Matcha – powdered green tea – is a traditional Japanese drink used in the tea ceremony, but recently it has also been used in sweets and lattes and is loved by people of all ages. Its slightly bitter flavor seems to be well accepted by foreigners as well.
In this issue, we asked foreigners who live or have lived in Japan what surprised them about matcha. We asked them to tell us what they thought of matcha when they first tried it, their favorite matcha sweets, and other surprising episodes related to matcha. (The following is the personal opinion of those who responded to our survey.)
main image: PIXTA
Matcha flavor and real matcha, too much of a taste gap!
Image: PIXTA
The most common reason was the gap between the "matcha flavor" in sweets and other products and the "real matcha tea" taste. Some said it was too bitter or too sweet compared to their imagination.
"I've had matcha-flavored chocolate before, so I thought the real matcha tea would taste similar, but I was surprised to find it was much more bitter than I expected!" (Czech / 20s / Female)
"When I joined a tea ceremony in Kyoto, I was surprised at the bitterness of the matcha and ended up swallowing it quickly. The matcha I drank in the U.S. was pretty weak in comparison." (American / 40s / Male)
"Daifuku is a type of green tea cake that often has cream in it. When I tried it, all I tasted was the cream, and I was shocked that it wasn't healthy (laughs)." (British / 40s / Female)
"I personally don't like matcha-flavored sweets. My family liked it, so I tried it and was surprised because it had a unique sweet taste and I had never had it in Chile before." (Chilean / 30s / Male)
While some said they could not get used to the astringent taste of matcha, others were surprised by the sweetness of matcha-flavored sweets. The original taste of matcha has been improved to make it more palatable and spread around the world, but for those who have had real matcha, it seems to be somewhat of a shock.
Delicious and healthy. Matcha Lattes are booming among foreigners!
Image: PIXTA
Many respondents said they love "matcha lattes," which are often found in cafes.
"When I had a Starbucks Matcha Crème Frappuccino, I was impressed by the fact that such a delicious drink exists in Japan." (Spain / 20s / Female)
"I was surprised that matcha and milk go so well together. I was so addicted to the taste that I made my own latte at home with milk and matcha powder I picked up during my trip." (USA / 30s / Female)
"It's easy …
