The World’s Most Exciting Matcha-Horchata Drinks - And How to Make Them with Hario Matcha Tools
Matcha meets horchata: the drink trend built for modern cafés
Matcha-horchata might be one of the most exciting iced drink trends in specialty coffee right now. It brings together two deeply loved beverage traditions: Japanese matcha, with its grassy bitterness and vivid green colour, and horchata, the creamy cinnamon-rice drink associated with Mexican and Spanish-speaking food cultures.
The result is a drink that feels both familiar and surprising. It is creamy but refreshing, earthy but sweet, nostalgic but visually modern. On social media, the matcha-horchata format has started appearing in café menus, creator recipes, and hybrid drinks that layer matcha over cinnamon rice milk, sometimes with espresso, strawberry, ube foam, or cold brew.
What makes this trend especially interesting is that it is not just another flavoured latte. A well-made matcha-horchata drink depends on technique: properly whisked matcha, a balanced horchata base, good texture, restrained sweetness, and thoughtful layering.
That is where the right tools matter. HARIO’s matcha collection — including its double-walled matcha bowl, chasen whisk, strainer, scoop, chasen stand, and glass matcha pieces — gives home drink makers and café teams a clean, modern way to prepare matcha with consistency and style. HARIO describes its Matcha Collection as blending Japanese tea tradition with modern design and functionality.
The current HARIO Matcha Set includes pieces such as a double-walled matcha chawan, chasen whisk, whisk stand, strainer, and scoop, depending on the set configuration.
Below, we break down five of the best matcha-horchata creations to study, recreate, and adapt for a modern café menu.
Why matcha-horchata works so well
At first, matcha and horchata might sound like an unusual pairing. But structurally, they make a lot of sense together.
Matcha brings:
- Bitterness
- Umami
- Bright green colour
- Tea aroma
- A clean caffeine lift
Horchata brings:
- Creaminess
- Cinnamon warmth
- Rice or tiger-nut body
- Natural sweetness
- A nostalgic dessert-like base
Together, they create a drink with contrast. The horchata softens the intensity of matcha, while the matcha gives horchata a more sophisticated edge. The best versions are not overly sweet. They are layered, chilled, creamy, and balanced.
For the cleanest result, matcha should be sifted, whisked separately, and poured over the horchata base. This prevents clumps and allows the green matcha layer to sit beautifully against the pale cinnamon-rice milk.
The HARIO setup for matcha-horchata drinks
To make these drinks properly, you need two things: a good horchata base and a smooth matcha preparation. HARIO’s matcha tools are particularly well suited to this because they are designed around clarity, precision, and presentation.
| Tool | Why it Matters |
| HARIO Matcha Tea Set / Matcha Collection Set | A complete matcha preparation system with bowl, chasen, strainer, scoop, and related accessories, depending on set configuration. |
| HARIO Double-Walled Matcha Chawan / Bowl | Helps prepare matcha cleanly while showing off the colour of the tea |
| HARIO Chasen Whisk | Creates smooth, frothy matcha without relying on electric frothers |
| HARIO Matcha Strainer | Removes clumps before whisking |
| HARIO Chasen Stand Bowl | Stores the bamboo whisk properly and helps maintain its shape; HARIO USA describes it as a two-in-one prep and storage piece |
| HARIO Glass Server or Bowl Server | Useful for batching horchata, cold brew, or matcha bases for service |
| HARIO Scale | Helpful for weighing matcha, sweetener, and coffee doses |
| HARIO Cold Brew Bottle or Mizudashi-style brewer | Useful if making horchata cold brew or coffee concentrate for dirty matcha-horchata drinks |
Recommended HARIO tools
You can make these drinks without every item, but the most important tools are:
1. A matcha bowl
2. A chasen whisk
3. A fine strainer
4. A scale or measuring spoon
5. A clear glass for layering
Top 5 matcha-horchata creations to know
1. Tierra Mía-style Matcha Horchata Latte
Best for: A commercial café signature
Why it stands out: It has the strongest café-menu potential
Trend score: 9.5/10
A TikTok result surfaced a Tierra Mía Matcha Horchata Latte recipe. Tierra Mía Coffee is already strongly associated with Latin-inspired coffee drinks, especially horchata-style lattes, making this one of the most natural and commercially promising versions of the trend.
This drink works because it feels like something that could live permanently on a café menu. It is easy to understand, visually strong, and rooted in a familiar flavour profile: cinnamon, rice milk, matcha, and ice.
Café-style version
Ingredients
For one drink:
- 180 ml chilled horchata
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water, around 70–80°C
- Ice
- Optional: 1 shot espresso
- Optional: cinnamon dust
Recommended HARIO tools
- HARIO Matcha Bowl or Double-Walled Matcha Chawan
- HARIO Chasen Whisk
- HARIO Matcha Strainer
- HARIO Scoop
- HARIO Scale
Method
- Add ice to a clear glass.
- Pour in chilled horchata.
- Sift 2 g matcha into a HARIO matcha bowl.
- Add 60 ml warm water.
- Whisk with a chasen until smooth and lightly foamy.
- Slowly pour matcha over the horchata.
- Optional: add espresso between the horchata and matcha layers for a “dirty” version.
- Finish with a very light dusting of cinnamon.
Why it works
The horchata provides sweetness and body, while the matcha gives colour and structure. If espresso is added, the drink becomes more complex and clearly connected to specialty coffee.
Menu name ideas
- Matcha Horchata Latte
- Dirty Matcha Horchata
- Horchata Verde
2. Jasmine Rice Horchata Matcha Latte
Best for: A refined, aromatic recipe
Why it stands out: Jasmine rice gives the horchata a floral, elegant character
Trend score: 9/10
One Instagram recipe lead from Alexa Soto’s Horchata Matcha Latte included a visible ingredient cue: white jasmine rice . That detail is important. Most horchata recipes use standard white rice, but jasmine rice brings a gentle floral aroma that pairs beautifully with matcha.
This is the version for people who want matcha-horchata to feel more premium, less sugary, and more crafted.
Jasmine horchata base
Ingredients
Makes roughly 4–5 servings:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 5–6 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 60–90 ml piloncillo syrup, agave, or condensed milk, adjusted to taste
- Optional: 1 cup milk or oat milk for a creamier version
Matcha layer
For one drink:
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water
- Ice
- 180 ml jasmine horchata
Recommended HARIO tools
- HARIO Matcha Collection Set
- HARIO Strainer
- HARIO Chasen
- HARIO Chasen Stand Bowl
- HARIO Glass Server for storing horchata
- HARIO Scale
Method
- Rinse the jasmine rice.
- Combine rice, water, and cinnamon sticks in a container.
- Soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Blend the mixture until the rice is broken down.
- Strain through a fine sieve or nut-milk bag.
- Add vanilla, salt, and sweetener.
- Chill thoroughly.
- Sift matcha into a HARIO bowl.
- Add warm water and whisk until smooth.
- Pour jasmine horchata over ice.
- Float the whisked matcha on top.
Why it works
Jasmine rice makes the horchata taste more delicate. This gives the matcha room to come through instead of being buried under sugar and cinnamon. The result is fragrant, creamy, and polished.
Menu name ideas
- Jasmine Matcha Horchata
- Flor de Arroz Matcha
- Cinnamon Jasmine Matcha
- Kyoto Horchata Latte
3. Classic Homemade Matcha Horchata Latte
Best for: A practical at-home recipe
Why it stands out: It has one of the clearest recipe frameworks from social media
Trend score: 8.8/10
A TikTok recipe result from Charlize Perez listed a clear horchata base: 1 cup rice, 2 cups warm water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup water, with the horchata making around 3-4 servings .
This is a great entry point for anyone making matcha-horchata for the first time. It is simple, approachable, and uses pantry-friendly ingredients.
Horchata base
Ingredients
Makes 3–4 servings:
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cold water
- Sweetener to taste
- Optional: vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Matcha latte build
For one drink:
- 150–180 ml homemade horchata
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water
- Ice
Recommended HARIO tools
- HARIO Matcha Tea Set
- HARIO Double-Walled Matcha Bowl
- HARIO Chasen Whisk
- HARIO Strainer
- HARIO Scoop
Method
- Rinse rice well.
- Soak rice with warm water and cinnamon sticks for several hours or overnight.
- Blend until the rice is broken down.
- Add milk and cold water.
- Strain well.
- Sweeten to taste.
- Chill before serving.
- Sift matcha into a HARIO matcha bowl.
- Add warm water and whisk until smooth.
- Pour horchata over ice.
- Layer matcha on top.
Café upgrade
To make this more specialty-café appropriate:
- Use Ceylon cinnamon for a softer, more aromatic spice profile.
- Sweeten with piloncillo syrup instead of white sugar.
- Add a tiny pinch of salt.
- Use barista oat milk for a vegan version.
- Use a premium matcha and sift before whisking.
Menu name ideas
- Classic Matcha Horchata
- Cinnamon Rice Matcha
- Iced Matcha de Horchata
- Casa Matcha Latte
4. Hormatcha
Best for: Branding and menu appeal
Why it stands out: The name is memorable
Trend score: 8.6/10
A TikTok result described a “Matcha Horchata Drink Recipe — How to Make Hormatcha” . The drink idea is simple, but the name is powerful. “Hormatcha” is short, playful, and instantly communicates the fusion.
For cafés, naming matters. A drink called “matcha horchata latte” is descriptive. A drink called Hormatcha can become a signature.
Recipe concept
Ingredients
- 180 ml chilled horchata
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water
- Ice
- 10–15 ml vanilla, cinnamon, or piloncillo syrup, optional
- Optional: cold foam
Recommended HARIO tools
- HARIO Matcha Bowl
- HARIO Chasen
- HARIO Strainer
- HARIO Chasen Stand Bowl
- HARIO Glass Cup or double-walled cup
Method
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Add horchata.
- Sift matcha into a HARIO bowl.
- Whisk with warm water until smooth.
- Pour matcha over the horchata.
- Optional: top with vanilla cold foam.
- Finish with cinnamon.
Why it works
Hormatcha is easy to explain and easy to sell. It can be made as a simple two-layer drink or dressed up with foam, espresso, strawberry, or ube.
Menu name ideas
- Hormatcha
- The Green Horchata
- Matchata
- Cinnamon Cloud Matcha
5. Ube Cloud Matcha Horchata
Best for: Viral café innovation
Why it stands out: The visual impact is huge
Trend score: 8.5/10
One Instagram café result referenced matcha horchata, strawberry, and ube cold foam from The Front Porch Coffee Shop . This is the most visually exciting direction because it brings together three major café flavour trends: matcha, horchata, and ube.
This drink has serious social-media potential. The colour palette alone is striking: pale cinnamon-rice milk, vivid green matcha, and purple ube foam.
Ube cloud matcha horchata
Ingredients
For one drink:
- 150–180 ml chilled horchata
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water
- Ice
- Cinnamon dust
For ube cold foam:
- 60 ml heavy cream, oat cream, or barista milk
- 1 tbsp ube halaya or ube syrup
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: vanilla
Recommended HARIO tools
- HARIO Matcha Set
- HARIO Matcha Strainer
- HARIO Chasen
- HARIO Double-Walled Matcha Bowl
- HARIO Scale
- HARIO Glass Server for batching horchata
Method
- Prepare chilled horchata.
- Sift matcha into a HARIO matcha bowl.
- Whisk matcha with warm water until smooth and foamy.
- Add horchata to a glass with ice.
- Pour matcha over the top.
- Whip or froth cream with ube and a pinch of salt.
- Spoon the ube foam over the matcha layer.
- Finish with a tiny dusting of cinnamon.
Strawberry variation
For a strawberry matcha-horchata version:
- Add 1–2 tbsp strawberry compote to the bottom of the glass.
- Add ice.
- Pour horchata over the strawberry.
- Layer matcha on top.
- Optional: finish with vanilla or ube cold foam.
Why it works
This drink is built for modern café culture. It is colourful, layered, creamy, and cross-cultural without being confusing. The horchata gives body, the matcha gives structure, and the ube foam adds dessert appeal.
Menu name ideas
• Ube Cloud Matcha Horchata
• Purple Cloud Hormatcha
• Strawberry Matcha Horchata
• Tres Culturas Latte
• Ube Horchata Verde
The ultimate recipe: Dirty Jasmine Matcha Horchata with Ube Cold Foam
If we were to combine the best ideas from all five drinks into one signature recipe, this would be the winner.
It has the café logic of the Tierra Mía-style drink, the aromatic base of the jasmine rice version, the accessibility of the classic homemade recipe, the branding potential of Hormatcha, and the visual excitement of ube cold foam.
Dirty Jasmine Matcha Horchata with Ube Cold Foam
Makes: 1 drink
Style: Iced, layered, café-style
Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
For the jasmine horchata base:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 5–6 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 60–90 ml piloncillo syrup, agave, or condensed milk
- Optional: 1 cup oat milk or whole milk
For the matcha:
- 2 g matcha
- 60 ml warm water
For the coffee layer:
- 1 shot espresso, optional
For the ube cold foam:
- 60 ml cream, oat cream, or barista milk
- 1 tbsp ube halaya or ube syrup
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: vanilla
To serve:
- Ice
- Cinnamon dust
HARIO tools to use
- HARIO Double-Walled Matcha Bowl or Chawan
- HARIO Chasen Whisk
- HARIO Matcha Strainer
- HARIO Scoop
- HARIO Chasen Stand Bowl
- HARIO Scale
- HARIO Glass Server or Bowl Server
- Optional: HARIO cold brew bottle if preparing a coffee concentrate variation
Method
- Rinse jasmine rice.
- Soak rice, water, and cinnamon sticks for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Blend until the rice is broken down.
- Strain through a fine sieve or nut-milk bag.
- Add vanilla, salt, and sweetener.
- Add milk or oat milk if using.
- Chill thoroughly.
- Sift matcha into a HARIO matcha bowl.
- Add warm water.
- Whisk briskly with a chasen until smooth and lightly foamy.
- Add ice to a clear glass.
- Pour in jasmine horchata.
- Add espresso if making the dirty version.
- Slowly pour matcha over the top.
- Froth ube cream until thick but pourable.
- Spoon ube foam over the matcha.
- Finish with a small dusting of cinnamon.
Tasting notes
Expect creamy cinnamon rice milk first, followed by earthy matcha, then a gentle coffee bitterness if espresso is included. The ube foam adds a soft dessert note without overwhelming the drink.
Why this is the best version
This drink feels complete. It is visually striking, flavour-balanced, and flexible enough for home preparation or café service. It can be made with or without espresso, with dairy or plant milk, and with either ube or strawberry as a seasonal accent.
How to make matcha-horchata taste café-quality
1. Always sift the matcha
Matcha clumps easily. A strainer is essential if you want a smooth texture. HARIO’s matcha sets include or pair well with a strainer depending on configuration.
2. Use warm, not boiling, water
Boiling water can make matcha taste harsh. Aim for around 70–80°C.
3. Whisk separately
Do not dump matcha powder directly into horchata. Whisk it first in a matcha bowl, then layer it over the drink.
4. Use less sweetener than you think
Horchata can become very sweet quickly. Matcha tastes better when the drink has balance rather than syrupy sweetness.
5. Add a pinch of salt
Salt makes rice, cinnamon, matcha, and ube taste fuller.
6. Use clear glassware
Part of the appeal is the visual layering. HARIO’s transparent glass design is a natural fit for showing off the colour of matcha, and HARIO notes that its transparent matcha pieces enhance the vibrant colour of the tea.
Why HARIO belongs in the matcha-horchata ritual
HARIO is best known in specialty coffee circles for glassware and brewing equipment, but its matcha collection makes sense for this new generation of tea-and-coffee hybrid drinks. The brand’s matcha line includes modern glass pieces, bowls, chasen stands, and matcha preparation sets designed to make the ritual feel clean and contemporary.
For matcha-horchata specifically, the benefit is not just aesthetic. The tools help solve common problems:
- Clumpy matcha
- Inconsistent dosing
- Poor foam
- Messy preparation
- Weak presentation
- Overheated or bitter matcha
A HARIO matcha setup gives the drink a more intentional preparation flow:
- Measure the matcha.
- Sift it.
- Whisk it properly.
- Layer it cleanly.
- Serve it in glassware that shows off the drink.
That process is exactly what turns a social-media drink into a repeatable café-quality beverage.
Conclusion: The next great iced café drink may already be here
Matcha-horchata sits at the perfect intersection of flavour, culture, and visual appeal. It is creamy, refreshing, colourful, and endlessly adaptable. It can be a simple iced latte, a dirty espresso drink, a strawberry-layered social-media star, or a premium jasmine rice horchata with carefully whisked matcha.
The key is technique. When the matcha is sifted, whisked, and layered properly, the drink becomes more than a trend. It becomes a ritual.
With HARIO’s modern matcha tools — especially the matcha bowl, chasen whisk, strainer, scoop, and chasen stand — home drink makers and cafés can prepare matcha-horchata with the precision and presentation it deserves.
If you try only one version, make it the Dirty Jasmine Matcha Horchata with Ube Cold Foam. It captures everything exciting about this trend: Japanese matcha, cinnamon rice horchata, specialty coffee, and modern café creativity in one glass.