Cocokkan Latte

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients and tools.
2. Sift 1½ tsp matcha (ceremoial or culinary grade) through a fine-mesh strainer into a wide and cylindrical cup, bowl, or matcha bowl. Nami's Tip: Fine powders become lumpy once you add hot water. Sifting the found powder first helps get rid of lumps faster.
3. Add an optional ½ tsp sugar if you want to sweeten it (I don't add any). Then, add 2 Tbsp hot water.
4. Use a chasen (a bamboo whisk used for Japanese tea ceremonies) or flat whisk to whisk briskly, draw a letter W, until no lumps remain. The matcha slurry will be smooth and a little foamy. Nami's Tip: Matcha is tea leaf powder, so it will never completely dissolve in water.
5. With a handheld milk frother: Heat ¾ cup milk in the microwave or a pot on the stove until warm, about 140ºF (65ºC). Then, froth the milk until foamy with a handheld milk frother, about 10–15 seconds. With the steaming wand of an espresso machine: Steam ¾ cup milk (cold). We used the auto-steaming function, but here's a great video tutorial by a world-champion latte artist. Nami's Tip: You can skip frothing the milk, but you will miss out on the airy mouthfeel of the warm milk foam.
6. Pour the steamed milk into the center of the matcha slurry, ending with light foam. Optionally, sprinkle additional matcha powder on top using the fine-mesh strainer. Enjoy!
7. If you wish to make a decorative design on your latte, follow this video tutorial by a world-champion latte artist.