What is matcha?
To make matcha, tea farmers shade the plants for a few weeks before harvest. Producers then steam the leaves, dry them, remove the stems and veins, and grind them into a fine powder. With a tea bag you drink only the infusion, but with matcha you drink the whole leaf. For how to prepare it plain in a bowl, see the recipe for traditional matcha tea.
The right ingredients
- Matcha: Culinary-grade matcha is enough for a latte, often sold as culinary or latte grade. Look for a vivid green color. Yellowish or brownish powder tastes flat and bitter.
- Milk: Whole milk froths best. Among plant-based drinks, barista versions made from oat or soy hold their foam longest, while almond drink tastes thinner.
- Sweetener: Sugar, agave syrup, honey, or maple syrup. Start with one teaspoon, since the milk brings its own sweetness.
How to make a matcha latte: the key steps
Sifting
Matcha forms small lumps that do not dissolve in the glass. Push the powder through a fine tea strainer into the bowl before any water goes in. One teaspoon is about 2 g, which is enough for a large cup.
Water temperature
Boiling water makes matcha bitter. After boiling, let the water stand for about 5 minutes, or mix 40 ml boiling water with 20 ml cold water. That brings you to 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F).
Whisking
Add just a splash of water first and stir a smooth paste, then add the rest. With a bamboo whisk (chasen), whisk in quick zigzag motions from the wrist until a fine foam forms. A small battery-powered milk frother does the job too.
Warming the milk
Heat the milk to 60 to 65°C (140 to 149°F). Hotter milk tastes cooked, and the foam collapses faster.
Common mistakes
- Too much water: With a quarter liter of water the latte turns thin and watery. 50 to 60 ml is enough.
- Too much powder: More than 2 tsp makes the drink bitter. Start with 1 tsp.
- Sweetener in cold milk: Sugar dissolves faster in the warm matcha paste. Stir it in there.
- Old powder: Opened matcha loses color and aroma. Store the tin sealed, cool, and dark.
Variations
Iced matcha latte: Whisk the matcha with 60 ml water, fill a glass with ice cubes and 200 ml cold milk, and pour the tea over it. With syrup: Vanilla or strawberry syrup works well. If you like a nutty flavor, try Genmaicha, green tea with roasted rice. Other tea drinks with milk are Masala Chai and the Thai Cha Yen.
What goes with it
Small Japanese sweets like Mochi or Dorayaki with bean filling go well with a matcha latte. The slightly bitter note of the tea balances the sweetness of the anko.
