How to Make Matcha Green Tea at Home | 3 easy ways

I have always wondered how to make Matcha green tea at home with green tea powder and achieve a bright green color and rich, earthy flavor. This curiosity inspired me to research this drink. After some trial and error, I finally became successful in learning several ways to make this drink at home with a few ingredients.

In this article, I will share three easy ways to make Matcha tasty drinks at home.

What is Matcha?

It is an excellent type of Green tea origin of Matcha green tea is from Japan. It was started a hundred years ago, and the history of matcha tea is very interesting. It is considered an important part of Japanese culture and tea ceremonies. In most drinks, we use green tea leaves in such a way: first, we steep the leaves in water and then remove them. But this drink is made by grinding green tea leaves into a fine powder. This tea powder is mixed with water, and we drink the whole tea leaf and enjoy it.

Matcha tea has a bright green color and is a rich, earthy flavor with a nice sweetness and balanced sharpness. When it is prepared accurately, you can get a Soft, smooth and refreshing sip.

This delicious drink is made from a plant called Camellia sinensis, which is also a source of other types of tea. Farmers grow these plants for a few weeks under the shade before harvesting. This helps to give the tea a richer flavor. After harvesting these plants, the leaves are steamed, dried and then carefully converted into powder form, which is known as matcha.

Several people often ask the question: is matcha the same as green tea? The answer is yes, but this drink is a special kind of greenish tea that has a unique flavor and taste. This drink can be used to make more tasty drinks like matcha lattes or desserts like cakes and cookies. It has a unique taste, but I observe not everyone loves it at first, but many enjoy it once they try it.

How to prepare Matcha green Tea at Home

In the first method, we’ll demonstrate how to make matcha with a bamboo whisk. You’ll need the following ingredients and tools.

Ingredients	Tools
¼ – ½ teaspoon matcha powder (ceremonial-grade)	Chawan (tea bowl)
200 ml hot water (around 80°C)	Chashaku (bamboo scoop)
60 ml to make green tea	Chasen (bamboo whisk)
Remainder for heating up the chawan and chasen	Paper towel
Sweetener (optional)	Bowl (to discard water)

Start by adding hot water that’s approximately 80 degrees Celsius to your chawan or tea bowl. Make sure that the water is not boiling too hot. Otherwise, your green tea will become extremely bitter.
If you don’t have a temperature control kettle, you can also allow the water to cool for two to three minutes. It will help you to reduce the temperature to around 80 degrees Celsius.

Next, take your whisk and dip it into the tea bowl. It is to preheat both the bowl and the tines of the bamboo whisk step that you’ll see matcha tea ceremony masters do, as it helps the tea bowl retain less heat during the whisking process.
Later on, you’ll want to soak the bamboo whisk in water for about 8 to 10 seconds.

Then, set it aside and discard the water in the bowl. Now wipe the bowl dry with a clean towel or paper towel using a tea scoop(chashaku), also known as a bamboo scoop. Gently take out one to two scoops of matcha powder and add to the bowl for a stronger taste you can use two heaped scoops.
If there is any excess powder on the scoop, tap it gently on the bowl to remove it.

Now pour approximately 60 millilitres of hot water that is around 80 degrees Celsius into the bowl. You can also use a fine sieve to help break up any large particles.

But a matcha whisk will be able to break these up without any further help.
When whisking matcha using a bamboo whisk, you’ll want to hold the bowl with one hand and the bamboo whisk in the other using a back-and-forth motion.
Whisk the tea quickly for about 15 to 20 seconds or until a frothy and creamy layer forms on top of the tea.
Remember to use a gentle yet fast back-and-forth motion. This will create a smooth and frothy texture.
You can think of it as whisking in a W or M shape instead of a circular motion. This is what will give your matcha that perfect foam top.

Preparing matcha green tea using the traditional method is an experience in itself, so take the time to prepare each step and enjoy your tea. You can serve this alone or with a light Japanese snack.

Using a milk frother

You can still enjoy matcha without a whisk by using a milk frother as a convenient alternative. This method is also great if you prefer a quicker and easier way to prepare matcha. In the second method, we’ll demonstrate how to make matcha with a milk frother.

Start by adding cold water to your milk frother.

Next, using a teaspoon, add a quarter to half a teaspoon of matcha powder or, as much as you like now, turn on your milk frother.

Let it run its course on the shortest and lowest heat setting possible. The reason this works is that the machine aerates the matcha and mixes it without a whisk, but we wouldn’t ask to use any milk frother as some have a higher temperature setting, which might ruin the taste of the matcha.

We suggest only using a milk frother that mentions it can be used for making green tea.

Using a handheld electric whisk

In the third method, we’ll demonstrate how to make matcha with a handheld electric whisk.

Start by adding your matcha powder to a tall mug or glass.

Then add in your water, which should be around 80 degrees Celsius.

Place your electric whisk inside and turn it on. Make sure to move it in a gentle up-and-down motion, which will create that frothy goodness we all love. It will also take around 15 to 20 seconds, just like the traditional method.

To make matcha, you choose the traditional matcha whisk method, the milk frother method or an electric handheld whisk or techniques that will give you a good cup of matcha green tea.
Based on our experience, the milk frother method doesn’t produce the same creamy texture compared to the traditional method and is nicer to use when making matcha latte.
Instead, we love making matcha using a bamboo whisk, but when we’re stuck for time, we’d go for the electric whisk and find the method that suits you best.
Stay Happy! Start enjoying this classic Japanese tea in the comfort of your own home.

If you want to learn more about popular drinks like bubble tea, you can visit this this blog. Explore its history, various flavors, and how to make it at home.