Matcha is simple to make once you know three numbers: how much powder, how much water and how hot. At our Kyoto store we serve it both ways, whisked in a bowl the traditional way and as hot and iced matcha lattes. Here is how to make each at home.

What you need

• Ceremonial grade matcha
• A matcha bowl (chawan), or any wide bowl
• A bamboo whisk (chasen)
• A bamboo scoop (chashaku) or a small teaspoon
• A small sieve or tea strainer

Our matcha sets include the bowl, whisk, scoop and 30g of Mt Fuji matcha.

Traditional matcha

1. Warm the bowl. Pour in hot water, swirl it, then pour it away and dry the bowl. Dipping the whisk in the warm water for a moment softens the bamboo prongs.
2. Sift the matcha. Sift 1 to 2 g, about one or two scoops, into the bowl so there are no lumps.
3. Add the water. Pour in about 70 ml of water at 70 to 80°C. Boiling water makes matcha bitter, so let the kettle cool for a few minutes first.
4. Whisk. Hold the bowl with one hand and whisk briskly from the wrist in a W motion for 15 to 20 seconds, until the surface is covered with fine foam. Finish by lifting the whisk gently out of the center.
5. Drink it straight away, while the foam is fresh.

Hot matcha latte

1. Sift 2 g of matcha into a cup or bowl.
2. Add 30 to 40 ml of water at 70 to 80°C and whisk until smooth and frothy.
3. Warm 150 to 200 ml of milk to about 60 to 65°C, and froth it if you like.
4. Pour the milk over the matcha and sweeten to taste with honey, syrup or sugar.

Any milk works: dairy, oat and soy milk all go well with matcha.

Iced matcha latte

1. Whisk 2 g of matcha with 30 to 40 ml of water at 70 to 80°C until smooth, or shake it with cold water in a sealed jar.
2. Fill a glass with ice and pour in 150 to 200 ml of cold milk.
3. Pour the matcha over the milk for the layered look, then stir before drinking.

No whisk? Shake it

Put the matcha and water in a sealed bottle or jar and shake hard for 20 to 30 seconds. It will not have the fine foam of a whisked bowl, but it is an easy way to make matcha at work or while travelling. Our 2g matcha sticks are made for this.

Tips for a smoother cup

• Always sift, because matcha clumps easily.
• Keep the water below 80°C.
• Use fresh matcha and keep it sealed in a cool, dark place.
• For lattes, start with 2 g and add more if you like a stronger matcha taste.

Which matcha to choose

For the traditional bowl, try our JAS organic Mt Fuji matcha or our ceremonial grade matcha. For daily lattes, the 100g pouch is the practical size. See the full matcha collection, and read Does matcha have caffeine? to see how a bowl or a latte compares with coffee.