The Best Matcha on the Market & How To Make It

Matcha latte - the oh so popular green drink served at cafes and eateries around the world. I have had many a matcha latte, hot & iced. Nowadays, matcha is a coffee house staple, but the quality and tastiness varies immensely.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a green tea powder of Japanese origin. A high quality matcha will have a bright green hue and only have one ingredient: green tea.

For those of you who have had matcha and did not enjoy it, it was quite possibly a pre-made matcha powder (chock full of sugar & stale tea) *insert sad face*. I have been there. But, I'm here to tell you there is better matcha out there, and the best way to enjoy it is straight from the comfort of your kitchen, where you get to control what goes into your cuppa. When it comes to making matcha at home, avoid the matcha latte powders, with their dull green hues and unnecessary additives. To make the tastiest matcha latte, step one is to invest in a high quality tea.

Best Matcha on the Market: Shayna's Kitchen

Earthy and flavourful. Bold, but not too bitter. It arrives sealed in UV protected packaging, straight from the source (Japan) and has a beautiful, bright green hue (=freshhh). It is dear, but worth it.

Runner-up: Mizuba

HQ that you can see in the vibrant green colour. This is my go to if SK is out of stock.

+Fun fact: I used to have a bakery business and this matcha was the star ingredient in my mini matcha cupcakes 😋

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How I make a matcha latte (hot & iced)

Gather your ingredients: matcha, milk of choice (I like cashew) & sweetener of choice (I like honey)

Gather your tools: mug (for mixing/serving hot), (iced version only): glass, ice & straw for your final product, hot water kettle, frother (spoon will do or a chasen if you're traditional)* & tea strainer (or small mesh sieve)*

*These last two are optional, but recommended for the best sipping experience

Some like it hot:

1. Using a tea strainer, sift a teaspoonful of matcha into a mug

2. Add a small amount of hot water and blend (with a frother or a whisk)

3. Add sweetener to the tip of your frother and froth again to disperse evenly

4. Fill your mug with more hot water and top off with steamed milk & a sprinkle of cinnamon

Ice ice baby:

1. Follow above steps 1-3 for constructing the base of your drink

2. Add sweetener again to the tip of your frother and froth in your glass to make a pretty ring design

3. Add matcha from mug & equal parts filtered water & milk

4. Dust with cinnamon & swirl with a straw