Homemade Matcha Latte: A Smooth Cup with a Whisk
Whisk matcha with water before adding warm milk. One smooth cup, ready in 8 minutes.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
When you pour matcha straight into warm milk, do green flecks float on the surface? For a smooth matcha latte, whisk the tea with a little water in a bowl first. Add the milk afterward.
For a creamy cup, choose this latte from the hot matcha drinks: you'll need about 1 tsp (2 g) matcha, about 1 1/3 fl oz (40 ml) water at about 176°F (80°C), and 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk. Allow 8 minutes, including 3 to heat the milk.
We choose Rêve, sold by Kura-ge, so the matcha's flavor remains noticeable in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk. You can use the same method with another matcha intended for lattes.
Matcha latte ingredients
- About 1 tsp (2 g) matcha
- About 1 1/3 fl oz (40 ml) water at about 176°F (80°C)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
How to make a hot matcha latte
- Heat the 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk over low heat for about 3 minutes, until steaming but not boiling.
- Sift about 1 tsp (2 g) matcha into a bowl.
- Pour about 1 1/3 fl oz (40 ml) water at about 176°F (80°C) over the matcha.
- Whisk for 30 seconds with the Chasen Classique, whose tines break up the powder in the bowl, or with a small whisk, until smooth.
- Pour the matcha mixture into a cup.
- Add the 1/2 cup (120 ml) of warm milk.
The bowl lets you see and break up small clumps before the milk hides them. If you don't have a whisk, a shaker with a lid can work, though the foam will be different.
Which matcha should you choose for a latte?
For this cup, we prefer our Rêve matcha, whose flavor holds up to warm milk. Milk can mask the nuances of a powder chosen to drink on its own with water.
Which milk and flavors can you add?
Start with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of plain milk. Taste the tea first; then you'll know whether you want to sweeten it. For a coconut version, replace the milk with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of unsweetened coconut drink. The texture and flavor change with the drink you choose.
Like maple? Add 1 tsp (5 ml) of maple syrup to the finished cup. For cinnamon and turmeric, mix about 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of each spice with about 1 tsp (2 g) matcha before pouring in the water. Then follow the same order of preparation.
Our tip. Taste before adding the syrup. Milk that's already sweet may be enough; the 1 tsp (5 ml) of maple syrup could overpower the tea.
Allergens. This recipe contains milk.
What about your next cup?
Once you've mastered the smooth matcha base, change just one thing at a time: the milk, syrup, or spices listed above. You'll have a better sense of which addition changed the cup.
