How to Make Matcha at Home: Ceremonial vs Culinary Guide

Matcha has gone from specialist tea shops to high-street café menus, and plenty of people now want to make it at home. You don’t need much kit: decent powder, water at the right temperature and a bit of practice with the whisk. This guide covers the difference between ceremonial and culinary matcha, the tools worth having, and a simple step-by-step method for a smooth bowl.

What is matcha?

Matcha is green tea that has been ground into a fine powder. Unlike a teabag, where you steep the leaves and throw them away, with matcha you whisk the whole powdered leaf into water and drink it.

Most matcha comes from Japan. Well-known growing areas include Uji near Kyoto, Nishio in Aichi and Kagoshima in the south. The tea plants are usually shaded for a few weeks before harvest. The leaves are then steamed, dried, stripped of stems and veins (at this stage the leaf is called tencha) and slowly stone-ground or milled into powder.

Ceremonial vs culinary matcha: what’s the difference?

You’ll see matcha sold as “ceremonial” or “culinary”. These are marketing terms, not official grades, so two “ceremonial” matchas can taste very different. Use them as a rough guide and judge by colour, smell and taste.

Ceremonial matcha

“Ceremonial” usually means matcha meant to be drunk on its own, whisked with water. It tends to:

• be made from younger leaves picked early in the season
• be a bright, vivid green
• taste smoother and sweeter, with less bitterness
• cost more per gram

Culinary matcha

“Culinary” matcha is usually made for lattes, baking and smoothies, where milk, sugar or other flavours will be mixed in. It tends to:

• come from later harvests
• be a duller, more olive green
• taste stronger and more astringent, which holds up well against milk
• cost less, so it suits recipes that use a lot of powder

Which should you buy?

If you mostly drink matcha lattes, a good culinary or “latte grade” powder is fine. If you want to taste matcha on its own, with just water, it’s worth paying more for a ceremonial-style powder. Whatever the label says, look for a fresh, bright green colour and a sweet, vegetal smell. Brownish powder is usually old.

The kit you need

A few traditional tools help, though kitchen basics will do to start.

• A bamboo whisk (chasen): the many fine prongs help make a smooth, frothy layer. A small electric milk frother is a fair substitute.
• A wide bowl (chawan): room to whisk without splashing. Any wide cereal bowl works to start with.
• A bamboo scoop (chashaku): one heaped scoop is roughly 1g. A measuring teaspoon does the job too.
• A small fine sieve: sifting is the easiest way to avoid lumps.
• A kettle with temperature control, or a thermometer: water temperature makes a real difference to the taste.

How to make matcha at home: step by step

This method is for usucha, or “thin tea”, the everyday style of matcha.

1. Warm the bowl. Pour a little hot water into your bowl, swirl it round, then tip it out and dry the bowl. Soak the tips of your whisk in warm water at the same time to soften the prongs.
2. Sift the powder. Sieve about 2g of matcha (roughly 1 level teaspoon or 2 bamboo scoops) into the bowl.
3. Add a splash of water first. Pour in a little water and mix it into a smooth paste. This step stops lumps forming.
4. Top up the water. Add the rest, for a total of around 70–80ml.
5. Whisk. Whisk quickly from the wrist in a “W” or “M” shape, rather than stirring in circles. Keep going for 15–30 seconds until a fine foam covers the surface.
6. Finish and drink. Slowly lift the whisk out from the centre and drink straight away, before the powder settles.

Getting the water temperature right

Never use boiling water. It scorches the tea and brings out bitterness. Aim for roughly 70–80°C. If you don’t have a temperature-control kettle, boil the kettle and leave it to stand for 3–5 minutes with the lid open, or pour the water into a jug first to cool it. In hard-water areas, filtered water often tastes better.

Thick tea (koicha)

For the more intense koicha style, use about twice the powder (around 4g) and much less water (30–40ml). Instead of whisking hard, knead it slowly into a thick, glossy tea.

Making a matcha latte

For a latte, make a smaller, stronger shot. Whisk 2g of matcha with about 30–40ml of water at 70–80°C until there are no lumps. Then pour in 150–200ml of steamed or cold milk. Sweeten it to taste with a little honey or syrup if you like. Pour over ice for an iced latte.

A note on caffeine

Matcha is made from tea leaves, so it contains caffeine. Because you drink the whole powdered leaf, the amount depends on how much powder you use. If you’re keeping an eye on how much caffeine you have, check the pack and adjust your serving. The NHS advises that if you're pregnant, you should have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day.

Matcha at Legally Green

We don’t sell matcha at the moment. This guide is just for making it at home. You’ll find more guides on our Journal, or you can get in touch at legallygreenuk@gmail.com with any questions.

Matcha FAQs

Do I need a bamboo whisk to make matcha?

No. A bamboo whisk gives the best foam, but a small electric frother or a well-sealed jar you can shake will make a decent cup.

Why does my matcha taste bitter?

The usual causes are water that’s too hot, too much powder for the amount of water, or old, low-quality matcha. Try water at 70–80°C and a fresh powder.

Why is my matcha lumpy?

Matcha clumps easily. Sieve it into the bowl and mix it into a paste with a splash of water before you add the rest.

What’s the difference between matcha and green tea?

Both come from the same plant. With ordinary green tea you steep the leaves and remove them. With matcha you whisk the whole powdered leaf into the water.

How should I store matcha?

Keep it in an airtight container, away from heat, light and strong smells. Many people keep opened matcha in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before opening the tin, so moisture doesn’t get in.