The first time I tasted matcha, it was in the form of an ice-cream. It was from a quaint little place on the border of Fort Kochi - it was a sweet, earthy treat on a sweltering day.
But I fell in love. And every time I’d see matcha on the menu since, my heart would skip a beat. But very few places did it right. Some places would be too bitter - maybe not the greatest quality? Or some places would make it too sweet - I wanted a matcha latte, not a sugar rush!
So I decided to try my own hand at doing it right… and I finally realized how so many places kept getting it wrong. Brewing a good cup of matcha takes precision - just like it takes time to get used to it’s taste. But when you fall in love with something as much as I fell in love with this earthy, herby, energizing drink, you’d be willing to do the work to get it right.
At least that’s how it was for me, and if you’re like me and want to do right by Matcha, I can help you out.
How do you make the best cup of Matcha?
Well, you start by acquiring the best quality Matcha you can get your hands on, of course. Thankfully, you don’t have to go looking for it, because our high quality So Matcha Better is of Japanese origin - specifically from the Shizuoka district and is shaded for a month to retain its quality. So that’s sorted.
But once you have your hand on your bottle, the next step is to make sure that you prepare the Matcha right.
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Ensure that you’re using the right amount of Matcha - the recommended matcha to water ratio is 1 tsp to ⅓ cup of water. So don’t take more than 1-2g per serving. And if you are making more cups of the drink, or adding it to another recipe - make sure to adjust the volume accordingly.
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Sieve through a metal mesh sieve - High quality Matcha is a precious ingredient, and can easily clump up when stored improperly. So this step is important in ensuring that you get a smooth drinking experience with your Matcha.
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Make sure to use hot water for your Matcha infusion - not boiling water, or cold water. The ideal temperature for mixing matcha is 50-80°C and anything hotter will make it bitter, and cause it to lose flavor. Cold water is definitely not an option to blend the Matcha in, as the powder will not mix fully at lower temperatures.
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Get yourself a whisk or handheld frother to mix your Matcha - The traditional Bamboo whisk (called Chasen) is the best way to ensure your matcha is well mixed, and retains its flavor. Now if you’ve got a Chasen, you can whisk it up in a bowl by making figure 8 shapes, until it’s fully dissolved.
Your second best option would be to use a small metal whisk, or even a handheld frother. This will ensure that the powder is completely suspended in the water - giving you the smooth infusion that you’re aiming for. -
Know what result to look for with your Matcha infusion - When you’ve gathered all your items and done all these steps, you should have an infusion with a thick, frothy layer on top, with loads of small bubbles. This is when you know you’ve done it right, and you can just add it to whatever you’re making!
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You can now add it to your final recipe - while we suggest that you consume Matcha as a hot tea for the benefits, the next best thing is to make a latte with plant-based milk. Our community of Matcha lovers here at Cosmix usually prefer oat milk, or coconut milk. But if you’re creative, there are many great recipes to try making with matcha - from healthy frosting to Kaju Katli!
But why is the process of making Matcha so important?
While I know I started drinking Matcha for the taste, and later came to realize its benefits, this might not be the case for many of you. Matcha is rich in a lot of bioactive compounds like L-theanine, caffeine, chlorophyll and various catechins. These all work together to prevent disease, support cognitive function and to give us that boost of energy.
The process of making Matcha is important in ensuring we make the most of these benefits. A recent study talks about how the temperature of the water you use for making Matcha, can directly impact the extraction of these compounds.
You know the blooming effect of the Matcha? Where it gets suspended in the water, becomes smooth, and forms small bubbles on top? This is essentially showing this change. When Matcha is added to water and whisked, it gets oxygenated, and all these chemicals become more impactful. Thus increasing the benefits of your brew!
So next time you go through the process of making Matcha, I hope you remember the reason why you are taking the time to do it right.
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If you’re looking to learn more about Matcha as an ingredient - do check out our previous post all about Matcha, and this one about the importance of ensuring the authenticity of Matcha.
Now, if you’ve got more Matcha questions, don’t stress - just slide into our DMS and we’ll help you with perfecting that frothy cuppa and making the most of Matcha benefits! 🤤🤤
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7796401/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7231151/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6273883/
