For the past month and a half, whenever junior Clare Knoester’s friends visited her house, Clare always made sure to fix them a cup of her newest obsession: a matcha latte.
More specifically, a matcha latte with oat milk and two pumps of vanilla syrup. Each time one of Clare’s friends tries her matcha recipe for the first time, they are shocked by how delicious it is. Seeing these reactions is one of Clare’s favorite memories from moments intertwined with matcha.
“[For] almost all of my friends that come over to my house, I make them a matcha,” Clare said. “It is probably some of my favorite memories because I love to see their reactions to trying matcha for the first time. They always assume that matcha tastes like grass. Then I make one for them, and they love it.”
Clare’s obsession with matcha developed from a recent trip to the grocery store Trader Joe’s. It was there that she saw a package of seven single-serve matcha powder packets. On the popular social media platform TikTok, she’d seen countless videos of people making aesthetic, tasty matcha lattes at home, as well as advertising the best matcha brands. Although Trader Joe’s wasn’t one of these particular brands, she was intrigued by the prospect of trying a new beverage, so she purchased the packet.
Since then, her hyper-fixation with matcha has soared. Along with making the classic matcha latte from the Trader Joe’s packets (simply milk of choice, matcha and water blend, and ice), she’s also experimenting with new varieties of matcha from different trademarks, such as two types of powder from Amazon starter kits. Additionally, she’s also interested in putting dashes of more flavorful syrups in her matcha, such as blueberry and raspberry.
“I’ve tried hazelnut, vanilla, and cold foam [in my matcha],” Clare said. “I’ve tried all the basic flavors besides putting fruit in [the matcha latte]. I’ve heard that blueberry and raspberry matcha is really good, so I want to try those.”
Crafting her perfect matcha latte has become part of Clare’s everyday routine. Whether it be after a tiring day at school or a grueling tennis practice, a cup of matcha will never fail to cheer her up.
There’s a certain quality of comfort and joy that comes with making matcha that is nearly unparalleled for Clare. The process of whisking the powder with warm water with a bamboo whisk to setting the final product on her bedside table provides a calm, minimalistic kind of sweetness that sets the tone for a wonderful night.
“Last night, I had two matcha cups on my bedside table,” Clare said. “I had all of my favorite things there, too. [Coupled] with my pink cups with my matcha in them—it made me so happy.”
The benefits that matcha has brought to Clare’s life make it difficult for her to understand the many matcha haters out in the world, who loudly proclaim that matcha “tastes like grass.” Pure matcha, in its raw form, is finely ground green tea leaves, which can usually result in a highly concentrated and earthy taste profile. The overall taste can also depend on the quality of matcha. Culinary-grade matcha—the type found in most grocery stores and served in chain cafes like Starbucks—doesn’t undergo the high-class treatment that ceremonial-grade matcha does, bringing out a bitter flavor with a less robust green color. On the other hand, ceremonial-grade matcha is harvested from the youngest, finest tea leaves, radiating a smoother taste and a deep emerald-green hue.
Clare’s current rotation of matcha powders tends to land on the more bitter side, but even so, she can easily manipulate the ingredients she adds to each latte to even out the “grassy” taste and have it finalized in a product she loves savoring.
“I understand where they’re coming from because if you don’t add any extra flavor to [matcha], it can taste like grass,” Clare said. “Maybe add a different kind of milk, syrup, or even a cold foam—you can make it how you want it. So, if they want more sweetness, they can add more sweetness. It doesn’t have to taste like grass, and I don’t think it does.”
Matcha bears a similar quality to another everyday drink for people across the globe: coffee. Although coffee is widely known and is a staple for many early risers, Clare believes matcha should also be on that list of necessary beverages commonly drunk. Matcha, beginning to rise in popularity from its origins in Japan, boasts a few more health benefits than coffee—it has a lower caffeine level and slower release for an even boost of energy, contains antioxidants, helps weight loss, and can strengthen oral health instead of boosting bad breath.
Altogether, it’s a substitute that is ultimately better for human health and one Clare would gladly take over coffee.
“I think it’s a good alternative,” Clare said. “I know that coffee does have some downsides, like stunting your growth. It’s also what people drink every day, but even though it’s not exactly healthy, matcha is a good alternative because it’s a safer option. If they need caffeine, they can just get it from matcha. They’re also kind of similar, too. Things you mix with coffee, like different syrups and creamers, you could do the exact same thing with matcha.”
Clare used to be an avid coffee drinker, but she knew it wasn’t her favorite choice of beverage. Knowing there were varying options, she set her heart on trying matcha and never looked back. Attempting new things has always been a subject of interest for her, whether it be traveling to a new place or playing a new sport. The thrill and excitement rush from discovering a new favorite thing is unique like no other feeling for Clare.
With her newfound passion for matcha, Clare plans on assembling countless new recipes for matcha lattes in the future. Not only that, but she also looks forward to sampling matcha lattes in each city she visits.
As Clare delves deeper into her matcha obsession, she encourages others to give the seemingly grassy drink a try, as they never know what could come out of discovering an amazing latte.
“It’s always fun to experiment with new things, especially when it comes to food,” Clare said. “You never know if [matcha] could become your new favorite drink. That’s how I discovered it.”
