Grab a Matcha Latte, add an espresso... and enjoy a Dirty Matcha, with its unique aroma and unmistakable colour. Recipe and some facts about a drink that has become a café menu sensation and phenomenon on social media.

Behind its unusual name is a somewhat unlikely combination, yet today the Dirty Matcha is one of the most popular (and shared on social media) variants of the now classic Matcha Latte. What makes it special? Espresso, which creates an unexpected fusion between the world of tea and coffee – between distant tastes and traditions. What is a dirty matcha and how is it prepared?

What “dirty” means in the Dirty Matcha

In a coffee shop menu, the term “dirty” signals the addition of an espresso to a preparation that traditionally does not contain it. So, it’s the addition of coffee that turns Chai a tea and spice drink into a Dirty Chai, and turns a Matcha Latte a version of matcha cappuccino – into a Dirty Matcha. In the latter, the name also relates to the appearance of the drink, referring to the darkened colour that the espresso lends to the combination.

Although its origins are not accurately documented, the Dirty Matcha appears to have taken hold in the United States in speciality cafés, where experimentation with new ingredients and unusual combinations has become an increasingly important component of the menu. It reflects the trend to fuse different traditions and preparations, to create recipes that surprise.

From Japanese tea to contemporary recipes

Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder obtained by grinding tencha, obtained from tea leaves grown in shade, steamed, dried and finally ground into a very fine powder. Traditionally, it was the drink used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

It was the Monk Eisai who, returning from China in the late 12th century, brought back with him this particular method of preparation, along with tea seeds. Unlike the classic leaf tea, which is infused and then filtered, matcha tea powder is consumed along with the drink, giving it a distinctive taste with strong vegetable and grassy notes.

Above all, it was the Matcha Latte that has made it famous outside Japan in modern times a preparation made from matcha and hot frothed milk, which looks very much like a bright green cappuccino.

Since the mid-2000s, the introduction of this recipe in large chains and coffee shops has made it known and rapidly adored worldwide. Cold versions and new combinations have followed, while social media coverage has amplified the phenomenon, driven by the attractive and immediately recognisable colour of this speciality.

What changes with the espresso

While in the Matcha Latte the green vegetable taste of the tea is complemented by the smoothness of the milk, the addition of espresso in the Dirty version adds intensity, aromas and new colour nuances to the drink. Dirty Matcha can be served hot, with frothed milk, or cold with ice. But there are so many more possible variations and, therefore, the sensory experience it can offer the palate. The final taste is influenced by the proportions of the ingredients and qualities of the espresso and milk used, as well as the serving temperature.

Matcha Latte Macchiato: the illy recipe

Among the various interpretations of the Dirty Matcha, the one proposed by illy is called Matcha Latte Macchiato which enhances the role of the espresso in a warm and layered preparation. Easy to make at home.

Ingredients

• 1 double espresso

• 250 ml whole fresh milk

• 4 g matcha powder

Equipment

• Cappuccino maker or electric milk frother

• 300 ml glass

Preparation

1. Prepare a double espresso in a small jug or cappuccino cup.

2. Combine the matcha powder with the fresh milk and stir the ingredients with a spoon, then froth using a cappuccino maker or electric milk frother.

3. Pour the frothed milk into the serving glass.

4. Pour the double espresso directly onto the frothed milk.