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Tokyo-Style Chocolate Matcha with a Pure Cacao Shell
Coat a chilled glass with melted pure cacao, let it set, then pour in iced matcha. Every sip picks up a little chocolate.
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Tokyo-style chocolate matcha is an iced matcha latte served in a glass lined with a thin shell of chocolate. As you drink, the cold matcha softens the shell and every sip picks up a little chocolate. Made with 100% cacao instead of sweet chocolate, the shell is deep and bittersweet, and it lets the matcha still taste like matcha.
Ingredients (1 glass)
- 20 g Alma Cacao pieces (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, which helps the shell set thin and snap
- 1 teaspoon matcha (about 2 g)
- 2 oz hot water, about 175°F
- 6 oz cold milk of your choice (oat milk is great here)
- Ice, plus honey or maple syrup for the matcha if you like it sweet
How to make it
- Chill the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes. A cold glass helps the shell set fast and thin.
- Melt the cacao with the coconut oil in a small bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, or in 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between. Keep it warm, not hot.
- Coat the glass. Pour the melted cacao into the cold glass and turn it slowly so it runs around the sides. Spoon any extra up the walls. Return the glass to the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the matcha with the hot water until frothy. Sweeten it now if you like.
- Build it. Add ice and cold milk to the glass, then pour the matcha over the top. Serve with a wide straw and a spoon for the chocolate.
Tips for a perfect shell
- Keep everything dry. A drop of water can make melted cacao seize and turn grainy.
- Sweeten the matcha, not the shell. The shell sets best with just cacao and coconut oil.
- Use cold milk and ice. A hot latte melts the shell within minutes. Delicious, but you lose the snap.
- Finish the shell with a pinch of flaky salt or cinnamon before it sets.
Why pure cacao
Most chocolate shells are made with sweetened chocolate or candy coating. Alma Cacao is 100% cacao paste in small pieces, single-origin from native communities of the Peruvian Amazon, with nothing added. It melts quickly with no chopping, and its bittersweet shell balances a sweet, creamy matcha. Curious how the two compare as a daily drink? Read ceremonial cacao vs matcha.
Alma Ceremonial Cacao
One ½ lb Starter makes about 11 chocolate shells at 20 g, plus a few morning cups.
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Common questions
What is Tokyo-style chocolate matcha?
An iced matcha latte served in a glass coated inside with a thin layer of chocolate. It is a cafe-style drink that went viral online, and it is easy to make at home.
Can I use cacao powder or cocoa powder?
Powder will not set into a shell because most of the cacao butter has been pressed out. You need whole cacao paste or chocolate, which still contains its cacao butter.
Will the shell melt?
Slowly. With cold milk and ice it holds for most of the drink. With a hot latte it melts into the drink within a few minutes, which is good in its own way.
Can I make the glasses ahead?
Yes. Coat a few glasses and keep them in the freezer for up to a day.
Can I make it without matcha?
Yes. The same shell works with iced coffee, cold brew or a chai latte.
More cacao guides.
Cacao ceremony at home
A simple, step-by-step guide for your first ceremony: dose, prep, intention.
Read the guideCacao vs coffee
Caffeine, taste and ritual side by side, and how to switch at your pace.
Read the guideCeremonial cacao gifts
Gift ideas from $22 for the coffee lover, the yogi and the host.
Read the guideStart your ritual.
Pure ceremonial cacao from native communities of the Peruvian Amazon. One ingredient, nothing added.
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