Matcha – how to make it at home

Matcha is a finely ground green tea traditionally associated with Japanese tea culture. Unlike ordinary green tea, where the leaves steep in water and are then removed, with matcha you drink the whole powdered leaf.

That gives matcha its characteristic green colour and a flavour that can be fresh, faintly bitter and full-bodied all at once. Matcha can be drunk classically with water, but it also works beautifully with milk as a matcha latte – both hot and cold.

Making matcha does not have to be difficult. With a few tools and a little practice you will quickly get a smooth, even cup.

You will need:

• Matcha powder
• A matcha scoop
• A small sieve
• A matcha bowl
• A bamboo whisk
• Hot water

Here is how:

1. Rest the bamboo whisk in warm water for half a minute first – especially the first time you use it. Dry bamboo prongs are stiff and snap easily.

2. Sift about 1-2 scoops of matcha powder through a small sieve into the bowl. This helps avoid lumps.

3. Add a small amount of hot water – around 70-80 degrees. The water must not boil, or the matcha turns bitter.

4. Whisk the matcha briskly with the bamboo whisk in a light zigzag motion.

5. Keep going until the matcha is smooth and a fine layer of foam has formed on top.

6. Once the matcha is smooth you can enjoy it as it is, or use it as the base for whatever drink you prefer. Add warm milk for a creamy matcha latte, or pour the matcha over ice and top with cold milk for an iced matcha.

Matcha can be enjoyed both hot and cold. For a hot matcha latte, add warm milk to the finished whisked matcha; for an iced matcha, pour the matcha over ice and top with cold milk of your choice.

That way the same matcha adapts easily to both the season and your mood.

The right tools make it easier to make matcha at home. The matcha scoop doses the powder, a small sieve helps avoid lumps, and the bamboo whisk is used to whisk the matcha smooth. A holder keeps the whisk in shape between uses.

Matcha is traditionally served in a matcha bowl, but you do not have to stick to the classic look. Once the matcha is whisked, it can just as well be served in other cups or glasses – whichever look you prefer.

Matcha oxidises quickly and loses both colour and flavour. Keep the bag tightly closed, dark and cool – the fridge is fine, but in an airtight container so it does not draw in moisture and odours. Take it out ten minutes before use so condensation does not form in the powder. An opened bag is at its best within four to six weeks. If the powder turns yellowish or brownish rather than clear green, it has oxidised.

Rinse the whisk in clean, lukewarm water without soap and let it dry with the prongs upwards – never in the dishwasher.

How much matcha should I use?

1-2 g for a cup – roughly half to a full teaspoon, or two level scoops with a chashaku.

What is the difference between ceremonial and culinary grade?

Ceremonial grade is ground from the youngest leaves of the first harvest, is clear green and mild enough to drink with water alone. Culinary grade is stronger and more bitter and is intended for lattes, baking and ice cream. If you are drinking matcha as tea, choose ceremonial grade.

Can I make matcha without a bamboo whisk?

You can mix it with a small electric milk frother and it will be smooth. But the foam comes out denser and coarser, and it is hard to reach the corners of the bowl.

Why does my matcha taste bitter or slightly fishy?

Bitterness is almost always water that was too hot or too much powder. A fishy or hay-like taste, by contrast, is a sign of old or badly stored matcha. Check the colour: clear, lively green is fresh.

How much caffeine is in matcha?

Around 30-70 mg per cup – less than an espresso, but more than ordinary green tea. Because you drink the whole leaf, you also get the amino acid L-theanine, which most people find gives a calmer alertness than coffee.