Easy Homemade Matcha Lemonade

Deliciously tangy and refreshing lemonade combined with the earthy goodness of matcha. A thirst quencher ideal for the warmer spring days ahead.

Matcha. The mother of all green teas as I recently saw it called. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, I’m pretty sure you’ve tasted it – if not in tea form then in a smoothie, brownie, ice cream, cheesecake… the list of matcha creations is quite long nowadays!

The information available on matcha is also in abundance on the internet. I won’t go into great detail about its health properties as I believe it’s not my place as a food blogger, however, this blog post wouldn’t be complete without a quick reference to some of them.

Consumption of green tea has been linked to improved brain function, relaxation, heart health, liver health, weight loss… it’s even believed it may help prevent cancer. Pretty serious claims aren’t they? If you’d like to know more I suggest you do some research and make sure to find reputable sites that base their info on science and include references and links to trusted sources.

So what is the difference between matcha and green tea? Matcha is a powder made from the whole leaf of the tea plant, thus you consume the whole leaf rather than steeping it in hot water and throwing it out as you would with other green teas. Some say that consuming the leaf means you’re getting more of the good stuff.

That’s all very well but – moving into food blogger territory – what about the flavour? Matcha has a distinctive flavour, you have to give it time to grow on you. For some it’s love at first sip, but for many it’s not. If your first try is from a straight-up cup of plain warm matcha there is a possibility you will think it’s not for you. Hold on though, not so fast. If all the hype is indeed true, it’s worth experimenting until you find what you like.

If you ask me what my favourite way to drink matcha is, I will say “err, not plain!” I do like a cup of warm matcha with oat milk, and I do like it in cold latte form with some sweetener like honey, coconut sugar, agave syrup, powdered honey etc (see notes). I have a friend who just mixes a teaspoon in cold water and enjoys it throughout the day. That isn’t for me yet. It may grow on me enough to do that eventually, it may not. But that’s fine because there are so many different drinks you can make with matcha you don’t need to force yourself to drink something you’re not crazy about.

While we’re on the subject of flavour, there is something quite important to keep in mind when selecting your matcha. Its quality makes a big difference. First of all, there are two main grades of matcha. Culinary (best reserved for baking, smoothies etc) and ceremonial. Ceremonial grade is the one you want in order to enjoy a good cup of tea. Also, you’re consuming the whole leaf so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to choose organic. I use Piura organic ceremonial matcha by Ol-eve. It’s made in Japan (the homeland of matcha) and ticks both these boxes. I was particularly excited to be tasked with creating a delicious recipe with it.

And delicious is definitely what this lemonade is. Even if you aren’t a fan of matcha, please give this a try. The tangy lemonade and the earthy tea make such a good pair! Even before I tried it the first time, I knew I would like this. Probably because I love beetroot lemonade (check it out here) which also has earthy tones. Lemonade is one of my most favourite drinks anyway (here are four more I made!), so going down this road was a no brainer. I am so glad I did. This is a new favourite.

It packs all the gorgeousness of homemade lemonade plus the grassy but discreet tones of matcha, and it delivers a lovely boost as a bonus. Not to mention how pretty it looks with the two layers! (See instructions below for how to do that). A perfect thirst quencher for the warm spring days that are coming to our part of the world.

You can order Piura Organic Ceremonial Matcha from the Ol-eve eshop website.