Hi, welcome to Viva Matcha!

On this page, we’d like to show you how to prepare Japanese Matcha and Green Tea.

There are some questions often asked for the preparation, and we will answer to those here!

Frequently-asked questions:

  • How to prepare Japanese Matcha?
  • How to prepare Japanese Green Tea?
  • Are Matcha and Green Tea same things or different?
  • There seem to be several types of Green Tea. Which one should I select?

Hope you will find these helpful!

How to prepare Japanese Matcha in 3 steps

Step1: Warm tea bowl and bamboo whisk

Warm the tea bowl with hot water.
Soak and lift the bamboo whisk a couple of times.
Discard the hot water.

-Tips!-

  • You can use any type of tea bowl. There are many styles of Matcha tea bowls in Japan, and you can also use your favorite one. Cafe au lait bowl or even a regular mug cup works fine!
  • Why do you want to warm your tea bowl and bamboo whisk at the beginning? It is because the matcha powder dissolves well with hot water in a warm bowl. It also helps keeping the tea bowl warm when you serve it for your guest or yourself. Temperature matters. It helps preventing the bamboo whisk from breaking as well.

Step2: Scoop a teaspoon of Matcha powder and put it into the bowl

Place a teaspoon of Matcha powder.
It is recommended to use a tea strainer to avoid clumps.
Matcha powder is placed evenly in the bowl.

-Tips!-

  • How big the teaspoon should be? Usually, 1.5~2g per serving. You can use more or less, if you would like stronger or weaker flavor.
  • Do you have tea strainer at home? When you open a can or bag of Matcha powder, you may often find some clumps. Those clumps are formed because of static electricity, and nothing wrong with the quality. However, it is recommended to remove those clumps so that you can enjoy the smooth taste of the Matcha.

Step3: Pour hot water and whisk

Pour hot water and whisk until the tea dissolves well!

-Tips!-

  • Please careful not to use boiling water! It is recommended to use 70~80°C / 158~176°F of hot water to prepare Matcha. If you’d use boiling water, nearly 100°C / 212°F, you would find it too bitter and not tasty.
  • What if you don’t have a bamboo whisk? No worry! You can stir with a fork or egg beater, or even a juicer mixer or food blender. Don’t be afraid to be creative to enjoy a nice cup of Matcha!

Ready to enjoy!

After these 3 steps, now you are ready to enjoy your cup of Matcha!

Matcha goes good with Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets).

You can drink it hot or cold, with milk or sweetener, however you like. Find your favorite recipes and let us know how you will like it!

How to prepare Japanese Green Tea in 3 steps

Step1: Warm tea pot and tea cup

Warm tea pot and tea cup with hot water.
Discard the hot water.

-Tips!-

  • Have you ever seen the tea pot in the picture? This is called Kyu-su 急須, Japanese traditional tea pot with a handy grip. Of course, you can use any types of tea pots that you have at home, such as western teapot. Just to make sure that you use filter or strainer so that the tea leaves would not come into the cup.

Step2: Scoop a teaspoon of tea leaves and put it into the tea pot

Place a teaspoon of tea leaves into the tea pot.
Green Tea leaves in the pot.

-Tips!-

  • How much should you use the tea leaves at a time? Usually, 6~8g per serving. If you are making for two or more, add more tea leaves into the pot.

Step3: Pour hot water, wait, and serve

Pour hot water into the tea pot.
Place the lid and wait.
Serve to the tea cup.
Wait until the last drop falls.

-Tips!-

  • Please careful not to use boiling water! It is recommended to use 70~80°C / 158~176°F of hot water to prepare Matcha. If you’d use boiling water, nearly 100°C / 212°F, you would find it too bitter and not tasty.
  • Why you should wait until the last drop falls? Normally, you can enjoy the same tea leaves a couple of times. However, if the hot water stays in the tea pot, the tea essence would continue to come out into the water, and the second serving would not taste good.
  • How long should you wait before serving? Usually, 30~60 seconds after you pour hot water into the tea pot.
  • There are several types of green teas, which use different temperatures of hot water and waiting time. You can find the information below.

Ready to enjoy!

After these 3 steps, now you are ready to enjoy your Japanese Green Tea!

You can drink it hot or cold, with milk or sweetener, however you like. Find your favorite recipes and let us know how you will like it!

Are Matcha and Green Tea same things or different?

You may wonder if the Matcha and Green Tea are same things or different.

The answer is SAME!

Both of them are so called “green tea”, and here is the close-up of the Japanese Green Tea and Japanese Matcha.

Japanese Green Tea

Japanese Matcha

There seems to be several types of Green Tea. Which one should I select?

When you search for Japanese Green Tea online or at a shop, you may find that there are several types in the market and may wonder which one to select.

Here is the guide for you to find your favorite one!

Types of Japanese Green Tea

Sencha

Matcha

Hojicha

Gyokuro