I love Matcha and I love to drink it straight or as a latte, but I also like to give it a twist sometimes, and that’s when I will add something to flavor Matcha. There are many flavored Matcha varieties out there, but everything I’ve tried feels too artificial. So when I feel like mixing it up a bit, I’ll add flavor to Matcha with one of the 3 simple methods described below.
My favorite ways to flavor Matcha use simple ingredients. I will be focusing on Matcha as the main drink, not as a secondary ingredient to create one (like smoothies or other drinks that also use Matcha as one of their multiple ingredients).
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1- Infusing the Water
The first method is to infuse the water that will be used to prepare hot Matcha with a fruit/herb/flower. Since hot Matcha needs to be prepared at 170 F/75 C, you can set the water to boiling, infuse the ingredient that will provide flavor for about 5 minutes, strain and use that infused water to prepare Matcha. By then, the water temperature must have decreased and it should be ready to use for making Matcha.
This method will give you a subtle yet noticeable addition of flavor to Matcha. I like to use a glass measuring cup to let the fruit/herb/flower steep, so I can pour the flavored water to the Matcha directly from it and strain it at the same time.
Tangerine Matcha
For something subtle and delicate, my favorite choice is orange/tangerine Matcha. Here’s how to do it:
- Wash a tangerine really well.
- Peel, put peel aside and boil water.
- When the water boils, use 2-3 medium sized pieces of tangerine peel in a glass measuring cup (or any cup) and pour 1 cup of boiling water.
- Let the tangerine peel steep for 5 minutes and strain.
- Use the tangerine water to prepare hot Matcha as usual.
This is a great way to flavor Matcha without adding any sweeteners. I encourage you to play around with this method and try different options. Other ideas are:
- Rose petals
- Cacao shells
- Cucumber
- Fresh mint
- Sage
- Jasmine Green Tea (steep at 180 F/80 C for 2-3 minutes)
Matsu Matcha from Matchaeologist is a great ceremonial Matcha. It has a rich, creamy body and smooth mouthfeel. It has umami and savory-sweet undertones and a full body.
RELATED: White Chocolate Matcha Truffles
2- Adding a Flavored Simple Syrup
This is another method of adding flavor to Matcha, but it will sweeten it too. The usual preparation is 1 part water and 1 part sugar, or you can also do it with 1 part water and 2 parts sugar for a thicker (and sweeter) syrup. This method works great for iced Matcha!
You can make a simple syrup out of many different herbs, fruits, flowers and bark (The Spruce has many ideas and recipes!) so try out a few to find what you like.
Rosemary Matcha
This is not a very traditional combo but I’ve been obsessing about rosemary lately so I gave it a try and really enjoyed it! Here’s how to do it:
For the syrup:
- Stir together 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 3 tsp of dried rosemary leaves in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat, and let steep for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Strain rosemary leaves and pour into a glass container.
- Refrigerate the syrup and use within 3-4 weeks.
Rosemary Matcha – Prepare your Matcha hot or iced as usual, and add 1 tbsp of rosemary syrup. Mix well and enjoy!
Material Matcha‘s MM03 is a full-bodied smooth, velvety sweet-umami ceremonial Matcha made in Uji, Japan. One of my top picks for sure!
3- Making a Latte
The third suggestion on how to flavor Matcha is to make a latte and play around with different types of milk and adding different ingredients to flavor it. Remember we’re trying to keep Matcha as the main character, so don’t add too many additional ingredients, keep it simple!
Before I jump to the recipes, let me say a few words on how to make a Matcha Latte. It’s all about personal preferences! You may want to prepare it 50-50 water and milk, or 100% milk, or 3/4 water and 1/4 milk, etc. Find out what works for you! Check out my Matcha post to see how I make my Matcha lattes.
Peaches and Cream Matcha Latte
This one is playful and sweet. Just prepare your regular Matcha latte but before adding the milk, add 1 tbsp of syrup from canned peaches and mix well. Add the frothed milk and enjoy!
Walnut Milk Matcha Latte
I’ve experimented a lot with nut milks. This is a great way to add flavor to Matcha. You can find in the market many types of nut milk besides almond, like macadamia, hazelnut, etc. and you can also make them yourself! (I love DIY almond milk) My favorite combos are pistachio Matcha latte and walnut milk Matcha latte, they are delicious!
Lavender Matcha Latte
This is one of my favorites, lavender and Matcha work really well together. Use the same recipe for rosemary syrup, but replace the rosemary for lavender. Whisk Matcha and water until frothy, add a tbsp of lavender syrup and add your choice of milk, frothed. Perfection!
I hope you like these ideas and have fun playing around adding flavor to Matcha! When you do, post & tag me on social media with #teacachai!
