The Ritual

How do you make matcha?

Making matcha is simpler than it looks. Sift 2g of powder into a bowl, pour in 75ml of water at 80 degrees, and whisk briskly in a W-motion for 20 to 30 seconds until a fine foam covers the surface. Then drink it right away. This is usucha, the classic way to prepare ceremonial matcha, and once you know the steps it takes about a minute.

When a bowl goes wrong, it is almost always one of three things: the water was too hot, the powder was not sifted, or the matcha had gone stale. If you get those three right, the rest follows naturally.

What do you need to make matcha?

You need four things: matcha, a wide bowl (a chawan if you have one), a bamboo whisk called a chasen, and water at the right temperature. A small kitchen scale or a bamboo scoop helps you measure 2g, but a level teaspoon works fine too.

You do not need an electric frother or a blender. The fine tines of a chasen build a smooth foam by hand, which is something a metal whisk or a fork cannot quite match.

Step by step: how to whisk matcha (usucha)

1. Sift 2g of matcha into your bowl. That is one level bamboo scoop, or 2g on a kitchen scale. Sifting breaks up the small clumps so the powder mixes evenly.
2. Add 75ml of water at 80 degrees. If you only have a normal kettle, let the boiled water sit for four to five minutes and it will cool down to about the right temperature. Boiling water makes matcha bitter.
3. Whisk briskly in a W-motion for 20 to 30 seconds. Move your wrist quickly back and forth rather than in circles, until a fine and even foam covers the surface.
4. Drink it straight away. Matcha is at its best in the first few minutes, before the foam starts to settle.

How do you make a matcha latte?

Start by whisking 2g of matcha with a small splash of hot water until you have a smooth paste without lumps. Then add about 150ml of warm milk; oat and dairy both work well. The reason you make the paste first is simple: powder that goes straight into milk almost always clumps.

What mistakes ruin a bowl of matcha?

Boiling water. This is the most common mistake by far. At 100 degrees, the delicate sweetness of the leaf breaks down and what is left tastes flat and bitter, so stick to 80 degrees.

Skipping the sift. Matcha clumps easily, especially once the pouch has been opened and resealed a few times. A quick sift through a small strainer is the difference between a smooth bowl and a gritty one.

Wrong storage. Light, warmth and air slowly fade both the colour and the flavour. Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dark spot and use it within eight weeks of opening.

Too much or too little powder. With less than 2g the bowl tastes thin and watery, and with much more it turns into a paste. A level scoop or a scale keeps it consistent every time.

Why does the whisking motion matter?

The W-motion is not a ritual for its own sake. Moving the whisk quickly back and forth pulls air into the water and builds a fine, stable foam, while stirring in circles just moves the liquid around. Once your temperature and your whisking are right, everything else, from the shape of the bowl to the type of whisk, is refinement.

Ready to try it yourself? Start with our 30g ceremonial matcha. And if you are wondering what makes it ceremonial grade in the first place, our matcha explains the whole story.