Matcha Latte - The Perfect Recipe

Making Matcha - A Guide to the Perfect Latte

Matcha has become very popular in recent years, in part due to its amazing health benefits. Matcha is a fine green powder made from stone-ground green tea leaves. While traditionally drunk whisked with filtered water, many American drinkers prefer matcha in Lattes. 

Why a Latte + How?

Lattes are traditionally a combination of espresso and steamed milk. With a matcha latte, we replace the espresso with a shot of matcha powder mixed with water to create a smooth paste. 

Matcha makes a perfect espresso replacement because, other than lending your beverage a fun, bright green hue, matcha provides a moderate amount of caffeine without the jitters for sustained, clean energy. 

​Matcha also has a number of amino acids that can help regulate mood, for an uplifting sense of calm. 

To Froth or Not to Froth?

Traditionally, when making lattes we froth the milk lightly to help make it a little foamy and keep it warm. While this is NOT an essential step in making a delicious matcha beverage, it certainly makes the drinking experience a little more special. Of course, just warming your milk on the stove-top is perfectly fine and will still result in a delicious matcha. 

How to make a Matcha Latte

Servings: 1 
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1-2 tsp. matcha powder
• 1/3 cup hot water (~165 degrees)
• 1 + 1/4 cup milk of choice, warmed
• Sweetener, to taste

Directions:

• Heat water in an electric kettle or on the stove. It should be around 165 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, bring the water just to a boil, turn off the heat, pour into a separate, cool cup and let the water cool for 2-3 minutes 
• Place matcha in a wide-mouthed glass
• Slowly pour a small bit hot water over matcha and stir with a fork or a Chasen to create a smooth paste -- whisk until there are no longer any clumps
• Slowly add water to create an ever thinner paste
• pour matcha into a glass with warm milk and stir to combine
• Add sweetener of choice
• Enjoy!

Tips:

• If you have a milk-frother, you can warm the milk and froth it before adding the matcha paste to create a more luxurious experience.
• We often strain our matcha instead of adding it directly to the mug, as this helps get rid of any clumps. This is especially useful if you have matcha that has been open and/or live in a humid climate.
• To make an iced latte, don’t warm the milk and add ice cubes once milk, matcha, and sweetener are combined.​