Matcha Latte

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift 1½ tsp matcha (green tea powder) into a cup (a wide cup or a bowl works best for whisking). Tip: Fine powders become lumpy once you add hot water. I‘ve tried both with and without sifting, and I found that it takes much longer to get rid of the lumps if I don‘t sift the green tea powder.
3. Add ½ tsp sugar (optional; I don‘t add it) if you want to sweeten your matcha latte. Then, add 2 Tbsp hot water.
4. Using a chasen (a bamboo whisk used for Japanese tea ceremony), whisk briskly, drawing a letter W, until no lumps remain. The matcha should be smooth and a little foamy. You can also use a flat whisk if you have one (it‘s one of the kitchen tools that many of you ask me about). Tip: Matcha is tea leaf powder, so it will never completely dissolve in water.

To Steam and Froth the Milk

1. With a Handheld Milk Frother: Heat ¾ cup milk in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until warm, about 140ºF or 65ºC. Then, with a handheld milk frother, froth the milk until foamy, about 10–15 seconds. If you don‘t have a frother, skip this step.
2. With an Espresso Machine with a Steaming Wand: Start with ¾ cup milk (cold). Learn to steam milk by following this video tutorial by a World Champion latte artist. For this recipe, Mr. JOC used the auto-steaming function.
3. Pour the steamed milk into the center of the matcha, ending with light foam.
4. Sprinkle additional matcha (green tea powder) on top using the fine-mesh strainer. Enjoy!

To Make Latte Art (optional)

1. If you wish to make a decorative design on your latte, follow this video tutorial by a World Champion latte artist. Mr. JOC is still learning. :)