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How to make matcha

  1. A bamboo scoop of matcha going into a white bowl.

    Scoop 2 g into a bowl.

  2. Hot water poured from a white teapot onto the matcha.

    Add 70 ml of water at 80 °C.

  3. A bamboo whisk working the matcha to a foam.

    Whisk for 15 seconds.

In a bowl

Usucha means thin tea. With only water in the bowl, you taste the matcha on its own.

Any wide bowl will do, and any fine tea strainer works as a sieve. Before you start, stand the whisk in a little hot water in the bowl for a minute to warm the bowl and soften the bamboo, then tip the water out and dry the bowl.

  1. Sift 2 g of matcha into the bowl.

    Push two level scoops, or one level teaspoon, through a small sieve. Matcha clumps as it sits, and lumps won’t whisk out later.

  2. Add 70 ml of water at 80 °C.

    Hotter water brings out bitterness. Without a thermometer, mix three parts just‑boiled water with one part cold.

  3. Whisk in an M for 15 seconds.

    Hold the bowl steady and work fast from the wrist, back and forth, with the prongs just off the bottom. When fine foam covers the surface, lift the whisk out from the centre.

  4. Drink it within a few minutes.

    As it stands, the foam thins and the matcha settles to the bottom. If that happens, whisk it again briefly.

Lattes and iced drinks

We weigh the matcha, because a teaspoon can hold anywhere from 2 to 3 g depending on how full it is. A jar with a lid or a handheld milk frother can stand in for the whisk.

Milk poured over matcha and ice in a clear glass.

Iced oat latte

2 g of matcha, for one 350 ml glass

  • 2 gMatcha
  • 80 mlCold water
  • 180 mlOat milk
  • 2 tspHoney or maple syrup
  • Ice
  1. Shake the oat milk and honey in a jar for about 15 seconds, until the honey dissolves.
  2. Fill the glass with ice and pour the milk in.
  3. In the same jar, shake the matcha with the cold water for 20 seconds, until there are no lumps.
  4. Pour the matcha over the milk, and stir before you drink it.

Hot latte

3 g of matcha, for one mug

  • 3 gMatcha
  • 40 mlWater at 80 °C
  • 200 mlMilk
  • 2 tspHoney
  1. Sift the matcha into a bowl, add a splash of the water and stir it into a smooth paste.
  2. Add the rest of the water and whisk in an M for about 15 seconds, until it foams.
  3. Warm the milk with the honey until it steams, without letting it boil, then froth it.
  4. Pour the milk into a mug and the matcha over the top.

Strawberry matcha

4 g of matcha, for one 470 ml glass

  • 4 gMatcha
  • 60 mlCold water
  • 80 mlStrawberry syrup
  • 180 mlOat milk
  • Ice
  1. Shake the matcha and cold water in a jar, about 30 times, until smooth.
  2. Put the strawberry syrup in the glass and fill it with ice.
  3. Add the oat milk slowly, so it sits on top of the syrup.
  4. Pour the matcha over the top. Stir before you drink it.

How to store it

Air takes the colour and sweetness out of matcha, so we never open the pouches. Each tin holds one 30 g pouch, sealed in Japan.

Sealed
Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the stove and the kettle. Unopened, it keeps for about a year.
In the fridge
Only while it’s sealed. Let it come to room temperature before you open it, or moisture will condense on the powder.
Once open
Fold the pouch down, put it back in the tin and close the lid. Finish it within about 30 days, and don’t freeze it, because each trip in and out of the cold adds moisture.
Past its best
Faded matcha turns a dull, yellowish green and smells of hay. It still works in a latte, where the milk covers the flat taste.

Batch 001

Ceremonial matcha

30 g tin, about 15 cups.

Ships from Vancouver for $9, free on subscriptions. Your first order is refundable for 30 days, even if you’ve opened it.