How To Make Matcha At Home: Recipe Decoded
Matcha is not just a drink, it’s a creamy, earthy bright green miracle that’s taking the world by storm.
It is important to clear up one misconception that matcha is not your standard green tea. This finely ground Japanese green tea, is unlike any other, it gives you peaceful focus, provides powerful antioxidants, tastes grassy and faintly sweet, and offers a whole different way to think about drinking a latte.
Matcha is an ancient ritual that has now been adapted to modern life and it brings with it a moment of mindful happiness with each sip, as well as a nice, mild energy boost, without the jitters.
Are you ready to make the most wonderful and bright green dream of your life in your own kitchen and transform your life altogether?
Ditch the coffee jitters and have matcha’s smooth and sustained energy, your taste buds and your brain will thank you!
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
To make the perfect matcha at home, you will need a matcha bowl (chawan) that is flat and wide so that you can whisk easily, a bamboo whisk (chasen) is really important for that frothy feel, and a bamboo scoop (chashaku) will help you get an accurate amount of powder. It is also good to use a fine mesh sifter that will help with clumps. Don't forget to use fresh filtered hot water, that is around 70-80C (160-175F) after boiling, you want it to be off boil to protect the delicate tea flavour from being too bitter.
Step 2: Sift The Matcha Powder
When everything is ready for your matcha drink, grab approximately 1-2 scoops (approximately 1-2 grams or half a teaspoon) of your matcha powder. Put your sifter over your matcha bowl then use little force to press the powder through it. It is an important step that sometimes may appear insignificant, but it helps in smashing any possible clumps, which ensures that your final brew will be perfectly lump-free and wonderfully smooth.
Step 3: Add The Hot Water
Your sifted matcha is now ready and all you have to do is pour hot water approximately 60-80 ml (2-3 ounces) into the bowl. Here is a tip to keep in mind: keeping the water too hot may burn the fragile matcha, giving a pretty unpleasant taste of bitterness. The natural sweetness and the lively green colour of the tea get extracted best at the ideal temperature.
Step 4: Whisk Vigorously
Place your matcha bowl on the table and with the help of your bamboo whisk (chasen), whisk the matcha and water in a vertical direction. Rather than stirring in circles, vigorously stir in a back-and-forth W or M across the bottom of the bowl with an aim of incorporating as much air as possible. Keep whisking around 15-30 seconds, till a nice and glossy green solution, with a silky, airy layer of foam on top, is obtained, not leaving any lumps there.
Step 5: Savour Your Zen Moment
Your cup of matcha is now ready to savour, whisked to perfect consistency. You can drink it as it is a simple, classic taste, just take time to enjoy its earthy taste, and its relaxing effect. The only different thing you need to remember, if you want to drink a matcha latte, is that you should mix your matcha with slightly less water (about 30ml) and pour it into 150-200ml of freshly steamed/frothed milk (either dairy or the preferred non-dairy milk type). Optional: put a pinch of sweetener, stir well and get your green bliss.
