Iced Matcha Latte
Sifted, whisked with water below boiling, then poured over milk and ice. Three steps and no bitterness.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
- 130
- Calories
- 7g
- Protein
- 4g
- Fat
- 16g
- Carbs
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ceremonial grade matcha
- 60 ml water at 80C
- 200 ml milk or oat milk
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup, optional
- Ice
Instructions
- 1Sift the matcha into a bowl through a small fine sieve. Matcha is a very fine powder that clumps as it sits, and unsifted clumps will not whisk out — they stay as bitter green specks.
- 2Boil the kettle, then let it stand for 2 minutes, or add a splash of cold water to bring it to about 80C. Water at a full 100C scalds matcha and pulls out harsh tannins, which is the main reason home matcha tastes bitter.
- 3Pour the water over the matcha and whisk briskly in a W or M motion for 20 to 30 seconds, until a fine foam covers the surface. A bamboo chasen is ideal; a small electric frother works nearly as well. A spoon does not.
- 4Stir in the honey now if you are using it — it dissolves in the hot shot and not in cold milk.
- 5Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in the milk.
- 6Pour the matcha over the milk slowly so it layers rather than mixing, then stir before drinking.
Matcha made badly is bitter, gritty and grey-green, and people conclude they do not like matcha. Three things cause it and all three are fixable in under a minute.
Sift it
Matcha is ground to a few microns, and powders that fine clump under their own weight in the tin. Those clumps are dense and hydrophobic — whisking will not break them, and they end up as bitter specks in the cup.
A small tea strainer and the back of a spoon takes fifteen seconds.
Water below boiling
This is the biggest one. Matcha is whole leaf, not an infusion, and boiling water extracts its tannins aggressively, giving a harsh astringency that no amount of sugar covers.
80C is the target. Boil the kettle and wait two minutes, or pour in about a tablespoon of cold water per cup. If you have a variable temperature kettle, use it.
Whisk, do not stir
The bamboo chasen exists because matcha needs agitation, not circulation. Stirring in circles pushes the powder around; a rapid back-and-forth W motion breaks up particles and beats air in.
That fine foam on top is not decoration — it means the powder is properly suspended, and it changes the texture in the mouth completely.
An electric milk frother is a good substitute. A spoon is not.
Grade matters more than price does
Ceremonial grade is made from young first-harvest leaves, and it is sweeter, brighter green and far less bitter. Culinary grade is from later harvests, and it is designed to be baked into things where sugar and butter cover its sharpness.
Drinking culinary grade straight is the second most common reason home matcha tastes bad. Look for a vivid, almost fluorescent green — dull olive powder is old or low grade, and matcha oxidises quickly once opened. Keep it sealed in the fridge.
Pour matcha over milk
Aesthetically it gives the layered look. Practically, pouring the concentrated shot into a full glass of milk and ice disperses it more evenly than trying to add milk to a small amount of matcha.
Nutrition
Around 130 calories with dairy milk. Matcha contains roughly 60 to 70 mg of caffeine per two teaspoons — comparable to a cup of coffee — alongside L-theanine, an amino acid that appears to smooth out the stimulant effect.
Because you consume the whole leaf rather than an infusion, you also get its catechins and a small amount of fibre. Whether that matters much at a cup a day is uncertain, but it is at least a real difference from brewed tea.
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