Matcha is a form of green tea, made from the ground of leaves a very special trees that originate in Japan.
A younger leaf is chosen for this kind of grinding process, leaves that haven’t gone through a maturation process and leaves that have been grown in at least partial shade.
The end result is a green tea that has a stronger, brighter kind of flavor – as well as a whole host of nutrients that you just won’t find in typical green tea options.
At the same time, though, matcha can be a little on the bolder side of things. It might even have a bit of bitterness that can be tough for folks that are used to it, too.
If you’ve been looking for ways to sweeten the matcha that you enjoy so much – giving and a little extra zip and sing along the way – you’re going to want to check out the inside info we highlight below.
Ready to get started?
Matcha 101
Matcha might be the “trendy thing” right now – not just found in hot tea but also an iced tea, ice cream, and all different kinds of desserts as well – but it’s actually been grown and enjoyed for over a thousand years.
The Tang Dynasty is considered by many historians to be the originator of this kind of green tea.
The process for producing matcha back then involved steaming the leaves themselves, forming them into tight bricks, and allowing them to dry and “cure”. After that was done – and the bricks were legitimate bricks – the ancient Chinese would smash those bricks into tiny little pieces and then mix the powder in with water and salt.
Japanese Buddhist monks took things to the next level in the 13th century after studying in China. It became an almost overnight super luxury in the Japanese culture, with families growing their own small batches, trading seeds, and elevating the way matcha was made into an almost art form.
The end result of all this experimentation is a variety of different matcha options, some of which are light, airy, and sweet already and others that are a little heartier, a little bolder, and even a little more better.
Those are the kinds of matcha options that most folks want to sweeten!
How to Sweeten Macha
Now that we’ve gone over a little basic matcha 101, it’s time to dive into (almost) everything you need to know about sweetening this green tea up to your liking.
Spring for Quality matcha
Straight out of the gate, it’s important that you are only ever using high quality matcha – even if that means spending a little more money than you might have otherwise to get your hands on really quality stuff.
There are a lot of commercial producers of this green tea option and not all of them are created equally. Some offer pure matcha that is foolishly high quality – but often a little better – and others offer matcha that has been tinkered with, toyed with, and loaded up with all kinds of fillers and additives to changed flavor profile.
When you start off with quality matcha, though, you’ll be able to find a sweetener that works best for that specific strain and won’t have to tinker anymore on your own.
Good Table Sugar Works
A quality table sugar (good old-fashioned granulated sugar) can do wonders to sweeten your favorite matcha blend.
You don’t want to go overboard, of course. Too much sugar will throw the flavor of the matcha out of whack, resulting in an almost candied kind of flavor that most folks aren’t looking for.
A spoonful or two is usually more than enough to sweeten things up and cut through all the bitterness.
Honey Works Well, Too
Honey is a world-class all-natural sweetening agent, especially if you spring for the “real deal” instead of the commercialized stuff sold in those little golden bear bottles.
You’ll want to sweeten with honey to your taste, of course.
Maybe just a little splash is all you need to eliminate some of the bitterness, or maybe a little more is called for to help sweeten your matcha and soothe your throat at the same time.
Brown Sugar Can Add a Little Complexity – And Sweetness!
Brown sugar can be added to matcha green tea as well, not just to sweeten the beverage but also to add extra complexity to the flavor as well as some unique aromas.
You’ll change the color of your matcha green team to a deeper caramel sort of color when you use brown sugar, but you’ll also add chocolatey and fruity/nutty flavors that matcha doesn’t bring to the table on its own.
Try Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is going to change the flavor of matcha tea in a big way – even more than honey will – but it’s also going to bring a lot of sweetness into the mix, too.
You want to have a light touch if you’re hoping to maintain as much of that matcha flavor as possible. Go overboard and you might feel like you are drinking thin, hot maple syrup on its own!
Monk Fruit Will Work – But Don’t Go Overboard!
Monk fruit to add a punch of sweetness into your matcha green tea, but you really have to be careful with how much you are adding.
A tiny bit goes a long (LONG) away!
The benefit here, of course, is that you’ll be adding a lot of extra antioxidants into your already antioxidant rich matcha tea when you use monk fruit to get the job done in the sweetness department.
Closing Thoughts
There are a bunch of different ways you can go to sweeten up your favorite matcha green tea, and hopefully we’ve given you a couple of ideas – including some that you likely already have in your cupboard right now.
The important thing to remember is that you want to go light with your sweetening agents at first, until you dial down just how much you need for each individual serving size.
Too much sweetness in matcha green tea can make it really unpleasant!