A creamy, vibrant green matcha latte with ceremonial-grade powder and steamed milk — a café favourite you can perfect at home.
Matcha (抹茶) is finely stone-ground green tea made from shade-grown tencha leaves. The shading process before harvest forces the leaves to produce more chlorophyll and L-theanine, giving matcha its characteristic vivid green colour, earthy-vegetal flavour and calm, focused energy — distinct from the jittery effect of coffee. A matcha latte combines a concentrated matcha shot with steamed or frothed milk for a smooth, subtly sweet drink that has become one of the most popular café beverages of the 2020s. The key is whisking the matcha properly and using water that is not boiling, which would make it bitter.
Serves 1
Sift matcha powder into a small bowl or mug.
Sifting removes clumps and helps the powder incorporate smoothly.
Add 60 ml water at 80°C. Whisk vigorously in a W-motion (or use a bamboo chasen whisk) until smooth and frothy with no lumps.
Steam or heat milk until hot and frothy. For iced latte, use cold milk.
Pour milk over matcha concentrate. Sweeten if desired. Serve immediately.
Boiling water turns matcha bitter — 80°C is ideal.
Sifting removes clumps and helps the powder incorporate smoothly.
For iced matcha, pour over ice then add cold milk.
Add a shot of espresso for a 'dirty matcha'.
Blend with ice and milk for a matcha frappuccino.
Drink immediately. Prepared matcha concentrate keeps 24 hours in the fridge.
Matcha has been central to Japanese tea ceremony (chado) since it was brought from China by the monk Eisai in the 12th century. Matcha lattes became globally popular in the early 2010s as Western cafés began incorporating Japanese ingredients, and their popularity has grown every year since.
Ceremonial grade is made from the youngest, most tender leaves with the finest flavour and brightest green colour — ideal for lattes. Culinary grade is more bitter and less vibrant, intended for baking and cooking.
A matcha latte (2 tsp) has roughly 70–80mg caffeine — less than a typical espresso (60–80mg per shot). The L-theanine in matcha moderates the caffeine effect, creating calm alertness rather than jitters.
Per serving · 1 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes