A matcha latte at home

A matcha latte made at home tastes a little different from one bought on the way to work. It is quieter, for one thing, and you can make it exactly as sweet as you like. All you need is good matcha, warm milk and a few unhurried minutes.

What you need

• 1–2 teaspoons of matcha
• Sugar or honey, to taste (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of hot water, just off the boil
• About 200 ml of milk, or an oat or soy drink

How to make it

1. Grind the matcha. Put the matcha, and the sugar if you are using it, into your cup and press them together until there are no lumps. Our Matcha Latte Cup comes with a small wooden grinder for exactly this: matcha clumps easily, and grinding it with the sugar gives a smoother drink and a fresher smell.
2. Make a paste. Add the hot water a little at a time and stir until the matcha is smooth and bright green.
3. Warm and froth the milk. Heat the milk gently without letting it boil, then froth it with a whisk, a frother or by shaking it in a jar.
4. Pour. Pour the milk over the matcha, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.

For an iced latte, make the paste the same way, then add cold milk and ice.

A few small things

Very hot water can make matcha taste bitter, so let the kettle rest a moment. Store matcha sealed, away from light and heat, and use it within a few weeks of opening.

The cup itself comes in walnut brown, dawn pink and blue gray, in its own box. If you prefer matcha whisked the traditional way, have a look at the handmade Nezumi-Shino matcha bowl, or everything else in A Quiet Morning.