How To Make Delicious Cold Matcha (2021)

Back to How to Make Japanese Tea

This article was last modified November 1st, 2021. by Yuki

On a hot day, why not try a refreshing cup of cold Matcha! Not only is it amazingly refreshing, it's amazingly healthy as well!

Here we'll go over the steps to make delicious Cold Matcha.

Although it is a "COLD" Matcha, rather than using cold water, I recommend using a little bit of hot water for the preparation.

This will allow the aroma to be released, and the astringency of the Matcha to come out as well. (A hint of astringency is good too :))

It'll be easier to mix the tea as well.

However - be careful, because if the water is too hot, the ice will melt and dilute the Matcha. If the Matcha becomes too thin, it's not nice either.

So a delicate balancing act is required!

Sound difficult? Don't worry, we've got you covered! – read below!

Below is a quick reference guide for making Cold Brew Matcha. Notice that the amount of Matcha Powder is similar to a Usucha (Thin-tea style) preparation.

Table: Instructions on how to make Matcha
* The additional 40ml of water should be water cooled to room temperature

What you need is relatively similar to Usucha. Take a look at the below.

For preparing cold Matcha, I recommend you use the Chasen with 100 prongs or bristles. It can be any number of prongs if you don't have the 100 pronged Chasen.

Before even touching the Matcha, the first step would be to place the Chasen in a bowl of water for it to soak up.

If it’s a new Chasen or one you haven’t used in a while, make sure you keep it in the water for about 20 minutes. This is especially important for the cold Matcha.

Why should I do this?

It's integral for Chasen maintenance. The Chasen is a precious but fragile tool. Soaking it in water will help prevent the bristles from breaking when mixing the Matcha.

This step also allows the Chasen to bend more easily, allowing the whipping action to be more effective while you mix the Matcha.

It'll be easier when mixing the Matcha and generating the foam. It'll help generate the rich foam.

You can say that this is especially important for cold Matcha, as cold Matcha is difficult to make the frothy layer of bubbles compared to a hot Matcha.

Take 2 grams of Matcha powder and pour it into the Chawan.

Can't measure 2 grams? No problem. - This would be 2 scoops if you are using a Chashaku (Bamboo Tea Scoop), or 1 scoop if you are using a Teaspoon.

The amount of Matcha powder used for brewing cold Matcha is the same as Usucha.

Key point: Use a tea strainer to smoothen the Matcha powder.

This is to avoid the Matcha powder from forming lumps when you mix.

This is also a very important step especially for cold Matcha. It's difficult to mix the powder when the water isn't hot.

Prepare 20 ml of hot water at 80 degrees Celsius and pour it into the Chawan. 

Yes, only 20ml for now.

Although the cold Matcha is drunk cold, it is important to use hot water for this step. This will help the Matcha unleash more aroma, and bring out the astringency. Without the astringency, the Matcha will taste somewhat too light.

Remember to boil the water at 100 degrees to remove all the chlorine in the water. (The chlorine has a taste that effects the delicate taste of Matcha)

You can simply wait a while until it cools down. But that might be tedious to wait. That's where the Yuzamashi (or the water-cooling bowl) comes in play.

Just pour the water from the kettle to the Yuzamashi, and wait 2 mins or so. Your water should be ready to go.

If you don’t have a Yuzamashi, you can use any bowl you like. By pouring the water into a Yuzamashi or a different bowl once, it will lower the temperature to an optimal temperature.

Once your water is ready, pour it directly into the Matcha bowl. 20 ml is a small amount, but should be enough to wet the Matcha powder thoroughly.

Which is the next step.

With the 20ml of water in the Matcha powder, mix it so the Matcha powder is completely wet.

Yes, it's similar to the steps taken for Koicha. Use the Chasen to mix and knead the matcha so that it becomes a completely muddy state.

Knead for about 1 minute, and ensure that there are no lumps of powder left.

Add 40 ml of additional water.

This water should be cooled to room temperature. (For this, it'll be smart to pre-prepare boiled water cooled down to room temperature)

Once the water is added, take the Chasen and whisk to mix the water with the Matcha.

Unlike whisking hot Matcha, cold Matcha is more difficult to froth.

Whisk faster and stronger as if to whip the air into the bottom of the Chawan. Whisk for about 30 seconds.

Drop a couple of ice into the Matcha and enjoy it with a wagashi (a Japanese snack)! It'll be perfect for our hot Singapore weather.

Back to How to Make Japanese Tea