Japan / modern café·No added fat or sugar
Matcha soda
Matcha, sparkling water, ice — nothing else
Sharp, green and completely dry. Carbonation does the job sugar usually does: it makes the matcha read as brighter rather than heavier.
Tall glass
Matcha
2 g
Soda
180 ml
Added sugar
None
Servings
1
Ingredients
- matcha, sifted2 g
- water at 75 °C40 ml
- sparkling water, very cold180 ml
- ice150 g
- lime1 wedge
Method
1
Whisk the paste
Sift, paste with 40 ml of 75 °C water, then whisk smooth. Warm water first even though the drink is cold — matcha will not dissolve in cold.
2
Ice, then soda down the side
Pour the sparkling water against the glass to keep the bubbles.
3
Matcha over a spoon
Slowly, so it sits as a green layer before it drifts down. Squeeze the lime over the top.
Notes
- Hojicha version is gentler and nearly caffeine-free — roasted powder in place of matcha, same method.
- If it reads as too austere, 5 ml of honey stirred into the hot paste is enough to round it without turning it into a soft drink.
What you need
- Chasen (bamboo whisk) or Handheld milk frother
- Small sieve