Here’s the drink you’ll be sipping all summer long: Iced Green Tea Latte. Read on to learn how you can make this smooth and creamy matcha latte in just a few minutes.
I love matcha and one of my favorite drinks that I enjoy in the morning is Iced Green Tea Latte, or Iced Matcha Latte (アイス抹茶ラテ). Earthy, creamy with a happy green hue but not overly sweet, it’s just something that I am happily getting out of bed for.
Watch How To Make Iced Green Tea Latte アイス抹茶ラテの作り方
Delicious and creamy iced green tea latte is perfect to enjoy on warm days, the best part is you can easily make this drink at home in just a few minutes.
What is Matcha?
In case you are new to matcha, matcha (抹茶) is stone-ground delicate green tea powder made from shade-grown tea leaves.
Although matcha has been around for over 800 years in Japan, its popularity has recently increased globally due to its beautiful visual appeal, health benefits, and distinct flavor. These days many people enjoy green tea drinks, including Green Tea Latte (my recipe here) and Green Tea Crème Frappuccino, both which were first introduced by Starbucks back in 2007.
Matcha received even more attention when researches show matcha contains lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the magical nutrients and enzymes responsible for giving us younger-looking skin, boosting memory, increasing energy level, burning fat, and preventing a number of life-threatening diseases like cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions about Matcha
Since I have shared many matcha recipes, I often receive the following questions about matcha.
1. Are Matcha and Green Tea same thing? What’s the difference?
When you hear the term “Matcha” and “Green Tea”, you might think the terms can be used interchangeably.
The truth is:
Matcha (抹茶) and green tea (we call Sencha* 煎茶) are different even though BOTH are categorized as “Green Tea” (Ryokucha* 緑茶).
* Sencha is the regular green tea often served in Japanese restaurants.
* Ryokucha includes different types of Japanese green tea such as sencha, gyokuryo, hojicha, genmaicha, and matcha.
How are matcha and green tea (sencha) different? The tea leaf itself, cultivation, processing, nutrients, and taste are all very different. For more info on the topic, please check out the links below.
- Matcha vs. Green Tea (Sencha) Difference (Inforgrafic)
- Matcha vs. Green Tea (Sencha) Nutritients Comparison
- Matcha vs. Green Tea (Sencha) Process Comparison
Can I grind loose green tea leaves to make green tea powder?
By now you probably know the answer is no. Even if you grind the leaves, the powder won’t become “matcha” because the tea leaves are grown and processed differently.
Where can I find matcha for Iced Green Tea Latte?
The biggest challenge for Matcha would be finding it locally where you live. The good news is there are online shops that sell and ship green tea powder internationally, so hopefully, you’ll be able to find some. If you know your favorite shop carries excellent green tea powder, please leave a comment below and share with other readers.
If you live in the US, you can try Japanese grocery stores such as Mitsuwa, Marukai, and Nijiya. They sell one of the common matcha brands called Maeda-en (It’s about $8 for the culinary grade).
How do you know if it’s good matcha or bad matcha?
Here are several tips to help you distinguish good vs. bad matcha when you shop.
- Origin: Although matcha is also produced outside of Japan, it is generally accepted that higher quality matcha comes from Japan, especially the ones from Nishio (西尾) in Aichi and Uji (宇治) in Kyoto (source).
- Color: High-quality matcha has a really vibrant green because tea leaves are shade-grown and they are forced to overproduce chlorophyll, which gives matcha its nice bright green color. Some of my readers asked me why their matcha is yellowish or brownish color. It’s probably due to improper shading or because tea leaves came from the lower stalk of the plant which doesn’t produce as much chlorophyll.
- Price: Unfortunately, there is no “cheap” high-quality matcha. Generally speaking, a 1 oz (30 g) tin of ceremonial-grade matcha ranges between $20-30 while the culinary-grade matcha ranges between $10-15.
Also, you want to make sure the matcha you’re purchasing does NOT include sugar or other natural flavors as part of the ingredients.
Let’s Make Homemade Iced Green Tea Latte
If you love iced green tea latte, there’s a good chance you’re buying yours from Starbucks. But have you ever thought of making it at home? It’s way cheaper to make it at home than paying over $3 for a drink. The homemade version is truly easy and the fun part is making the foamy froth to the way you like it. I usually add some simple syrup to my latte for a light sweetness, but you can totally adjust the amount or leave it out as you please. Quick to put together but appropriately treat-worthy, Iced Green Tea Latte is just perfect when you crave for something a little sweet to sip on.
See, if you put the drink in a Starbucks’ cup, it’s just like the one you get from the store. I think it tastes much better too!
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Iced Green Tea Latte
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
- 2 Tbsp hot water (175ºF/80ºC)
- 1 cup milk
- ice cubes
- 1-2 Tbsp Simple Syrup (homemade or store bought) (recipe follows)
Simple Syrup (sugar to water ratio = 1 : 1)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water (4 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and let the sugar dissolve completely, about 3 minutes.
- Let it cool completely and transfer to an airtight jar (or glass and cover with plastic). Simple syrup will last up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Ice Green Tea Latte
- Add 2 tsp matcha in a small bowl. Optionally You can sift matcha to remove any lumps. Then add 2 Tbsp. of hot water (175ºF/80ºC). Whisk briskly until there is no lump (important to avoid lumps in the latte). You can use a small flat whisk or chasen, the bamboo whisk used for the Japanese tea ceremony.
- If you add sweetener, you can add 1-2 Tbsp of simple syrup now or later (in my video I add in the serving glass). Mix well to combine.
- Pour the matcha into the glass filled with ice cubes.
- Using a frother, make a froth until foamy, about 1.5 to 2 times the original volume of milk (1 cup milk will look like 1 ½ to 2 cups milk). If you don’t have a frother, you could add milk in a big jar and shake vigorously to make it foamy.
- Pour the milk into the glass while saving the foam with a big spoon. Scoop the foam and place it on top of the drink.
- Sprinkle matcha powder on top of the foam. Enjoy immediately.
