Matcha has changed enormously.
Ten years ago, plenty of people still had absolutely no idea what it was.
Today, it’s becoming almost as normal to see matcha on a café menu as chai.
The challenge is that the word matcha covers an enormous range of quality.
I’ve tasted matcha that is vibrant, smooth, slightly sweet and beautifully balanced.
I’ve also tasted matcha that resembles pond water.
Unfortunately, put enough vanilla syrup into either and someone will probably drink it.
For a good speciality café, I’d suggest going back to basics.
Start with the colour.
Good matcha should have a vibrant green appearance. If it looks dull, brownish or khaki, that’s generally not a great sign.
Then smell it.
There should be freshness and that distinctive green, vegetal character.
And finally, taste it.
A good matcha latte needs enough flavour and body to carry through milk without becoming aggressively bitter.
That’s important, because the “best” matcha for drinking traditionally with water isn’t always the most commercially sensible matcha for every latte.
Milk changes the equation.
You need enough colour, body and flavour to remain noticeable once you’ve added 200ml or more of milk.
Origin matters too.
At Jeeves & Jericho, we work with Japanese matcha and have spent a lot of time looking at how different matchas perform specifically in café drinks.
Uji in Kyoto is one of Japan’s most famous tea-growing areas and has an extraordinary matcha heritage.
But I still wouldn’t buy something purely because the packet says “Uji”.
Taste it.
Then make a latte.
Then make another with oat milk.
Then make it iced.
That, for me, is the real café test.
I’d also look closely at how it behaves during preparation.
Does it whisk easily?
Does it clump?
How much powder do you actually need?
And most importantly, can your baristas reproduce the same drink consistently?
Matcha is one of those ingredients where a small amount of training can make an enormous difference.
Water temperature matters.
Dose matters.
Whisking matters.
And simply dumping matcha powder straight into a jug of milk is rarely going to give you the best result.
Our approach with café customers is therefore not simply to supply matcha.
We want the people making it to understand it.
Because when somebody tries matcha for the first time, that one cup may shape their opinion of matcha altogether.
I’d rather make sure it’s a good one.