Matcha Horchata: The Trend, and How to Make It

Matcha horchata combines whisked Japanese matcha with horchata, the cinnamon and rice drink of Mexico and Spain. The rice milk's sweetness and the cinnamon's warmth offset matcha's grassy bitterness, which is why the pairing works. To make it: whisk 2 g of sifted matcha with 60 ml of water at 70 to 80 °C, then pour over 180 ml of chilled horchata and ice.

Two drinking traditions that grew up thousands of miles apart, and it turns out they get on rather well. Matcha brings the colour and a grassy, slightly bitter edge. Horchata brings cinnamon, rice and sweetness. Over ice, together, you get something creamy and refreshing at the same time.

Why it works

Matcha's bitterness comes mostly from catechins, and its savoury depth from an amino acid called L-theanine. Both are assertive on their own. Horchata's starchy body coats the palate and takes the edge off, and cinnamon bridges the gap: warm and sweet without being fruity, so it complements the matcha instead of fighting it.

Texture does as much work as flavour here. Rice milk is fuller than dairy without being heavy, so the drink is still refreshing on the fifth sip.

The technique that decides everything

Nearly every disappointing matcha drink goes wrong in the same two places.
 
Sift the powder
Matcha clumps in the tin, and whisking won't fix that. It just distributes the clumps. Push the powder through a fine sieve first and lumps stop being a problem at all.

Keep the water under 80 °C
Boiling water scalds matcha and turns it harsh. Aim for 70 to 80 °C. A kettle with temperature control, like the Lyra, takes the guesswork out. Otherwise boil it and let it stand for two minutes.

Whisk in a W, not a circle
Stirring in circles pushes the powder out to the edges. A quick W or M motion from the wrist aerates the mixture and builds the fine foam that carries the aroma. A wide bowl gives the whisk room to move, and the double-walled matcha bowl is shaped for exactly that, with the double wall holding the temperature steady while you work.

The Matcha Collection Tea Set puts the bowl, whisk and stand together, and the Zen Matcha Tea Set is the more compact option at £55.

Five worth knowing

1. The cafe-style matcha horchata latte

Your baseline. 2 g matcha whisked with 60 ml water, poured over 180 ml chilled horchata and ice. Sweet, creamy, cinnamon-forward. Everything below is a variation on this.

2. Jasmine rice horchata

Made with jasmine rice instead of long-grain, which adds a floral note that lifts the matcha rather than burying it. The most elegant of the five.

3. Classic homemade horchata

Rice soaked overnight with cinnamon sticks, blended, strained. It takes planning, but it's a long way better than shop-bought. Strain it twice through a fine mesh. A Filter-in Carafe is handy for the second pass and then stores the finished litre in the fridge.

4. Hormatcha

A heavier build, with the horchata and matcha whisked together rather than layered. Less striking to look at, more integrated to drink.

5. Ube cloud matcha horchata

Purple yam meets green tea. Easily the most dramatic-looking, and the sweetest, since the ube does most of the talking.

The signature: dirty jasmine matcha horchata with ube cold foam

Serves one, over ice.

• 2 g ceremonial-grade matcha, sifted
• 60 ml water at 75 °C
• 150 ml jasmine rice horchata, chilled
• 30 ml espresso or strong cold brew, the "dirty" bit
• Ube cold foam: 60 ml double cream, 1 tsp ube puree, 1 tsp sugar, whisked to soft peaks

Whisk the matcha with the water until it foams. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the horchata, then the matcha, then float the espresso over the back of a spoon so it sits as its own layer. Spoon the ube foam on top.

In a double-walled glass the layers stay visible and the outside stays dry, because the double wall stops condensation forming.

Making it taste like a cafe made it

• Use ceremonial grade for drinking. Culinary grade is milled for baking and tastes coarse and bitter in a glass.
• Build in the right order. Horchata, then matcha, then any coffee. Pour the matcha last and you'll dull the colour.
• Chill everything first. Warm horchata over ice waters the drink down before it reaches the table.
• Keep matcha cold and sealed. Light and air fade both colour and flavour within weeks.
• Batch the horchata, never the matcha. Whisked matcha separates and goes flat within minutes.

For the whisking technique on its own, our matcha latte guide goes into more detail

Frequently asked questions

What does matcha horchata taste like?
Creamy and cinnamon-sweet with a grassy, savoury edge from the matcha. The rice milk softens the bitterness a lot.

Is horchata dairy-free?
Traditional rice horchata is, though cafe versions often add condensed or evaporated milk. Worth checking.

What grade of matcha should I use?
Ceremonial grade for drinking. Culinary grade is milled for baking and tastes noticeably harsher in a glass.

Why is my matcha lumpy?
You didn't sift it. Whisking spreads clumps around rather than breaking them up.

Can I make matcha horchata ahead of time?
Make the horchata ahead, it keeps three days in the fridge. Whisk the matcha to order, because it separates within minutes.