Matcha latte.
Done properly, without drowning it in sugar.

Ingredients for 1 cup

• 2 g of ceremonial matcha
• 30 ml of water at 70 °C
• 150 ml of milk (whole, oat or unsweetened almond)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of agave syrup or honey

Method

1. Sift the matcha into the chawan to get rid of lumps.
2. Add 30 ml of water at 70 °C and whisk with the chasen in Ws until you have a smooth paste. Starting with little water concentrates the flavour before the milk arrives.
3. Heat the milk to 60 to 65 °C. With an espresso steam wand, texture it to a microfoam. Otherwise heat it in a pan and use an electric frother.
4. Pour the milk over the dissolved matcha. Add the syrup if you want it.
5. Serve straight away.

Why this ratio works

The key is dissolving the matcha in plain water before the milk goes in. Pour milk straight onto the powder and its proteins get in the way of dispersion, leaving lumps. Pre-diluting in water gives a clean emulsion.

Which milk works best

Unsweetened oat milk is what most speciality baristas reach for with matcha: its natural sweetness complements the umami without covering it, and it textures well. Whole milk gives more body. Almond can carry a bitterness that clashes with a first-harvest matcha.

Glasses and mugs to serve it in

Any cup of about 250 ml will do for this recipe. If you are looking for one, these eight state capacity and material on their listing; the double wall glass ones show off the green of the matcha and do not get hot on the outside. All eight are also in the shop.

• ecooe set of 2 double wall glass mugs, 350 ml (see the price on Amazon). Hand blown borosilicate glass, double wall and a handle: you see the layers of the latte and the outer wall does not get hot. 350 ml to the brim (330 in use), microwave safe and hand wash only, according to the listing. Set of two.
• Le Creuset 400 ml stoneware mug, Cerise (see the price on Amazon). Glazed stoneware, 400 ml, cherry red: the matcha latte from the recipe (30 ml of water and 150 of milk) fits with room for the foam. It goes in the dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer, according to the listing.
• Yundu set of 4 matte ceramic 295 ml cups with saucers (see the price on Amazon). Four ceramic cups with a matte glaze, each a different colour and with its saucer. 295 ml: just right for the latte in the recipe, about 180 ml, with its foam. Dishwasher and microwave safe, according to the listing.
• Creano set of 2 tall double wall glasses, 400 ml (see the price on Amazon). The glass for iced matcha latte: tall (14 cm), no handle, 400 ml and a hand blown borosilicate double wall, so it does not fog on the outside with ice. The listing does not say whether it is dishwasher or microwave safe. Set of two.
• Purity Style tall 500 ml hand painted mug (see the price on Amazon). A tall latte mug hand painted in Thailand, with bright horizontal stripes and a green inside that goes with the matcha; each piece has its own brush differences. 500 ml, 15 cm tall, dishwasher and microwave safe.
• Ava Nord set of 4 blue reactive glaze stoneware mugs (see the price on Amazon). Stoneware with horizontal grooves and a petrol blue reactive glaze that lightens at the rim and runs down, so every mug comes out different. 400 ml, with a handle, in a set of four; dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, for hot and cold drinks, according to the listing.
• BUCOMTU set of 6 glass can cups with bamboo lids (see the price on Amazon). The glass can with a bamboo lid and a straw: the iced matcha latte shows in two layers, green over white. 500 ml of borosilicate, from −20 to 100 °C, in a set of six with brushes. The glass and straw go in the dishwasher; the lid by hand, and nothing in the microwave.
• KONZEPT set of 6 ribbed 320 ml glasses (see the price on Amazon). A low glass with vertical ribs that widens towards the base, in lead free glass made in Poland: the relief breaks up the light and you see the layers of the iced latte through it. 320 ml usable, set of six, dishwasher safe. The listing gives it for cold drinks: it is for the latte over ice.

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