Matcha is a grounded powder composed of green tea leaves, which originated in China during the Tang Dynasty. Over time, it has become more well-known with its association in Japanese tea ceremonies. In recent times, the tea has become more popular internationally, being used for a variety of foods and drink combinations.
High-quality, ceremonial-grade matcha can be expensive or hard to find. Additionally, maintaining its freshness and preparing the delicacy can be hard for people who are new to the drink. Luckily, many food joints have been reflecting on the current trends, offering matcha-flavored drinks for people to enjoy conveniently.
Typically, many people believe matcha should be neither too sweet, earthy, and not overwhelmingly bitter. To find the best matcha for each person’s taste, I reviewed the matcha drinks from local areas and noted the flavor and strengths of each one.
Starbucks
Located nearby in Malden Center lies Starbucks, a coffeehouse that is widely recognized for its variety of drinks and pastry options. During specific seasons or occasions, they will begin to offer specialty drinks correlating with the time of year.
During springtime, Starbucks begins offering drinks with add-ons of flavoring that highly resonate with the vernal season. Some are lavender-focused in the roster of limited-time spring flavors, with lavender flavoring or aspects throughout the drink. Part of this lineup is the lavender cream matcha latte, which is topped with lavender cold foam.
While the drink itself was enjoyable, the matcha taste wasn’t as strong. The drink was sweet and had a seemingly low matcha concentration with a good amount of oat milk. On top of that, there were a couple of small clumps sitting at the bottom of the cup due to the powder not being fully mixed in the drink.
As Starbucks is an American-owned business, it mainly aims to cater to the Western palate. Although the drink lacks the bitterness that typical matchas contain, the flavor is still noticeable, and this drink would be recommended for those who prefer sweeter flavors.
Tous Les Jours
Across the block from Starbucks is Tous Les Jours, a French-Asian fusion bakery; it offers a wide assortment of sweet and savory pastries, teas, and coffees. Lots of their Asian influence can be found in their drinks, which have a multitude of flavors originating from all across Asia.
Recently, they’ve put out a collection of matcha pastries and drinks, including cream puffs, lemonades, and lattes. Their current specialty drink is the matcha tiramisu latte, a matcha latte topped with a sweet cream and lightly dusted with matcha powder.
At the first sip, it was noticeably more bitter than the matcha flavor from Starbucks. The drink was smooth and milky with a high concentration of matcha. Despite the creamy profile, the sweetness of the cream and milk could not mask or reduce the bitterness of the original taste. Overall, the drink was high quality, and the matcha flavor was immensely strong.
For people who are interested in the more authentic and bitter taste of matcha, Tous Les Jours’ matcha offers this flavor that they may be searching for. Although they’re a slightly higher price, it is reflected in the quality of the drinks they provide.
Gong Cha
Founded in Taiwan, 2006, Gong Cha has marked its presence in the boba industry, opening hundreds of stores worldwide. One of its many locations can be found within Malden. They offer a wide variety of different teas, coffees, and blends. Along with these, they offer toppings, varying from jellies, pearls, and milk foams. The customization allows customers to have free will to craft the perfect drink made to their preferences.
Although Gong Cha specializes in accommodating the preferred taste of their Western customers, they still have lots of options on their menu that incorporate Asian flavors. That being said, they offer a wide range of different matcha drinks, all with different additions to add more flavors for people to enjoy.
Their matcha has a good concentration, and with the mix of milk, it doesn’t have a highly bitter taste. Nonetheless, it isn’t too sweet either, as it finds a good blend between both flavors. It was also blended well, with no leftover matcha clumps in the drink.
Conclusion
As Starbucks is an American-owned business, it aims to cater to the Western palate. Although the drink lacks the bitterness that typical matchas contain, the flavor is still noticeable, and this drink would definitely be recommended for those who prefer sweeter flavors.
For people who are interested in the more authentic and bitter taste of matcha, Tous Les Jours’ matcha offers this flavor that they may be searching for. Although they’re a slightly higher price, it is reflected in the quality of the drinks they provide.
If the other two drinks aren’t to your taste, Gong Cha seems to acquire a perfect middle ground. There isn’t the strong bitter flavor that is seen in Tous Les Jours’s drink, but the matcha taste is still distinct.
Overall, every drink was delectable in its own various ways. Every person has different tastes and preferences, so head out and find the drink that is your perfect match-a.
