How To Make Delicious Cold Matcha (2024)
A step-by-step guide to the refreshing drink loaded with antioxidants! - in Illustrations!
Why not try a refreshing cup of cold Matcha on a hot day? Not only is it famously healthy, it's amazingly refreshing as well! Here, we'll go over the steps to make delicious Cold Matcha.
What we'll Learn
In this article
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 pleasant either.
So, a delicate balancing act is required!
Sound difficult? Don't worry; we've got you covered! At the end of this article, we'll discuss a few alternative ways to make "Cold Matcha." 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. The amount of water is slightly less because we'll be adding some additional ice at the end.
Preparation | Usucha (Thin Tea) | Koicha (Thick Tea) | Cold Matcha |
|---|---|---|---|
Preparation Preparation Servings Preparation | 1 Serving | 1 Serving | 1 Serving |
Water (ml/oz) | 70 ml / 2.4 oz | 30 ml / 1.0 oz | 60 ml / 2.0 oz |
Matcha powder (g) | 2g | 4g | 2g |
Matcha powder (roughly in tsp) | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 1 tsp |
Matcha powder (Scoops with Chashaku or Bamboo scoop) | 2 scoops | 4 scoops | 2 scoops |
Temperature (Celsius / Fahrenheit) | 80 C / 176 F | 90 C / 194 | - |
What you need is relatively similar to Usucha. Take a look at the below.
What do I need in order to make Cold Matcha?
- Matcha powder (Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder)
- Chasen (Bamboo Whisk)
- Matcha bowl (Chawan for Matcha) or any cup
- Chashaku (Bamboo tea scoop) or a teaspoon
- Yuzamashi (water cooler) or any bowl to cool the water
- Tea Strainer *optional
- Water (20 ml of 80 degrees Celsius or 176 Fahrenheit water)
- Water (40 ml of room temperature water)
- Ice
To prepare cold Matcha, I recommend you use the Chasen with 100 prongs. However, it can be any number of prongs if you don't have the 100-pronged Chasen.
The strainer is optional but highly recommended for cold Matcha preparation. Sifting the Matcha powder helps remove the lumps in the Matcha, making it easier to mix.
Before even touching the Matcha, the first step would be to place the Chasen in a bowl of water for it to soak up. This is a universal first step for whenever you use a Chasen.
If it's a brand 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's maintenance. The Chasen is a precious but fragile tool. Soaking it in water will help prevent the prongs 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 to mix the Matcha and generate the rich foam you like.
This step is especially important for cold Matcha, as it is difficult to make the frothy layer of bubbles in cold Matcha compared to 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 one scoop using a Teaspoon. This is the same amount of Matcha powder used for Usucha (thin-tea) preparation as well. How much of a heaping lump of a scoop should it be? I suggest that it's better to have too much Matcha powder than too little, so let it heap a lot!
Key point: Use a tea strainer to sift the Matcha powder.
As you drop the Matcha powder into the bowl, I recommend you sift it through a strainer. This completely removes the naturally occurring lumps of Matcha and makes it considerably easy to mix the powder with the water completely. This is an essential step, especially when making cold Matcha. It's significantly more challenging to mix the powder when the water isn't hot.
Step 3: Prepare the hot water and pour it into the Chawan
Prepare 20 ml of hot water at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) and pour it into the Chawan.
Yes, we are using only 20ml for now.
Although the cold Matcha is drunk cold, we recommend using hot water to initially dissolve the Matcha powder with water. In addition to helping the powder completely mix, this step will help the Matcha unleash more aroma and bring out the astringency. Without the astringency, the Matcha may taste somewhat too light.
When preparing the water at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit), remember to boil the water at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) first to remove all the chlorine in the water. (The chlorine has a taste that affects the delicate taste of Matcha)
You can wait a while until it cools down. But that might take a while. That's where the Yuzamashi (or the water-cooling bowl) comes in handy.
Just pour the water from the kettle into the Yuzamashi and wait 2 minutes or so. Your water should be ready to go.
You can use any bowl you like if you don't have a Yuzamashi.
Once your water is ready, pour it directly into the Matcha bowl. 20 ml is small but should be enough to dissolve the Matcha powder thoroughly. This segues into our next step!
Using the Chasen, mix 20ml of water in the Matcha powder so that it is completely dissolved.
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.
Take time for this step, as it's an extremely important one. Knead for about one or two minutes, and ensure that there are no lumps of powder left in your bowl. Once you see that the liquid is smooth and is showing a beautiful deep-greed glow, you're ready to go to the next step.
Also, enjoy this step! This is when the aroma of the Matcha flows out, and it is one of the points that show the quality and taste of the Matcha powder. Enjoying the process is also an important part of making Matcha.
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.
Make hot Usucha (a little stronger than usual), and add ice at the end.
One alternative approach is to make your usual Usucha (thin-tea Matcha) and drop ice at the end. This approach is also a great way to make Ice Matcha. If you love the thick layer of froth on your Matcha, this method may actually work better. It's easier to create a layer of foam with hot water compared to cold water.
Make cold Matcha straight from cold water.
This may be the easiest approach to making cold Matcha. Just take the steps to make Usucha, but use cold water instead. The disadvantage to this approach is that it may be a little difficult to properly mix the powder and froth, so be patient with it. This approach will make it easier to froth if the Matcha Bowl is cold. Therefore, one pro tip is to keep the Matcha bowl in the fridge before you prepare.