Have you been to a tea shop or Starbucks and seen people drinking that vibrant green drink? More often than not, that’s matcha. Matcha is a high-quality green tea that people grind into a powder before whisking together to create a delicious drink.
While the origins of matcha have a rich history in Japanese culture, this type of tea has been on the rise worldwide. Here’s everything you need to know about a match, including where it comes from, how to make it, and what it tastes like.
History of Matcha Tea
Before steeping tea was common, people had to turn the tea leaves into a powder to create tea. The Chinese used this method for decades, but the Japanese were the ones who popularized this method, especially matcha tea. This tea-making process was popular in the 8th century in China, but it wasn’t popularized in Japan until the 12th century.
Matcha tea is ceremonial in Japan and represents discipline, purification, and ritual. While everyone can enjoy matcha tea, in Japan, enjoying this type of tea is very important and taken seriously.
Matcha tea grows throughout Japan and depends on what region you get the matcha tea from. It can vary in color, flavor, and how well the powder will turn into the tea. While it’s grown throughout the country, the primary regions matcha grows in are Nishio and Uji.
How To Make Matcha Tea
Making matcha tea is different from other tea, but it’s hard to make as long as you have the right equipment. Here’s how to make matcha tea.
1: Gather Your Ingredients
You only need two ingredients and bamboo or another whisk to make matcha:
- ⅓ cup of filtered water
- ½ teaspoon of your favorite matcha powder
2: Boil the Water
Add your water to a pot and bring it to a boil on the stove.
3: Remove the Water From the Heat
You’ll then remove the water from the heat and let the water cool for two to three minutes, maybe longer.
4: Add Matcha Powder
Take your matcha powder and add it to a small bowl with a splash of hot water. You’ll mix the powder and water with a bamboo whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
5: Add the Rest of the Water to a Bowl
Once you have your paste, you’ll add the rest of the water to the bowl and continue stirring. You’ll whisk it until it’s all combined and frothy.
How To Make Matcha Tea Without a Whisk
While making matcha with a whisk is traditionally how you need to do it, you can make it without a whisk. You’ll still follow all the above instructions, but instead of using water, you’ll use your favorite milk.
You won’t get the frothy texture you would with a whisk, but you can replace the water with your favorite milk to get a creamier texture.
How Matcha Tea Tastes
If you want to know how matcha tea tastes before you purchase a drink or make it at home, there’s not much to learn. Generally, matcha has a vibrant flavor that traditionally brewed teas don’t have. How matcha tea will taste to you might not be how it tastes to everyone else.
Those who enjoy drinking the tea or have at least tried it before refer to the flavor resembling a creamy, wheatgrass, and even vegetable flavor. Matcha is very full-bodied and frothy, thanks to how it’s traditionally made. Other flavor descriptions include umami and grassy.
How to Make Matcha Tea Taste Better
Matcha is definitely an acquired taste. If you’re interested in drinking more matcha for whatever reason but are trying to make it taste better to you, you’re in luck. Many people have experimented with different ways to make matcha tea to make it taste ten times better than tea on its own. Here are our favorite ways to make matcha tea taste better.
Sweeteners
Sweeteners are the number one way to improve the taste of anything really. You can use white sugar, Splenda, maple syrup, honey, or whatever sweetener you prefer to make that grassy tea taste better. If you’re interested in adding a sweetener, we recommend adding creamer or milk, to make it more of a latte.
Creamer
Creamers and kinds of milk are a great way to improve the flavor of matcha tea. You’ll see matcha lattes on menus at many tea and coffee shops because they’re delicious. You can use whole milk, almond, or even your favorite coffee creamer with a unique flavor.
Lemon Or Another Citrus Juice
For those who don’t want a creamier option, adding lemon, lime, or orange juice to your matcha can be delicious. It will be very citrusy, but if you drink it cold, it’ll be refreshing.
Spices
If you want to drink your matcha tea hot, then adding a variety of spices can improve the flavor and make it that much richer. Popular spices people add to matcha tea include cinnamon, coriander, and ginger.
Matcha Tea Caffeine Content
Matcha is a highly caffeinated beverage, which can be great for kick-starting your morning, but it isn’t ideal for drinking at night if you plan on going to bed at a decent hour. It has more caffeine than regular green tea and has similar content to black tea, which is known to be very caffeinated.
How much caffeine is in your matcha tea will vary depending on the brand you purchase and where you get it from. Most match tea has anywhere between 19 to 44 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha powder.
Final Thoughts
Matcha tea is a powdered green tea that has a rich history in Japan but is beloved throughout the world. You can easily make it at home with a whisk or without, and add plenty of things to it to improve the taste. No matter how you want to make matcha tea, it’s a great pick-me-up in the morning and will taste amazing.