Matcha Latte

A matcha latte is whisked matcha topped with warm milk: creamy, gently bitter and slightly grassy, with the round sweetness of the milk. The basic recipe needs 2 g of matcha, 30 ml of water at about 75 °C and 200 ml of milk or oat drink. The key is to whisk the powder smooth with a little water first and only then add the milk, because matcha does not dissolve, it only disperses finely.

Variations and tips

• Adjusting the ratio: The basic recipe is a starting point, not a law. The latte gets stronger with a little more powder and the same milk, less milky with less milk and 2 g of powder, and milder with a little less powder (1 to 2 g is usual) or more milk. For a larger glass, increase powder, water and milk in the same proportion, and change only one thing at a time so you know what helped.
• Weigh instead of guessing: Spoons vary, and powder can be filled loosely or firmly. So weigh 2 g once with a precision scale and note how much that is with your spoon. The amount looks small, but well dispersed it is enough for a whole glass.
• Milk and foam: The milk should steam but not boil, because boiling milk tastes cooked, forms a skin and froths less well. Foam works with a milk frother or a hand frother; in a screw-top jar, shake only cold milk and then warm it uncovered in a pan. Whole milk tastes creamy and round, oat drink mild and slightly sweet; almond and rice drinks are thinner and froth less well, while barista versions of plant drinks froth better.
• Water and whisking: The water should be 70 to 80 °C; let boiling water cool briefly, and use a thermometer for exact values. Hotter water often makes the base more bitter. Whisk in a fast zigzag movement from the wrist, which usually works more reliably than stirring in a circle, and remember that a small, smooth base with foam is better than a large one with lumps.
• Common mistakes: Unsieved powder leaves dry pockets in the glass, and stirred straight into the milk it often stays unevenly dispersed. 1 g in a large glass gives colour but hardly any taste, and more than about 200 ml of milk per 2 g easily covers the matcha. Old powder or powder left exposed to air loses colour and taste, and too much syrup or cinnamon covers the matcha instead of accompanying it.
• When it tastes watery or only of milk: Go through powder, milk and preparation in turn. Test the powder straight with 2 g in 70 ml of water at about 75 °C: if it tastes flat and pale even then, the powder is the more likely cause; if it smells musty, is damp or visibly mouldy, throw it away. Otherwise a little more powder, less milk or a strong koicha-style pre-mix of about 4 g of powder with 30 to 40 ml of water at about 75 °C, topped up with milk, will help.
• Which matcha for a latte: Drunk straight, sweetness, umami and fine green notes come to the fore, and in 200 ml of milk these subtleties largely disappear. That is why a robust powder with a clear, somewhat more bitter taste makes sense for a latte and a milder, finer one for the straight bowl; a powder that is too bitter for you straight can work well in a latte, because the milk cushions bitterness. "Ceremonial" and "culinary" are trade names, not protected terms; freshness, colour and a fine grind matter more, although colour alone is not a reliable verdict.
• Hot, cold and variations: Warm, the latte usually tastes rounder and milder than over ice, and the cold version is in the iced matcha latte recipe. For a flat white, use less milk and froth it finely; for a cream top, whip cream only lightly so it still flows and let it run onto the latte over the back of a spoon. Cafés rarely reveal their recipe, and powder, amount, cup size and above all sweetness often differ: if the café latte tastes sweeter, stir some syrup into the warm base, and if it tastes stronger, use more powder or less milk.

Frequently asked questions