Matcha tea, powder and accessories

What is matcha?

Matcha is made from green tea leaves that are ground into a fine, bright green powder. With ordinary green tea you steep the leaves and throw them away; with matcha you whisk the powder into water, so the whole leaf ends up in your cup. That gives a fuller, grassy flavour with a savoury note known as umami, and a slightly creamy texture. Prefer steeped leaves? Have a look at our green tea.

Matcha powder or latte mix?

• Matcha tea powder from Japan (Café du Jour, 50 g): matcha on its own. Use it for traditional matcha with water, for a latte with milk of your choice, or in baking and smoothies.
• Matcha Latte – Green tea Latte Mix (Café du Jour) and Matcha Green Tea Latte Mix (340 g): made for matcha lattes. If you want pure matcha, check the ingredients before you buy.

How to make matcha

1. Sift about a teaspoon of matcha into a bowl to break up any lumps.
2. Add a little hot water at around 70-80°C. Boiling water makes matcha bitter.
3. Whisk briskly in a zigzag motion until the tea is smooth and frothy. A bamboo whisk (chasen) is the traditional tool; a small electric milk frother also works.
4. Top up with more water, or with warm milk for a matcha latte.

Making a matcha latte

Whisk the matcha with a small splash of hot water into a smooth paste first; stirring powder straight into milk leaves lumps. Then add warm, frothed milk, dairy or plant-based, and sweeten to taste. For an iced matcha latte, whisk the matcha the same way and pour it over ice and cold milk. A latte mix is quicker still: it is designed to be stirred straight into milk.

Matcha accessories

Matcha is traditionally made in a wide bowl (chawan), measured with a bamboo spoon (chashaku) and whisked with a bamboo whisk (chasen).

• Matcha spoon, bamboo, 18 cm: the chashaku for measuring out the powder.
• Matcha set Aurora and Matcha set Wasabi: two designs, each 13 cm across and 7 cm high.
• Matcha starter kit Aurora and Matcha starter set Wasabi: the same two designs, with matcha tea included, so you can start straight away.

For teapots, strainers and other tea tools, see tea equipment.

Matcha and caffeine

Matcha contains caffeine. Because you drink the whole leaf, a cup of matcha usually has more caffeine than a cup of steeped green tea. If you are sensitive to caffeine, it can make you restless or keep you awake, and some people find it hard on an empty stomach. Start with a small amount and avoid it late in the day.