Why doesn't your matcha taste good? 6 mistakes people make when making matcha
Properly prepared matcha is not only delicious but also incredibly healthy. However, improperly prepared matcha can not only be bitter, but also lose some of its nutrients.
The good news is that preparing matcha properly is very easy! Just avoid these mistakes:
1. Boiling water
Matcha, like all green teas, changes its taste when steeped in boiling water. It becomes more bitter and loses some of its flavor. For best results, use water heated to 80 degrees Celsius or simply let the water cool for a few minutes after it boils.
Interesting! Boiling water also changes the color of tea, because the tea powder is scalded.
2. Unsuitable milk
While the easiest and healthiest way to enjoy matcha is to simply pour it over water, matcha prepared with milk can be a real miracle. We say “can be” because it depends a lot on the milk you choose. Milk can change the taste of the drink quite a bit, so the wrong milk (milk that just doesn’t taste right to you) can ruin the whole drink. For this reason, we recommend that you don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of milk: animal and plant-based (soy, oat, almond, etc.). In addition, the taste of certain brands of milk varies greatly. For example, we personally find Alpro soy milk to be incomparably tastier (and sweeter) than most others we’ve tried. So if you’ve tried matcha with milk once and didn’t like the taste, don’t be discouraged – you may have just used the wrong milk.
3. Poor mixing
To fully enjoy the benefits and taste of matcha, it needs to be mixed very well. Since matcha powder does not dissolve in water, this can be very difficult to do with a simple spoon. It is best to use a hand whisk or bamboo stick and mix for at least 15 seconds.
4. Improper storage conditions
Matcha is sensitive to environmental influences: if stored improperly, it can change its taste (become more bitter) and lose its beneficial properties. Therefore, after each use, remember to close the lid tightly and store the tea in a dark and cool place, avoiding direct contact with sunlight.
5. Poor quality matcha
Not all matcha teas are the same – their quality and taste can vary greatly. Some are even impossible to drink. Drinking matcha shouldn’t be a pain, and its taste shouldn’t be too bitter. Our advice: try at least a few different types of matcha tea if you’re not satisfied with your current taste. If you’ve tried a few different types of matcha and still don’t like the taste, you might just not like green tea. In that case, we recommend trying our flavored matcha teas (for example, with lemongrass or turmeric).
6. Incorrect quantity
The strength of the matcha tea flavor depends on how much we use. About 1 gram is a standard recommendation, but you can always adjust the amount if you feel the flavor of the tea you make is too strong or too weak.
