By Victoria Liew (@victorialyx_ on Instagram and Tiktok)

It Starts with Experimentation

Is it the matcha, the milk, or the recipe? If your matcha latte tastes different every time, you’re not alone! The perfect matcha latte comes down to experimenting with these elements. 

What are your favourite milk alternatives for your matcha lattes? People have varying preferences, depending on their diet, lactose tolerance, or taste and preferences. In this article, we will be reviewing the different types of milk alternatives I’ve tried, my personal take on them, and what my go-to recipe is for matcha!

Please note that this is my personal preference, and what works for me may not work for everybody else! The best way to know what works best for you and your taste buds and body is to experiment, just like what I’ll be elaborating on below. :)

When starting my matcha journey this year, I had an adventurous spirit when experimenting with different types of milk. These are the various milk types I’ve tried so far:

1. Cow’s milk
2. Oat milk
3. Almond milk
4. Soy milk
5. Pistachio milk

The Secret Ingredients for a Perfect Matcha Latte

For me, taste is the most important factor when it comes to my milk preferences, followed by creaminess and sweetness of your matcha lattes. You can taste what milk is being used based on a few factors:

1. Milk types

2. Quality/ Strength of Matcha

3. Matcha-to-Milk Ratio

4. Matcha recipes

Let’s delve into these factors!

Breaking Down the Milk Alternatives

It’s important that you like to consume the varying milk types on its own first, before experimenting with matcha. If you don’t enjoy consuming cerain milk alternatives, there is a high chance that you will not enjoy it with your matcha. This is something I wished I knew earlier; I was confident I will enjoy experimenting with these milk alternatives that I bought 1 litre worth of each type at a time. 

Below are my experiences with each milk type. I have come up with a scale, based on 3 factors: individual taste (how I enjoy it on its own), creaminess (does it make matcha lattes more creamy) and overall rating.

1. Cow’s milk

My personal favourite! I am not lactose intolerant and I love drinking cow’s milk from young. It gives a rich, creamy matcha taste and its my go-to for matcha lattes! It is also the most accessible to me as my family and I drink cow’s milk regularly.

The taste of your matcha lattes can vary depending on brand as well. I personally enjoy Meiji milk the most, but I also like Paul’s milk a lot! This preference will depend on your personal taste, but my peers and I typically enjoy Meiji the most. 

For a lower calorie option, I enjoy the lower-fat alternatives that cow milk brands offer! I find that it does not alter the taste and creaminess significantly, and it’s still indulgent.

2. Oat milk

When I stay over in my dorm, my friends usually donate their oat milks to me for me to make matcha lattes! Therefore, I don’t really consider costs here hehe. They donate their Oatside oat milk (Original Flavor) mini cartons to me, which I personally find very convenient because it can make about 2 portions of matcha latte without me weighing the milk precisely. I have other friends who prefer Oatly (which I haven’t tried), so the brand really depends on your personal taste too. I would say this is my 2nd most favorite milk for matcha lattes, given its accessibility!

3. Almond milk

This is one of the milk alternatives that I do not enjoy on its own, unfortunately. It could be the brand that I bought, or because I don’t shake it well enough, but I find the milk too clumpy at times. When paired with matcha, the taste of almond to me overpowers the matcha. I don’t encourage pairing almond milk with matcha unless you like a more subtle matcha taste and only if you enjoy it on its own first!

4. Soy milk

I enjoy drinking soy milk on its own, but I personally don’t enjoy it with matcha! A soy matcha latte sounds good, but I think soy milk is also quite strong on its own, and you can taste it strongly when paired with matcha, suppressing the matcha taste. I also think it does not blend well together, but it’s personally better than almond milk!

5. Pistachio milk

I caved in when I kept seeing this on my Tiktok, but it’s admittedly very difficult to find in supermarkets. I managed to find one in Cold Storage costing a whopping $8, but its long storage time encouraged me to give it a try. It’s pistachio flavor is nice and subtle on its own, and it pairs well with matcha! It gives a nice creaminess, though not as much as whole milk. You taste the matcha first, followed by the aftertaste of the pistachio milk. I got so excited when experimenting with pistachio milk, that I even made a Tiktok about it. You can find it here! As much as I enjoy it however, I still think oat milk is a more affordable and accessible option, making it more beginner-friendly. 

Overall, I prefer cow’s milk to milk alternatives, but I enjoy oat milk and pistachio milk occasionally! For my lactose intolerant friends, I would recommend trying oat milk first before venturing into other milk alternatives, but I highly recommend pistachio milk if you enjoy it!

How Matcha Quality Impacts Your Latte

The taste of your matcha latte can vary based on the matcha powder you use. Some matcha brands have stronger umami, bitterness or creaminess on its own, which affects how well it complements your milk choices. For example, Matcha Masta’s current powder is a more beginner-friendly matcha with a more refreshing, light taste with little astringency. I personally prefer it paired with cow’s milk or oat milk, as other milk alternatives with stronger individual tastes (in my opinion) may overpower its matcha.

Matcha-to-Milk Ratios 

If you do a Google search on matcha latte recipes, the ratio of matcha-to-milk will vary. Some may use as little as 80ml of milk, whereas others may use 150ml of milk! When introducing my friends to matcha (aka making for them), I tend to use 3g matcha (that is beginner-friendly), and 100ml of milk. I personally do not add sugar to my matcha lattes, so I let the milk shine in its sweetness and creaminess. If its too bitter still, I’d add strawberry jam to their cups.

Of course, this depends heavily on your personal taste and preferences. I think it’s safe to use the above ratio first, then adjusting accordingly. A lot of experimentation have to take place, depending on the milk type and matcha’s characteristics. A lot of factors come into play, and even your own taste buds may change over time.

Matcha Recipes

With a plethora of recipes found online, what’s best? I find that it is best to listen to the packaging found when buying your matcha! Your matcha tins should come with a little slip of paper with some recipes and how to pair it best. It’s good to have your first cup following their recipe, thereby altering it to your taste buds. Here’s my go to matcha recipe I send to my peers:

• 3-4g sifted matcha powder, depending on your preferred strength.

• Whisk with 40g of hot water, typically 1:10 ratio of matcha-to-hot water. Don’t use boiling water as it will burn the matcha, but heat helps to release flavor. I find 60-80 degrees work best!

• Then add 80-120ml of milk depending on how milky u want, 100ml for safe bet.

• 3-4g sifted matcha powder, depending on your preferred strength.

• Whisk 40g of milk. Remember to use a frother or a resin whisk, avoid using a bamboo whisk as it will spoil the whisk.

• Lastly, add 80g-100ml of milk.

• Honey sea salt matcha latte
• Strawberry matcha latte
• Earl grey lavender matcha latte

Who’s the Best Judge? You!

Thanks for reading! Remember that at the end of the day, it ultimately depends on your personal taste and preferences with these milk alternatives and matcha! Comment below on your thoughts and what’s your favorite milk and recipe for matcha lattes.