If you’re like I was before I went to Japan, you may not even know what Matcha is. Many people think it’s green tea. This is halfway true. Matcha is a type of green tea, but if you order Green Tea in Japan, you won’t get matcha. You’ll get green tea.

Green Tea: just what you think it is. Tea made from steeping green tea leaves or using a green tea bag.

Matcha: made from powdered tea leaves, you pour boiling water over the fine powder and whisk and muddle until the mixture is silky and frothy and the powder is dissolved. Here you are actually consuming the tea leaves rather than just steeping them. The result is much stronger and can be much more bitter than green tea, but I think it’s delicious. The silky creaminess of the Matcha is unline anything I’ve ever tasted.

I guarantee when you come to Japan that you won’t be able to walk 5 feet without finding a matcha flavored something. It’s EVERYWHERE. One could argue that the Japanese trinity is: Matcha, Hello Kitty and Ramen, jk, but they’re obessed with Matcha.

Even if you go to Japan not liking the taste of green tea or matcha, you might shock yourself by developing a taste for it. Japan has a funny way of getting you to like everything they like. I can definitely say after my time in Japan I am a true Matcha convert. They got me.

7 Matcha Things you have to try:

1). Matcha Frappe:

while I usually avoid starbucks like the plauge whenever I’m traveling because local coffee is so much better and cheaper, I did have to make several visits to Starbucks in Japan because I was hooked on their Matcha frappuccino. Think a slighly less sweet Matcha milkshake.

2). Match Kakigōri:

Kakigōri is a summer favorite in Japan. When you’re fighting off heatstroke during the notorious Japanese summers, Kakigōri is a welcome cold treat. It’s essentially shaved ice with sweet syrup. Something about the consistency of the ice and the ratio of ice to syrup makes it especially delicious. While you could be boring and go for a flavor like strawberry or lemon, why not try Matcha? When in Rome as they say…

3). Matcha Cake:

Okay so this is a bit of a general category. I had a Matcha Pound cake in Koyasan that was delicious, but at every coneftionary and bakery you will find matcha cupcakes, matcha cheesecake, matcha layer cake etc. Knock yourself out.

4). Matcha Kit Kat:

The kit kat purists amoung us may be gasping in horror that they dared to desecrate their beloved candy like this, but it’s actually pretty good. No, it won’t taste like the kit kat you’ve come to know and love, but as with everything in Japan, you’ll find yourself liking it even if don’t want to. You’ll get addicted just like I did.

5). Matcha Oreos:

Similar to the Matcha Kit Kat, when you first try them your reaction might be, “Well, that’s different.” But then you’ll grab another and cram it into your greedy mouth and before you know it, an entire sleeve of oreos will be gone.

6). Matcha Ice Cream:

There’s something so refreshing about Matcha ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Maybe it’s the green color, or the reminder that green tea is super healthy and will prolong your life,  or that it’s slightly less sweet than normal ice cream, but whatever it is, you almost feel healthy while you eat it. You’ll polish off a matcha ice cream cone and you’ll be like, “I don’t even need to go to the gym today, I had Matcha.”

7). Matcha, itself:

Okay so this one’s obvious, but I’m willing to bet many people come to Japan and hop on the Matcha flavored everything bandwagon and leave without ever actually trying authentic Japanese Matcha.

My suggestion: when you’re in Kyoto or one of the large touristy cities, sign yourself up for a Tea Ceremony. You’ll get to learn how to make Matcha and you’ll get to drink a cup of it the traditional Japanese way. Tea ceremony is so awesome and such a big deal that I’m writing a separate post about it.

I know there are a bajillion other matcha flavored choices in Japan, but this is a good sampling for you to know what you’re in for. Remember what they say, once you go matcha, you never go backtcha…..Ok ok I’m done. That was pathetic.

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