How to Make Matcha Green Tea in 3 Ways (Bamboo Whisk, Milk Frother and Without a Whisk)

Learn how to matcha green tea at home using either of our 3 methods (with or without a whisk). In our video, we also show you our tips and small tricks to achieve a velvety elixir that won't be bitter!
Method 1 - Traditional Method of Making Matcha (Best to get a creamy texture)
🥣 Tools you’ll need for this method:
Bamboo Whisk (Chasen) - amzn.to/3lLve1E
Bamboo Scoop (Chashaku) - amzn.to/3lDVuv2
Japanese Tea Bowl (Chawan) - amzn.to/3z43SXS
📝 We think that the Chashaku is entirely optional as you can replace this with a teaspoon. However, we wouldn't skip out on using a Japanese tea bowl. The wide shape and height are perfect for making Japanese green tea in combination with the bamboo whisk.
Method 2 - Make Japanese Green Tea with a Milk Frother (No whisking)
🥣 Tools you’ll need for this method:
Milk Frother - amzn.to/3DedZeH
📝 We recommend only using a milk frother that mentions it is purpose-built to also make Japanese green tea in the manual. This is because a lot of milk frothers could heat up the water to above 80 degrees which will make the drink really bitter. Make sure to always use the lowest heat and fastest setting.
Method 3 - Make Matcha without Whisk (Quickest way to make green tea)
🥣 Tools you’ll need for this method:
Handheld electric whisk - amzn.to/3JYCqQX
🍴Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
1-2 scoops of ceremonial grade matcha powder - amzn.to/3ObKyjM
60ml of hot water (around 80 degrees)
Sweetener (optional)
📝 If this is one of your first times making matcha, we recommend starting small and using only a small scoop of the powder to start with.
📝 Make sure you don't use boiling water! This is what makes your drink turn out bitter. If you don't have a temperature control kettle, boil your water and leave this for 2-3 minutes. You can still get a delicious cup of green tea even if the temperature is slightly lower than 80 degrees.
📝 You can also make matcha without tools by using a sieve and fork. However, from our experience, it hasn't given us the same creaminess and flavour as the results above.
👨🏼‍🍳 You can find the full recipe with more cooking tips (and other types of green tea drinks) on our site: www.honestfoodtalks.com/how-t...
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:33 Matcha ingredients
00:38 Making traditional Japanese green tea (Method 1)
02:30 How to whisk matcha
03:23 Prepare matcha without whisk (Method 2)
04:25 Using a handheld milk frother (Method 3)
05:16 Pros and cons of each method
#matcha #matcharecipe #japanesegreentea #matchapowder #japanesetea #howtomakematcha

[@honestfoodtalks]

What's your favourite matcha powder brand? 🍃 We used ClearSpring Ceremonial Matcha powder (amzn.to/3ObKyjM) in this video and loved it! Share with us your favourites for us to try 😊

[@lydiapetra1211]

What if I don't have a whisk or a frother...how can I mix the matcha

[@honestfoodtalks]

​@@lydiapetra1211 If it were me in your situation, I would use wooden chopsticks and whisk the matcha vigorously. The wooden material will help somewhat mimic the bamboo whisk. Or, you could try using a regular baking whisk and whisking it vigorously. That should result in something close to using the auto-metal whisk. Some people opt for putting the matcha powder and water into a plastic container and vigorously shaking it. While all these alternative methods work to a certain degree, you may still get some clumped up matcha bits and it's unlikely you will get the tiny frothy bubbles.

[@franklinturkey]

bamboo is high in glyphosate js

[@nicn4873]

​@@franklinturkey Just make sure you buy one made in Japan. It's definitely going to be pricier, but if you're the type to also buy organic matcha, then you should also avoid those bamboo whisk that are made in China.

[@nicn4873]

My current fave brand is Ippodo, but I also love Breakaway matcha's Original Cold Brew blend when the weather starts heating up! Can't wait to drink it iced!!

[@SerineSahakyan-xd2nt]

Very useful and well made video. Thank you.

[@honestfoodtalks]

So glad you find our video useful! 😁

[@hamrthroer]

Thank you Thank you Thank you for including a metal whisk. Can’t believe how hard it was to find these instructions. We live in a Tiny house and simply have to use multi-taskers.

[@honestfoodtalks]

Our pleasure! 😊

[@MatchabreadOVEN]

Love your video :)

[@honestfoodtalks]

Thank you!

[@MarilandaCuevas-fg9oe]

Me interesa como lo consigo

[@konstansal]

I vote for number 3 who has the time for anything else I wonder 💭 😅

[@honestfoodtalks]

😊 We also use method 3 most of the time. Whenever we have some extra time, we try to use the bamboo whisk as the result is just better (frothier and creamier) - give it a shot! 😃

[@nicn4873]

Well, the whole purpose of Japanese tea ceremony originates from Zen monks using matcha to help practice their long meditation. It is also quite important to make matcha properly when making/serving it to guests during a tea ceremony. In Tokyo's Starbucks Reserve, they have a stone mill in which they freshly grind their matcha, employees whisk using the traditional bamboo whisk and serve it to their customers! I find my matcha tastes absolutely best after using the chasen (bamboo whisk) rather than my handheld frother, but hey, to each their own.

[@dishakhamari7914]

😂😂yes

[@mizz308]

Sometimes we need to slow down

[@HD-ol1mc]

I do the traditional method a couple of times a day at work when I make matcha latte. It doesn’t take as long as they take, it’s all done in slow motion here 😊.

[@nicn4873]

It might be easier to whisk with the chasen if the bowl was a bit wider/bigger, but that's just my humble opinion. Getting the microfoam on matcha is a big deal for me, so I almost always go for the traditional chasen at home to enjoy its creaminess and sip from the traditional bowl because whenever you try sipping from a mug/cup/tumbler, the foam moves toward the back and left gets left behind as you pour/drink from it. Though the handheld frother also works in a pinch, I don't like the big bubbles I get from using it each time, plus I have to use a taller cup/tumbler when making it to prevent accidental splashes getting out. And again the foam escapes me when I take a drink, lol.

[@honestfoodtalks]

You're quite the matcha connoisseur! ☺we agree that the best result is no doubt by using the traditional bamboo whisk

[@ThundermansThunder]

I have just received my first ever purchase of matcha tea, and I am quite fond of getting the best results possible, so I very much appreciate your comment! I had been really curious to know if there was a noticeable difference in the results between a frother and and the whisk, so it is nice to know for sure.

[@nicn4873]

@@ThundermansThunder I hope you are enjoying your matcha, sometimes it can be difficult finding the one you like. A lot of it will be trial and error, since taste is so subjective.

[@ThundermansThunder]

@@nicn4873 Thank you! It really is a lot of trial and error with tea, because it is such a nuanced art, but it is so fascinating and fun! I have tried so many different forms of tea through the years, and have really been amazed and enjoy the variety of flavors that can be coaxed from the camellia sinensis plant in the hands of different tea masters in different countries and regions. Of course, I have known that matcha exists during that time, but, for some reason, which is a mystery to me, as I love trying new things, I never really felt compelled to explore it until now. I have a matcha bowl and whisk on the way, and already have a frother, so I am looking forward to experiencing the differences for myself. If you don't mind sharing, do you have any personal tips or favorite brands of matcha that you would recommend?

[@nicn4873]

​@@ThundermansThunder My current fave brand: Ippodo (from their website) they currently have the limited seasonal one called Nodoka. It's a very tiny amount but enough for you to try several times at a reasonable amount, $17 for 20 g. I think it's an excellent one to try as a beginner to matcha. Since Ippodo has been around for over 300 years and is based in the matcha capital of Japan (Kyoto), I believe the taste to be more authentic and representative of what true matcha tastes like. Only bad thing about Nodoka is that it does not come in a tin but in a thin aluminum/mylar type package inside a box. Matcha is very sensitive to temperature, humidity and light exposure, so if you do end up liking matcha, it might be a good idea to invest in a vessel to hold it in or just look for ones in an airtight tin.

[@MelissaHurley1994]

I wasn't expecting the water to go to high when I used the electric whisk 😅

[@honestfoodtalks]

We made the mistake before too! 😅 how high the water swirls depends also on the shape of the glass. The pear shaped glass we ended using kept the water level under control for us

[@chaelinesp7873]

I hope you'll answer this but may I ask the best milk to pair with matcha I like mine to be creamy but at the same time have a strong matcha flavor. Please help me.

[@honestfoodtalks]

Thanks for asking 😊 if you want a creamy yet strong matcha, then go for full fat milk, but reduce the amount of water you whisk your matcha in. If you want a plant milk option, personally I like soy milk. It has this nutty flavour that complements matcha really well. Ideally, cold whisk the milk to make it slightly frothy before pouring your matcha over. You can add more matcha to have a stronger taste too. Hope this helps! 😊

[@chaelinesp7873]

@@honestfoodtalks Ah thank you so much for answering! Last question, how about oat milk is it also good? I don't like the taste of nuts

[@honestfoodtalks]

Oat milk is an alright substitute - it turns out less milky and more watery. We’d suggest frothing the oat milk as much as possible to add abit more creaminess to it 😊

[@chandanabattula969]

How to use

[@Doodmeister0]

What about using a metal hand whisk

[@honestfoodtalks]

From our experience, a metal hand whisk will not produce a foamy texture like how a bamboo whisk would. While it’s still possible, we would not recommend it. The automatic hand whisk compensates and does a better job due to its high whisking speed. Hope this helps! 😊

[@shalomtheboss6655]

if I may ask why did you have to transfer the water from the small boat into the big bowl and soak the bamboo whisk in the small bowl first why can't you just use the regular white bowl and can you please write a quick step by step if I don't have a teapot

[@honestfoodtalks]

Thanks for your question 😊 we first add the hot water to the small bowl to warm up both the small bowl as well as the bamboo whisk. It will help maintain the temperature of the matcha when you are preparing it. This is similar to the preparation of coffee or tea where you would warm up the cups with some hot water, before actually brewing the coffee or tea. If you don’t have a teapot, you can pour the hot water directly from the kettle - But more importantly, we recommend waiting about 5 mins after boiling, to allow the water temperature to drop slightly. Preparing matcha with pure boiling water will cause it to have a bitter aftertaste. Ideally you want the water temperature to drop to about 80 degree Celcius. Hope this helps!

[@shalomtheboss6655]

@@honestfoodtalks hi thanks for replying I really appreciate it just for clarification if I don't have a teapot or a kettle . I have a regular hot water machine so basically you recommended that I should poor regular hot water and wait around 5 minutes for the temperature to get down to like 80° C then I should use it is that correct ? and can you please send me a recommended tea pot that you use and is a kettle necessarily recommended for me to buy if I already have them at my house a regular hot water machine thank you I really appreciate it

[@missmjl2468]

I heard that metal ruins matcha? Is that true?

[@honestfoodtalks]

From our experience, we don’t feel that metal has a huge effect on matcha in terms of taste. However, we do think the material of the cup you’re drinking matcha from will change its experience. For example, drinking from a clay mug will give an earthy texture that complements matcha. While drinking from a metal cup may give off a cold and crisp feeling. Having said that, from what we’ve read, metal may have an influence on certain nutritional components of matcha. But, there are many factors that needs to be taken account - such as the type of metal, the temperature it’s getting in contact and more. While we’ve not noticed a significant difference in the matcha when we drink it from a metal cup, we do prefer drinking it from either a clay mug or a glass cup. Hope this helps 😊

[@kazumiFu]

Excuse me, I don’t understand. What happens after that, do you drink that little, or do you pour more water/milk? I don’t understand :(

[@honestfoodtalks]

For the bamboo whisk method, we first whisk 60 ml of hot water with matcha powder until frothy. Then you add more water (up to 200 ml or 1 cup) to complete the drink 😊 if you want, you can add milk instead of water to make it into a matcha latte. Hope this helps 🙏

[@jamesbarbatano6016]

I wonder whether you could just use a coffee machine?

[@honestfoodtalks]

Interesting idea 🧐 let us know if you do try it out! 😃

[@freesoju]

Is it okay to add a bit of sugar

[@honestfoodtalks]

We recommend enjoying matcha without any sugar as matcha has it’s natural umami and sweetness. Adding dairy milk can also add a subtle sweetness that does not overpower matcha’s natural flavour. But if you want to, we suggest using white icing or confectioners sugar so that it dissolves easily in the matcha. Start with small amounts 😊

[@TheVolcano2334]

This has Karate Kid vibes.

[@honestfoodtalks]

🥋🍵😄