If you have any familiarity with asian culture, you'll notice that green tea flavored things and even green tea are really...GREEN. Like, a really beautiful, slightly yellow lime green. This is because they often use Matcha, a green tea powder made by the milling of shade-grown green tea. Unlike normal tea that you steep, you stick a spoonful in, add some warm water and have tea! It also can be used to make things like green tea ice cream, cookies, buns, dango, cheesecake and other sweet and savory dishes, giving it a refreshing flavor.
This was found during one of my various Oriental Market Adventures but unlike my normal adventures which cause me to have sporadic purchases, I actually wanted matcha. I really wanted to get it at a legitimate tea shop, but have to admit that this was a great bargain. I got a 300 g container (about 10-12 oz) for 11 bucks, which probably isn't the highest quality matcha but I'll take that over 20 dollars for 4 oz. Matcha is also extremely healthy since it's the whole tea leaf as opposed to just the nutrients steeped out. Wikipedia says that it could have up to 137 times the amount of antioxidants than normal green tea. This company likes to brag about how it has folic acid, betacaratine, fiber, vitamin b, c and e as well as all the other tea stuff. It also has a lot of L-theanine which helps boost your metabolism and mental health state.
Outsides: The box it's in is a nice thick cardboard encasing a nice thick foil bag. I feel like I need to do something with said foil bag because it's just so...useless. It's not going to keep my tea fresh and it's a pain to get the tea out. Note: Please read the brewing instructions before making your tea! The tea itself is dark green and not opaque at all (in fact, it's very murky). It smells nice and fresh.
Inside: Without sugar, the tea is slightly sweet with this plant-like flavor. With a bit of sugar added though, it gets a little bitter. It's kind of this nice, refreshing plant-like flavor that can be drunk by itself, but seems to really shine when you add dairy to it. I mean, I'm all for plain green tea but when you combine the refreshingness of the green tea with some creaminess of milk, it makes the perfect combo.
Coincidently, I am now addicted to Matcha Lattes (Strong-brewed matcha with half-and-half and sugar). I think they're healthier than coffee and actually give you a nice energy boost, plus I just can't help but feel happy after drinking one.
I feel like it's important to note that Matcha can be a bit of an acquired taste. I remember trying green tea ice cream and thinking it tasted like grass (which might also be due to low-grade komatcha), but then re-trying matcha in wafer form (matcha cream with wafers covered in white chocolate) and it being my favorite one. I had it again with bubble tea and thought it was one of the best summer treats. But it does taste kinda planty so non-adventurous people should be weary. Maybe try a green tea bun first or some good-quality matcha sweet.
Overall: I think this is some great value and I've been drinking it like crazy. Yeah, go on and buy it. It's healthy, delicious and works great on giving you energy. If you like matcha, you'll find a use for this.
My Rating: Buy it! So, it's not on the actual website but here's what it looks like. Hsin Tung Yang is the company name.
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