Over the past few years, matcha-flavored everything has been making its way everywhere. The standard matcha latte, matcha cookies, matcha cakes, matcha ice cream, matcha tiramisu and even matcha cheese is everywhere on my explore page, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. 

I’ve always been an avid green tea drinker, and a lot of people remember me freshman and sophomore year as someone who would only drink the bottled Ito En green teas. No water, just green tea. Matcha to me was more of a dessert drink, and I thought that it had little nutritional value compared to my typical green tea. I liked it, but it wasn’t all consuming. However, matcha has been gaining popularity on the internet. Lots of people have liked matcha before this craze, but social media more or less gave exposure to this delectable, earthy drink. 

I have to admit, throughout high school, caffeine was my savior. After my first semester of senior year, I vowed to stop drinking coffee and energy drinks. Matcha was an alternative to coffee or energy drinks that I felt like I could transition smoothly into. If I completely stopped drinking energy drinks but started substituting it with matcha, then the caffeine withdrawals would not be as bad. For reference, cutting out energy drinks would decrease my caffeine intake by around 200 milligrams, which would be difficult to quit cold turkey. 

I find that matcha in general just tastes better than an americano or a latte. I know some people would consider matcha to be an “acquired taste,” but to me, I love the grassy, umami flavor of matcha paired with a nutty oat milk. Good matcha should be a gorgeous vibrant green color, similar to maple leaves, and it should have a very fine powder texture. Bad matcha is more brownish-yellowish in color, and has a grainy texture. Some powders come with sugar already mixed in, but I find that pure matcha powder in a tin is what tastes the best. 

Whether this is a trend that will pass or something that is here to stay like the bubble tea craze, matcha is something that has quickly become special to me. My wrist may feel like it’s going to fall off from whisking so vigorously in my matcha bowl, but nothing feels better than sitting under the shade, drinking a bright green matcha while listening to my favorite songs.