How to make matcha (ratio + temperature)

Matcha is shade-grown tea leaf ground into a fine powder. You don’t steep it: you drink the whole leaf, suspended in water, so ratio and whisking matter more than time.

Water

80 °C176 °F

Leaf

2 gper 70 ml

Whisk

15–20 s

Re-steeps

none

Good examples: Ceremonial and culinary grade matcha.

Step by step

1. Heat fresh water to 80 °C (176 °F).
2. Sift 2 g of matcha into a warmed bowl.
3. Add 70 ml of water and whisk 15–20 s until frothy.
4. Drink straight away, before the powder settles.

Getting it exact

• Sift 2 g (about 1 level teaspoon, or 2 bamboo scoops) into a warmed bowl to prevent clumps.
• Usucha (thin): 2 g in 60–80 ml at 75–80 °C (167–176 °F). Koicha (thick): about 4 g in 30–40 ml, kneaded slowly rather than whisked.
• Whisk briskly in a zig-zag “W” or “M” motion from the wrist, not in circles, until a fine foam forms.

Quick fix: Clumpy? Sift, and add a splash of water first to make a paste before adding the rest.

Scale this for your cup →