Yes, we're a coffee company. And yes, as you might have already seen, we've gone and launched a range of teas. Before anyone panics, the coffee isn't going anywhere. But we've been tasting a lot of great tea lately, and one in particular kept winning us over and we're delighted to bring you a properly good, ceremonial-grade matcha from Uji in Kyoto.
If you've only had matcha as a sugary green latte from a high street chain, or you've never had it at all, this guide is for you. We'll cover what it is, what it tastes like, the kit you need (and what to use if you don't have it), and how to make a cup you'll want to drink again.
What actually is matcha?
Matcha is a green tea, but not as you know it. With a normal green tea you steep the leaves and throw them away. With matcha, the leaves are ground into a fine powder and whisked into water, so you drink the whole leaf.
For the last few weeks before harvest, the tea plants are shaded from the sun. This slows their growth and makes the leaves a deeper green, resulting in a sweeter, richer flavour.
After picking, the leaves are dried flat, the stems and veins are removed, and what's left (called tencha) is slowly ground in granite stone mills into a silky, bright green powder. It's slow, careful work, which is part of the reason why good matcha costs more than a box of teabags.
Our matcha
Ours comes from Uji, just outside Kyoto. Uji has been growing tea for centuries and is one of the most respected matcha regions in Japan. It's a first-harvest spring tea, which means it's made from the youngest, most tender leaves of the year, and it comes from the Samidori cultivar, which is known for its smooth, mellow character and vivid colour.
It's ceremonial grade too, so it's made to be drunk simply with water. It also makes a cracking latte if you're that way inclined.
What does matcha taste like?
If you're expecting it to taste like a green teabag, think again. Good matcha is:
- Fresh and grassy, a bit like the smell of cut grass or spring greens
- Rich and savoury, with a deep, almost brothy flavour the Japanese call umami
- Naturally sweet and creamy, especially with a nice frothy top
- Lightly bitter at the finish, in the same way dark chocolate is
Colour tells you a lot. Good matcha is a bright, lively green. If it looks dull or a bit khaki, it's likely a lower grade and will taste harsher and more bitter.
First sip a bit of a shock? That's completely normal. Just like some people recoil at their first sip of coffee, it can take two or three cups to get into it.
A quick bit of history
Powdered tea was brought to Japan from China at the end of the 12th century by a Buddhist monk called Eisai, and it quickly became popular in Zen monasteries. Monks drank it to stay alert through long hours of meditation.
Over the next few hundred years, it grew into the Japanese tea ceremony, known as chanoyu or "the way of tea". The ceremony was shaped in the 16th century by the tea master Sen no Rikyū, who built it around harmony, respect, purity and calm. Every movement has meaning, from how the bowl is turned to how the tea is whisked. Matcha is still at the heart of the ceremony today.
Why is matcha suddenly everywhere?
Matcha has gone from something you'd find in specialist Japanese tea shops to a staple on every café menu and all over social media. Iced matcha lattes, matcha desserts, matcha boba and even matcha chocolate. Demand has grown so fast in the last couple of years that some Japanese growers have had to limit how much they sell.
Some of the popularity is down to the striking colour, which is very photogenic. It's more likely, though, that people are just that bit more adventurous and want something different, and also brewing matcha feels like a little ritual as well as a drink.
What you'll need to make matcha
You can make matcha with things you already have in the kitchen. But if you catch the bug, a few traditional tools will make a real difference.
A bamboo whisk (chasen)
A chasen is carved from a single piece of bamboo into dozens of fine prongs, and it's designed to do one job of mixing your matcha powder perfectly. It breaks up every last clump and whips air into the tea, giving you that smooth, velvety drink with a fine froth on top. Bamboo whisks don't cost much, and they last a long time if you rinse them in warm water after use and let them dry standing up.
A bowl (chawan)
A wide bowl gives the whisk room to move, but any wide, fairly shallow bowl or large mug will do.
A bamboo scoop (chashaku)
Nice to have, but a teaspoon works just fine.
A small sieve
Matcha is so fine that it clumps easily, so sifting it first is the easiest way to avoid lumps. A tea strainer does the job.
No whisk? No problem
If you don't have a matcha whisk, there are plenty of other options that will produce a perfectly decent drink. A handheld milk frother is the best alternative by a mile, as it gives you a good froth in seconds.
For iced matcha, making your drink in a flask, jar or bottle with a lid and giving it a good shake together with ice can work pretty well too.
Finally, a small balloon whisk will do the trick. If you only have a spoon available, then that's fine, so long as you mix your matcha into a paste first - but expect a few lumps and no lovely froth.
How to make the perfect cup of matcha
- Heat your water to around 70 to 80°C. Don't use boiling water. It scorches the matcha and brings out the bitterness. If you don't have a temperature-controlled kettle, boil it and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Sift one teaspoon of matcha (about 1 to 2g) into your bowl. Use less if you're easing in.
- Add a splash of the hot water and whisk or stir into a smooth paste. This gets rid of the lumps.
- Pour in the rest of the water, around 70 to 80ml.
- Whisk briskly in a zig-zag "W" or "M" motion for 15 to 20 seconds, keeping the whisk just off the bottom of the bowl. Don't stir in circles. You're aiming for a fine layer of light green foam.
- Drink straight away, before the powder settles.
How to make a matcha latte
Make a paste as above with a smaller amount of water, then top up with warm frothed milk. Oat milk is a popular choice. For iced, whisk or shake your matcha with a little water, then pour over ice and cold milk.
When should you drink matcha?
Whenever you like, with one bit of advice. Matcha is high in caffeine, because you're drinking the whole leaf instead of an infusion. That makes it a good swap for your morning coffee or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, but maybe not your final drink of the evening.
In Japan it's traditionally served with a small sweet, which goes nicely with the slightly bitter finish. We fully support having a biscuit with yours.
Ready to give it a go?
Our ceremonial grade Uji matcha is available now as part of our brand new tea range. Whether you're a total beginner or already matcha-obsessed, it's a great one to have in the cupboard.
Shop ceremonial grade matcha or browse our full tea range here.
