Which Milk Goes with Matcha? Oat, Almond, Soy and Cow's Milk

A good starting choice for matcha is oat drink or whole milk: both are mild, slightly sweetish and let the green taste come through. Soy drink can work well for frothing but has a stronger taste of its own; almond and coconut drinks bring their own notes. How creamy your latte turns out depends on the specific product. As a ratio, our recommended starting amounts work well: whisk 2 g of matcha with 30 ml of water at about 75 °C and top up with 200 ml of milk.

What matters in milk: fat, protein, distinctive flavour

Whether a matcha latte tastes round or watery, green or just milky depends not only on the powder and the ratio but also on three properties of the milk.

Fat makes the latte creamier. Too much fat can push the matcha into the background, though, and then you mostly taste cream. Fat and protein content differ from product to product. So compare the nutrition information on the pack.

Protein plays an important role in frothing because it can stabilise the air bubbles. How much protein a drink contains is listed in the nutrition information.

A flavour of its own is where opinions divide. Oat drink tastes of grain and is slightly sweetish, soy drink beany, almond drink nutty, coconut of coconut. Cow's milk is comparatively neutral. The stronger its own flavour, the more it competes with the matcha. Then there is sweetness: oat drink is sweetish even without added sugar, because during production part of the oat starch is broken down into sugar. Lactose-free cow's milk also tastes slightly sweeter than regular milk, because the milk sugar in it is split into its sweeter-tasting components. These are observations about flavour, not judgements of quality.

A fourth point has less to do with the milk than with the matcha: milk can cover delicate matcha notes. For a latte, a powder with a clear green taste can therefore make more sense than a very mild matcha intended for drinking straight.

Oat, almond, soy, coconut, cow's milk: a taste comparison

With froth, the result for all types depends on the product and the preparation. Test the specific product with your frother; froth volume and stability also depend on temperature and method.

Which plant milk tastes as neutral as possible with matcha? Most likely oat drink: comparatively little character of its own, natural sweetness. If you want it even more neutral, use low-fat cow's milk. Unsweetened almond drink without added flavouring avoids extra sweetness and flavourings, but can still taste nutty.

What is used in Japan for the matcha latte? Which milk a café in Japan uses cannot be determined from the sources available to us. Ask which milk is used and whether the latte is sweetened. Without cow's milk, barista oat drink is a possible starting choice, soy drink if froth matters more to you than neutrality.

Froth and barista versions

Barista versions are developed for frothing. Whether they contain oil, stabilisers or acidity regulators is shown in the ingredients list; curdling or settling cannot be ruled out entirely with them. How fine and stable the froth becomes depends on the product and the preparation.

Are barista editions worthwhile? If you want froth or make warm lattes, they are a possible starting choice. If you drink your latte cold and without froth anyway, a regular oat drink is enough. If you prefer a short ingredients list, you will find oat drinks with only oats, water, oil and salt. Test the specific product with your frother; froth volume and stability also depend on temperature and method.

How to make froth without a machine: warm the milk and froth it with an electric hand frother, a screw-top jar (shake vigorously) or a French press (plunger up and down quickly). Warm the milk for the latte without boiling it, and follow the preparation instructions on the pack.

When milk covers the matcha and what helps

One possible reason for a latte that hardly tastes of matcha is the ratio. The more milk for the same amount of powder, the less matcha you taste. Our recommended starting amounts: whisk 2 g of sifted powder with 30 ml of water at about 75 °C to a fine foam, then top up with 200 ml of milk or oat drink. If that still tastes too milky, stay with 2 g of matcha and use less milk; or use a little more powder and keep the milk at 200 ml. Always change only one thing, then you know what helped. For a strong latte, also check the ratio and the powder.

How do you stop the milk from drowning out the matcha?

• Base first, then milk. Sift the powder and whisk it with water first, so that lumps break up more easily. Only then does the milk go in.
• Choose a neutral milk. Oat drink, whole milk or low-fat milk instead of coconut or flavoured almond drink.
• Cut back the sweetness. Sweetened plant drinks plus syrup can push the matcha into the background. Use unsweetened versions and, if needed, add a small spoon of syrup yourself.
• A powder with a clear taste. For a latte, a powder with a clear green taste can make more sense than a very mild matcha intended for drinking straight.
• Watery? How creamy or watery your latte tastes depends on the specific drink, the ratio and, for the cold version, on the melting ice. Try a different product, a little less milk or a stronger base with a little more powder for the same 30 ml.

Does every latte you make simply taste bad? Check powder, water temperature, sifting, ratio and the milk's own flavour one by one: Is the powder old or stored open? Was the water for the base boiling? Did you skip sifting? Is there too little powder for too much milk? Does the milk have a strong flavour of its own?

Does the milk curdle or separate? Curdling happens when heat and acid cause proteins to coagulate. It gets risky if you mix very hot milk with a very hot base, or when lemon, fruit or fruit syrup meet plant drink in an iced matcha. Almond drink can settle depending on the recipe; stir the latte before drinking. Coconut milk from the tin separates into fat and water and sets solid in the fridge. What helps: only warm the milk, do not boil it, and do not bring base and milk together when both are very hot. Acidic fruit or fruit syrup can make plant drinks curdle; the order of adding does not reliably prevent that.

Cold and hot

Try your drink warm and cold and decide which version tastes better with matcha. In an iced latte, melting ice dilutes the drink; how creamy or watery it tastes depends on the specific drink, the ratio and the ice. If you want to counter that, use a creamier milk or a stronger base. Coconut drink works well cold if you want a tropical note. The portion stays at our recommended starting amounts: 2 g of matcha, 30 ml of water at about 75 °C, 200 ml of cold milk, plus ice. You make the base with warm water for the cold version too, because the powder distributes less well in cold water. That applies regardless of country: barista oat drink or whole milk are a possible starting choice for the iced latte, whatever brands are on the shelf.

For the warm latte: warm the milk without boiling it, then pour base and milk together. A hint of vanilla extract in the oat drink is a possible variation, as is maple syrup; both sparingly, so that the matcha stays the star. Oat drink with maple syrup is a possible combination if you like it sweetish.

A word on coconut milk from the tin: it is very fatty and very coconut-forward. Plain as a latte base, it is heavy. Better to use it as part of a mixture, for example with oat drink, or use coconut drink from the carton. Shake the tin well before opening, because the fat settles on top.

Recommendations by flavour preference

• Matcha in the foreground, as neutral as possible: low-fat cow's milk or unsweetened oat drink. Our recommended starting amounts, no sweetness.
• Creamy and round, café style: whole milk or barista oat drink, frothed, a small spoon of syrup in the base if needed.
• Sweetish without added sugar: oat drink or lactose-free milk; both bring sweetness of their own.
• Froth: whole milk, soy drink or a barista drink; test the specific product with your frother.
• Nutty: unsweetened almond drink.
• Tropical, over ice: coconut drink, with a little fruit if you like. Acidic fruit or fruit syrup can make plant drinks curdle; the order of adding does not reliably prevent that.
• Short ingredients list: oat drink made from oats, water, oil and salt.
• Strong latte: less milk or a little more powder; also check the ratio and the powder before you change the milk.

Which brand you choose is secondary. Instead, compare the ingredients list and the fat content of two products and try both with the same powder and the same amount. Our RINSUMILA DAILY is made for exactly this preparation: no bitterness in the taste, for lattes and iced lattes, with milk or oat drink. The basic recipe with all the steps is in the matcha latte recipe.

Frequently asked questions