Earthy and sweet Matcha Ice Cream is the perfect refreshing treat on a hot day. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe at home. With a deep intensity and rich texture, this green tea ice cream instantly takes me back to Japan. If you want to know what true Japanese matcha ice cream tastes like, this recipe is for you. Show
Green tea is one of the most popular flavors for sweets in Japan, especially in the form of ice cream. I’ve been living in the U.S. for over 15 years now, and I admit that it’s been hard to find green tea ice cream that tastes authentic to what I enjoyed growing up. The majority of what I’ve tried is either way too sweet or overly creamy, masking the delicate flavor of the tea itself. Also, with matcha ice cream, there should never be a need for any artificial coloring or flavors. If you want to know what true Matcha Ice Cream (抹茶アイスクリーム) tastes like, I have just the recipe for you. The flavors instantly bring me back to Japan whenever I have this ice cream. What Does Matcha Ice Cream Taste Like?The ideal flavor of this refreshing treat should be a perfect balance of earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter. Because matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea, you often don’t need much to experience its robust profile. This homemade ice cream recipe accentuates the deep intensity of matcha flavor and is rich in texture. That’s how matcha ice cream tastes in Japan! It should not be overly creamy or milky like what you’d expect from some commercial ice cream brands which downplay the distinct matcha character. In short, expect intense matcha in authentic Japanese ice cream. No weak matcha flavor here. Since matcha ice cream contains caffeine, consider it the perfect hot weather pick-me-up! Matcha vs. Green TeaYes, both types of traditional Japanese teas come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). But what sets them apart? You will find that matcha (抹茶) is more expensive and sold in small canisters as a finely ground powder. This is because matcha is made using only shade-grown tea leaves, meaning the leaves never encounter direct sunlight (resulting in a darker shade of green due to increased chlorophyll production). Only the finest buds are hand-picked, de-stemmed, and stone-ground to become the vibrant green powder that we find in stores. Green tea (緑茶), on the other hand, is cultivated from leaves that have been left in the sun. This type of tea is often found in tea bags or sold as loose leaf. The flavor is lighter than matcha. It’s still earthy, but it is much less intense because it’s not as concentrated. To learn more about matcha and how best to store it, please read this post. Ingredients for Matcha Ice CreamMy Matcha Ice Cream recipe is super simple. It only takes 4 simple ingredients to make— and eggs are not necessary!
5 Tips for Making Matcha Ice CreamTip #1: Buy the right matchaWhen purchasing matcha, you’ll notice there are often three types: ceremonial, premium, and culinary grade. High-grade matcha (ceremonial and premium) is used for drinking and tends to have a bright, vibrant green hue. The “lower grades” are used mostly for culinary purposes, such as this recipe. Premium quality matcha rarely goes on sale. Even if it does, do not buy in big volume because you need to use it in 2-3 weeks once you open the package. Matcha oxidizes and turns to yellow-green color as time passes. Unless you’re running a commercial bakery, I wouldn’t buy a big bag of matcha for home use. Even in Japan, matcha is considered an expensive ingredient because of the care required for cultivation. Tip #2: Half-and-Half vs. Milk & CreamWhen I shared this original recipe in 2011, I used Half-and-Half (an American dairy product that is an equal blend of whole milk and light cream) to make the recipe. Since then, I learned that many of you, who live outside of the U.S., don’t have access to this product, so I’ve included other options for you in this updated recipe. There are 4 options:
Reference: The Kitchn Tip #3: Freeze your ice cream bowlBefore diving into making the ice cream, be sure to freeze your ice cream bowl for 24 hours beforehand. If it’s not cold enough, you may end up with liquid even after 30 minutes of churning. If you are not using an ice cream maker, please read this post for helpful tips. After having this ice cream maker for several years, we invested on this ice cream maker and really love it. We don’t have to worry about reserving a space in the freezer to store the ice cream bowl before making ice cream any more. It’s much more convenient now to make homemade ice cream. Tip #4: Make Matcha PasteMatcha is a fine powder and you can’t add it to the large volume of liquid because the powder becomes lumps as soon as it absorbs moisture. Therefore, when you mix matcha with liquid (milk mixture in this recipe), you have to make matcha into the paste form before adding to the large volume of liquid. Tip #5: Refrigerate the Matcha Milk MixtureTo facilitate the churring properly, you have to chill the ice cream mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I consider this the hardest part of ice cream making! Other Ice Cream Recipes:
Ceramics from Musubi KilnI’m partnering with a great online ceramic shop from Japan called Musubi Kiln. They kindly offer JOC readers 10% off with a coupon code JUSTONECOOKBOOK for your purchase. In this post, I’ve used:
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Matcha Ice Cream4.88 from 231 votes Earthy and sweet Matcha Ice Cream is the perfect refreshing treat on a hot day. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe at home. With a deep intensity and rich texture, this green tea ice cream instantly takes me back to Japan. If you want to know what true Japanese matcha ice cream tastes like, this recipe is for you. Print Recipe Pin Recipe VideoPrep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Chilling Mixture + Churring + Chilling Ice Cream: 8 hrs 25 mins Total Time: 9 hrs Servings: 1.5 QT (6 cups) Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
For the Milk Mixture:Option 1 (I use this in the recipe and video)
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. InstructionsTo Freeze the Ice Cream Bowl (at least 24 hours prior)
To Make the Ice Cream Mixture
To Churn the Ice Cream
To Serve
To Store
NutritionServing: 1 QT · Calories: 1166 kcal · Carbohydrates: 121 g · Protein: 39 g · Fat: 56 g · Saturated Fat: 35 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g · Cholesterol: 179 mg · Sodium: 244 mg · Potassium: 631 mg · Sugar: 101 g · Vitamin A: 4213 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 509 mg · Iron: 9 mg Author: Namiko Chen Course: Dessert Cuisine: Japanese Keyword: green tea powder, ice cream, matcha ©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here. Did you make this recipe?If you made this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #justonecookbook! We love to see your creations on Instagram @justonecookbook! Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on August 15, 2011. The blog content and images have been updated and a new video has been added to the post in August 2021. What does matcha green tea ice cream taste like?Matcha ice cream tastes earthy, sweet, and just slightly bitter. It's a mellow flavour that's slightly grassy and almost savoury. It's difficult to describe if you've never tried matcha before. And of course, it also tastes just like any other ice cream - creamy, cold, and melts in your mouth.
Does matcha green tea ice cream have caffeine?Does green tea ice cream have caffeine in it? Yes, it does – and a fair bit of it. The exact amount of caffeine will vary a bit per brand, but there is generally around 70 mg of caffeine per teaspoon of matcha powder.
What is Matcha ice cream made of?What Is Green Tea Ice Cream? Green tea ice cream is a Japanese dessert made with matcha, an earthy, grassy green tea powder. The popular dish combines savory matcha flavor with the sweetness of chilled cream. You can find matcha powder in most grocery stores in the tea aisle.
Where is matcha ice cream from?Matcha ice cream (known in Japan as matcha ice or 抹茶アイスクリーム) is ice cream that has been blended with green tea powder. This bright green ice cream is a popular treat in the humid summers of Japan and other parts of Asia.
|