibrance. 

It’s almost as if herbs bring ordinary food to life. 

Within months, we had immediate access to kale (that stuff can grow anywhere), basil (loves warm weather), cilantro (for tacos, of course), oregano (hello, homemade pasta sauce), and various other delicious and medicinal herbs. 

One day, he had found some Holy Basil seeds and planted them with our other basils (Thai, Italian, Lemon) because they all seem to grow like weeds in Hawaii and barely need to be tended to.

We had bushes of basil and often gave it away to neighbors to stay ahead of it.

Holy Basil is a special kind of basil.

It tastes so good in Thai dishes and makes great standalone tea. The subtle hints of lemon and mint are fabulous, just plucked right off the plant, and tossed into some hot water to steep in your favorite mug. 

The aroma is heavenly, invigorating, and fresh.

Holy Basil originates in India and has been mentioned in the ancient Vedic Bhagavata Purana text as Tulsi, the “Queen of Herbs.”

The dark green leafy plant is an adaptogen, which means that these little herbal pharmaceuticals help with stress. Other benefits include better sleep, less brain fog, reduce anxiety, and helps to decrease exhaustion. 

Since I already love and drink matcha green tea every morning, I decided to create a fusion with Holy Basil as a new way to caffeinate and destress at the same time. 

Well, the combination is amazing and this drink makes me feel like a queen when I drink it in the early morning, even if I am a big, hot mess. Behold the Holy Basil matcha latte.

Combine the following and blend:

Boil water and pour over fresh Holy Basil leaves or tea from a box and steep for desired strength.

Add any milk of choice (oat, almond, coconut cream, or half and half).

Add 1 tsp. matcha green tea powder or more if you like it strong.

Sweeten if desired—I use honey.

Sip and enjoy, like the queen you are.

~