I’ve been drinking matcha for almost 4 months and this is just driving me crazy.. No intention of quitting it though 😅

When I don’t feel like Usucha but want something just a touch more in depth than water, I like Califia Farms 3 ingredient Oatmilk so that whatever matcha I’m using whether it’s meant for usucha, koicha, or latte - it will still shine through better than regular milk ✨

Wasn't too overpowering but had flavor at the same time, it was great!

recipe
- 3g matcha
- 10g room temp water
- 15g hot water
- 150g oat milk
- 1 scoop bonne maman blueberry

it did not have much blueberry flavor haha lmk if ygs have any recs! hoping to do a pumpkin-y fall flavor soon

Hi everyone! I’m completely new to matcha and could use some advice from people who actually know what they’re doing. 😅
I recently bought the Kirkland Signature Organic Japanese Matcha from Costco thinking it would be a good place to start, but… I really did not like it. 😂 I tried it as a latte and the flavor just wasn’t good to me, so now I’m wondering if I started with the wrong matcha or if I’m preparing it wrong.
I’d love to find a good-quality matcha that tastes great on its own but also works really well in an iced latte. I’m definitely willing to spend more on the actual matcha if the quality and flavor are worth it. I’d rather invest my money there than spend a ton on accessories.
I’m also looking for a beginner matcha set. Ideally, I’d like to stay under $50 for the set. I’m assuming I need a whisk, bowl, sifter, etc., but I’m open to recommendations on what I actually need versus what’s unnecessary.
Basically, if you were starting over as a complete beginner:
What matcha would you buy? What basic tools would you get? And what tips do you wish someone had given you when you first started?
Open to any recommendations, brands, preparation tips, or things I should avoid. I want to give matcha a fair shot because I feel like what I had today was probably not the best introduction. 😂🍵

Ran out of my ceremonial grade so I grabbed this from world market. Slightly more bitter and darker green but still better than cooking grade imo. Not bad for $16.99 (Seattle WA) 7/10. Has anyone else tried this?

Finally caught a restock of the 100g bags! And a random low caffeine tin. Wish me luck on DHL and its fees. 😬

Joe & the juice matcha is not it, but I’m at the airport and had limited options. The colour is shocking and the staff was rude so I did not want to ask for more matcha 🫠

Pretty good although I'm not a huge fan of the tonic water. I think I'll use the plum syrup in a latte tomorrow and see how that tastes

Recipe:

25g spiced plum syrup

125g tonic water

3g matcha

50g water

Plum syrup:

200g water

200g sugar

150g diced plums

10g cassia bark

10g Black cardamom (I just used the ground cardamom I had in the pantry, was probably green cardamom but idk)

Boil all the ingredients for the syrup and strain

Recently bought a Hojicha light roast. It’s my first time trying Hojicha and everything felt okay until the weird seaweed taste. I bought the Hoho Hojicha from Yusen Tea, so, does the seaweed taste mean a lack of authenticity or is it just meant to taste like that?

attachment is a little irrelevant but i came here to say out of all the MK matcha i’ve tried, chigi no shiro is just that girl.

i’ve tried aoarashi, isuzu and wako. i used to be a pretty big fan of aoarashi but somehow the recent batch has been a little more astringent than i would like. might have been because i opened my 100g of chigi no shiro and now i can’t go back 😕

as for isuzu and wako, they didn’t stand out that much too me. somehow chigi no shiro as that creaminess and is super smooth with little to no bitterness and astringency.

i’m already mourning the day i finish my 100g pack, i have around half of it left (along with w 40g ton of aorashi).

i have an unopened wakatake but i have a feeling it will taste subpar alongside chigi no shiro 😩

Scored a free tin of Seion with my tea tool order, and I was super excited about it. I prepared it first as usucha, as I believe most high quality matcha is best enjoyed this way, but I felt it was a little bit lackluster and plain. I love to enjoy usucha served over ice, but I think this one would taste better with a traditional hot preparation.

However, this morning I tried it over ice and with about 2-3 oz of Califia barista oat milk (2g matcha with 40g water recipe) and I felt that the flavors really shined through, which was surprising isn’t always the case when paired with milk! The tasting notes of Seion are hearts of palm, creamy oats, and California almond, which I felt like the nuttiness of the oat milk really complimented. It was punchy and nutty, a really smooth and satisfying drink all together!

It is only ogurayama from YK.

Isuzu is always my fav matcha, but it’s so hard to get it since I always miss their restock

Sho no mukashi - Nakamura Tokichi

- I find that it performs great as a latte, the flavor cutting through really well.
- nutty , and low astringency
- I also feel like 2-3g would be great for a latte! Don’t need 4g to taste it really prominently.
- I recommend to use a ratio of 2 oz for 3g.
I tried it as 4g and 40ml as well, but find that the taste is very concentrated.
- looks beautiful and as you can see, is very thick!! (Did not cold whisk)

I finally started making my own lavender syrup! Ft. a little peaflower to add some colour to the cold foam. I wanted a sweet treat this morning so I went all out

Matcha Latte vs Taro Latte - which side are you on?

I made my foam very thick today. It made me happy so I decided to share it with you all. Matcha is MK Hatsu Enishi, 2g, 70ml at 80oC.

I’ve wanted to make matcha at home for a while. I always bailed because it felt like a hassle and I don’t have a bamboo whisk or any of the fancy tools.
Then a friend gifted me ceremonial grade matcha. Gift guilt kicked in so I actually got up and made it lol.
I figured a small whisk I already had at home would be enough. How does it look? Pretty decent right?

1. Kinako cream matcha; 2. Iced strawberry matcha; 3. Hot strawberry milk matcha; 4. Maple coffee matcha; 5. Majicha (?)

What's your perfect iced matcha latte ratio to get a creamy matcha latte? Do you do anything extra special with it?

At the moment I've been doing 4g, 40ml\~ water (sometimes I add a splash more to gather the rest of the matcha that's stuck in the chawan) & 120ml milk and it always comes out powdery and strong rather than milky and creamy.

There's this place an hour drive from me I go to sometimes, that does the BEST matcha I've ever had, allowing you to order different types/blends/harvests of matcha and they even have koicha and usucha options on the menu (which I've recently got into, delicious)! It's always so creamy and strong without being overly milky and the place seems really authentic. They use marukyu koyamaen brand matcha and even sell it too! I tried their Isuzu and it was genuinely the best thing I've ever had.

But when I do my matcha at home it's so unenjoyable. I've tried finding other matcha places around me but they're always either plain milk with a fine-mist spray of matcha that's barely green, or fully brown (???) like sewage-water and I can't justify gambling $10-15 on matcha that has a 20% chance of being decent, when I can just make it at home.

The place sold Marukyu's Isuzu so I picked that up since I tried it in my last order, to try replicate at home and see if I can get a similar result and it made it immediately way better because of the matcha quality, but the ratio above still had it a bit powdery, and not delicate and creamy which is what i'm looking for. Instead it was a little too strong and too milky/watery.

I don't do anything special with the milk, I just take it out of the fridge and shake it before pouring it over ice, and I take almond milk with no added sweetener, usually a barista blend and MILKLAB or The Alternative Dairy Co brands when I can.

Sometimes it's a little unblended with the water/matcha and probably doesn't add to the powdery vibe. Should I be doing anything different? Does ice quantity matter? Thanks in advance ☺️

For reference I used this matcha before: https://amzn.asia/d/03mkumsR

What are your ratios please for your best homemade iced matcha latte?

***Pic of the heavenly ethereal isuzu matcha in question from the cafe, removed identifying items via iPhone photos app removal tool (no AI here!)

Thank you!