I think I mentioned elsewhere that I am devoting an entire section of this website to matcha green tea, keeping it separate from the loose leaf and tea bag varieties. I decided to do this not only because it provides an entirely different type of green-tea-drinking experience, but also because I love it so much that I wanted to give it a “special” category where I could provide focused and full attention to this happiness in a cup!
Although I am now a lover of many kinds of green tea, I still do not LOVE the flavors of EVERY green tea. However, I don’t think I will ever come across a quality matcha without enjoying it in some way. Having said that, as with so many other things in life (books, people, places, etc.) I definitely do have favorite matcha green teas.
And now- a few words on how to make matcha tea!
Simply click through each tab below to see the items you will need to get started, and then read on for step by step directions on making your first cup of matcha green tea!
A fairly deep, small-ish bowl. You will be pouring from it into a cup so use one that makes this as easy as possible. If you prefer, you can instead use a traditional Chawan (tea bowl for preparing and drinking tea). Here are a couple of the bowls I use:
Initially, I used my regular metal kitchen whisk, average size, and it seemed to work well. I eventually got the traditional bamboo whisk (chasen) which also works well and produces a slightly thicker froth.
Use filtered, not tap water, for the best results.
Anything is an option here- microwave, stovetop, tea kettle, etc. Use whatever is most convenient and readily available to you. The water temperature (around 175F) is more important than how you heat it.
I like this tea kettle which allows me to preset the water temperature.
You will want to sift the matcha tea powder through a mesh infuser or a sifter/strainer to remove any clumps before you add water. I simply use my mesh tea infuser (shown below) as a sifter.
The photos below show the matcha powder before and after sifting.
Ideally, you need a digital thermometer. You CAN get by without this since boiling water left to sit at room temperature usually cools to ideal green tea temp, approx. 175F, in about 5 min- but it is easier to have one. I keep mine in the tea cups in the cabinet so it is readily available any time I am making tea.
You will have to experiment with the amount of matcha tea powder you like- I prefer about 1/2 heaping teaspoon matcha green tea powder to approximately 6 oz of water. This is much less concentrated than one would find in the traditional Japanese ceremony where a thick tea (koicha) is made by using 2 tsp of matcha for only 2 oz of water, or even than the Japanese thin tea (usucha) which is made using 1 tsp of matcha for 3 oz of water.
Although I have one now, let me confess up front that when I started making my own matcha at home, I did not have a bamboo whisk (known as a chasen) or an official Japanese ceremonial tea bowl to whip up a cup of frothy matcha. I was pretty confident that I could make a decent froth using a regular kitchen whisk and a relatively deep bowl without having to create an authentic Japanese tea ceremony as a prerequisite. Not that there is anything wrong with that if it is what you want to do! I might explore that later myself- but initially, I just wanted to learn to make a good cup of matcha and enjoy it in the quiet of my own “tea ceremony”– however much it varied from the traditional Japanese.
So, if you are like me and just want to give it a shot- I think you will not find this overly laborious to try.
Follow the steps below to get started!
How to make a cup of matcha green tea
Heat water
Heat your water to around 175F. If you don’t have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and then let it cool for about 3-5 minutes which should bring the temperature to around 175F.
Measure and Sift
Measure ½ teaspoon (or more if you prefer) of the matcha tea powder into your strainer or mesh infuser and gently tap it (usually along the side/edge) until the powder falls through into your bowl underneath the sifter. This will remove any clumps that would otherwise eventually end up in your cup.
Add water and whisk
At first, add just a small amount of the heated water to your powder in the mixing bowl. Do NOT pour the entire amount of water into your bowl yet. I usually pour a small amount of water directly from the tea kettle into my mixing bowl, or sometimes I use a spoon to add about 5-6 teaspoons of water to the powder.
Next, use your whisk (regular metal kitchen whisk, or bamboo whisk) to dissolve the powder into the small amount of water. This is achieved by rapidly swishing the whisk back and forth, side to side until the mixture looks frothy or foamy. After mixing the powder into the small amount of water, pour the mixture into your cup and add the rest of the heated water (usually around 6-7 oz total).
Enjoy!
Learn to cook using matcha green tea as an ingredient
Matcha green tea and cardamom grilled salmon
Matcha green tea and coconut milk are a match made in heaven!
Coconut matcha green tea latte
Did you know?
When you whisk your matcha green tea powder into the heated water, it does not actually dissolve (become part of) the water. Rather, the powder actually becomes suspended (distributed throughout but not dissolved) in the water. As a result, if you take too long to drink your cup of prepared matcha tea, you will start to notice the powder separating back out from the water and staying at the bottom of the cup or bowl.
In some traditions, the tea is consumed quickly and this issue isn’t really an “issue”- but if you are like me and want to sip and enjoy your tea somewhat slowly- keep a stirring spoon handy or swirl the tea around in the cup a little to resuspend the powder.