Howdy,
Years ago, simply to save myself a little time on a summer morning, I began whisking my daily usucha with cold water instead of hot. And honestly? I felt guilty about it for the longest time. It felt like I was rushing through a tradition I deeply respected — skipping a sacred step in a ritual I had no right to hurry. Surely a "real" matcha purist would never do something so sacrilegious.
Then came a scorching summer day in Tokyo.
We were sitting in the elegant Nakamura Tokichi café, tucked inside the stunning Ginza Six department store. The heat outside was intense, and right there on the menu, they served us a beautiful, brilliant bowl of cold-whisked usucha. It was a confirmation. It was incredibly refreshing, and it instantly lifted every ounce of my self-inflicted guilt
Welcome to Summer: Mizudate
As it turns out, we believe there is absolutely no wrong way to make a matcha. In Japan, whisking matcha with ice-cold water from the very start is a fully recognized seasonal method called Mizudate (水点て). It’s embraced as a beautiful way to navigate the hot summer months, and it’s openly shared by historic tea houses far older and wiser than us.
In fact, Ippodo Tea Co.— the legendary Kyoto tea house founded all the way back in 1717 — shares its own traditional cold-whisk recipe without a single ounce of hesitation:
Behind the Bowl: The Honest Trade-offs
Preparing matcha cold can change how the leaf behaves, which means there are some trade-offs to keep in mind.
(Just a quick heads-up: we are passionate tea lovers, not medical professionals, so this isn't official health advice! But the culinary science of a cold bowl is pretty interesting.)
The Cons
A Quieter Foam & Aroma: A thick, pillowy crema and a blooming aroma actually require heat. Below 140°F (60°C), the foam usually falls off. With a cold whisk, your goal is a smooth, fully dissolved tea rather than a frothy head.
The Stubborn Clump: Cold water makes matcha powder tightly stick together. Sifting your tea first is absolutely mandatory here, or you can meet bitter clumps.
The Pros
Smoother & Naturally Sweeter: Cold water coaxes far fewer bitter catechins and less intense caffeine out of the leaf. What you lose in warmth, you gain in an incredibly crisp, mellow, naturally sweet cup.
Preserving the Good Stuff: Matcha naturally contains delicate Vitamin C, which may degrade when exposed to temperatures above 158°F (70°C). Going cold can keep that natural nutrient profile perfectly intact.
Finding Kindred Spirits
Over the last few years of perfecting our own cold-whisk routine, we’ve loved finding a global community of kindred spirits who share this exact same passion. On Instagram, we constantly gravitate toward incredible creators in Thailand like @leila_cafeathome, who also love documenting their own cold prep. While our methods may differ, we instantly bonded with their content because it is so joyful to connect with fellow tea lovers across the world who love the exact same style of drinking.
As it turns out, cold-whisking matcha makes a rather spectacular latte.
In Japan, an iced latte usually begins with hot water to dissolve the powder before pouring it over cold milk. But whisking your matcha cold, straight into the milk, holds onto a silkiness and a soft, gentle sweetness that a hot base can lose.
We have made this version more times than we can possibly count. It has become one of our signature recipes, and it’s printed right on the little washi paper coaster tucked into each order.
Not every latte requires this much dedication. But on a beautiful, sun-drenched summer Sunday? This one, we truly believe, is worth every single second.
🌞 Have a wonderful Sunday! 🌞
The Howdy Matcha Team 💚🤠🍵
