Matcha orange juice

Matcha orange juice combines the vegetal earthy flavours of matcha with tangy notes of fresh orange juice.

Matcha is made from tea leaves that spent the latter few weeks of their pre-harvest time in the shade. The act of shading aids in the generation of dimethyl sulfide, a molecule that is also discharged by many aquatic lifeforms (and is hence a major component of the smell of the ocean). Dimethyl sulfide is responsible for the distinctive seaweed-like flavor characteristic of quality matcha.

You probably know where orange juice comes from, so I won't talk about that.

Orange juice is a major player on the Thai beverage scene, where coffee with orange juice stars. You'll also find it paired with plain black tea, Thai tea (which is made from black tea), soda water, and more. And so it comes as no surprise someone, at some point, decided to mix it with matcha (which is also very popular in Thailand). Hey, it works.

Print Recipe

Matcha orange juice

Matcha comes in many forms, ranging from very low to high ceremonial grade quality. There's no need to buy the super duper top of the range stuff here, but I'd also avoid the bottom shelf varieties. I personally love Clearspring brand matcha.

Servings: 1 glass

Ingredients

• 150 millilitres orange juice
• 60 millilitres hot water
• 2 grams matcha powder 1 teaspoon
• ice
• sugar syrup (optional)

Instructions

• Pour the orange juice into a large (16 oz/47cl) glass.
• Add ice to the glass, filling it to the brim.
• Combine the hot water and matcha in a separate small bowl or glass. Whisk to combine, ensuring there are no lumps. You don't need a bamboo whisk. I use a silicone pastry brush but a small whisk of any sort (or a fork as a last resort) will do.
• Pour the matcha over the ice. Serve.