Sakura iced matcha latte

Coffee Japanese cuisine

I think it's impossible to go to Japan and not come back obsessed with matcha. It's everywhere there, especially in the region around Kyoto where some of the best matchas in the world are grown. We saw everything from matcha soft serve to matcha mochi to matcha tiramisu... and gobbled up every bit of it. What is matcha, you ask? Matcha is a green tea, from the same plant as the stuff you steep, but shade-grown and ground into a whole-leaf powder. Since you are consuming the entire leaf when you drink matcha, this refined growing method is important as it results in a less bitter, brighter green tea. The shade-growing process also gives the plant higher concentrations of nutrients, antioxidants and amino acids, in particular theanine (its mellowing properties countering the caffeine for a lovely, calm energy... not jittery like coffee). Here's the thing, even cheap matcha is not cheap, but the range is still enormous. More expensive matchas are made from just the most tender tips of