Matcha Products in NC: Part One

General Discussion

My first introduction to matcha was in 2022 or 2023, when my mother's side of the family went to Disney World. My cousin and I requested matcha bubble tea, and I'll be honest, we both disliked it. We tried to take small sips, but after a few minutes, we threw it away when my family looked away. It was not for me at that point in my life, but it was fun to try. 

Matcha brought me in by 2024, when my father's frozen yogurt shop began making matcha bubble tea. I was hooked. I had a bubble tea every shift, and half of those were matcha. Since then, I have had way better matcha in many other foods and drinks. Over the past few weeks, I decided to try matcha products available in my state. 

While matcha has a strange place in culture, I have very little patience for generalized dislike. The notion of matcha as a "pick-me" drink has followed me through every order I place at cafes and bubble tea shops. Going to asian grocery stores is the only way to get pastries and candy with matcha in them, which leads to other stereotypes expressed by the white and asian population alike. 

Early dislike of matcha was steeped in both racism and diet culture. Those who publicly endorsed matcha in the 2010s were the original advocates for the Western world to better capitalize on matcha, as it was already extremely popular in Asian countries and had a booming market. Diet culture has highlighted many already popular Asian remedies and cuisines, as they are made with higher-quality ingredients and rooted in ancient Asian medicine. 

Those outside this original push had a different view of the product. These ideas have been followed to this day, as I hear them regularly. I find these general descriptions derogatory and that they have a hint of both stereotypes and unconscious racism. Calling an Asian drink "disgusting" or "grass water" is overall hostile and rude. "Grass water" is a description I hear regularly for Asian tea, and far less often for British tea. Being told I am pretending to enjoy it is also very common. 

Now, I understand that having an opinion is free. But using that freedom to dismiss an entire food does not read as an opinion. It appears to be a disregard for others. I personally do not like mint chocolate chip ice cream, but I would not call it disgusting plant cream. There is a key difference between having opposing opinions and being rude. 

Let's put it in the age-old conflict of a non-white child bringing their cultural food to school for lunch. Let's say a white child says, "Ew, that smells gross." This is not an uncommon sentiment that I heard regularly in my predominantly white school. Now, would this be considered expressing an opinion or being rude? Ding, ding, ding, it would be disrespectful. It is impolite for a child to say that. I hear similar things from adults, and I am not even the minority they are snuffing out. 

That said, I understand the sentiment that matcha is not for everyone. However, I do enjoy it. I experience general satisfaction from consuming foods and drinks containing matcha. I have no interest in being dismissive of food from other cultures, and I will not tolerate seeing that behavior in my comments. 

Facts

Matcha is a finely ground green tea leaf that is grown in the shade. By growing in the shade, matcha leaves develop the distinctive green hue associated with matcha tea. Matcha is made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, grown in the shade, steamed, dried without being rolled, and ground to a fine powder. 

There are worse quality variants sold, but these standards are what make matcha, matcha. Japan also states that any matcha must be covered and shaded for two to three weeks before harvest. Otherwise, it cannot be labeled matcha because it did not meet the country's standards. 

Matcha is known to have been first consumed in Japan. While the original date of production is unknown, rolled and shaded teas were already being created by the 9th century. "Matcha," as a specific type of tea, was already in use by the 15th century, although the earliest recorded use of this name remains unknown.

Matcha entered the United States, as most other cultural foods did, following Asian immigrants who sought freedom and higher wages. Although the popularity of matcha did not grow until the 2010s, it has boomed in the 2020s. 

Reviews

Matcha Pocky = 7/10

Flavor is always strong without being overpowering. The biscuit sticks add a pleasant crunch and complement the flavor. Easier to find than most matcha products because Pocky is a popular brand.

Hello Kitty Green Tea Wafers = 5/10

Reheating Pocky's nachos a bit, but still pretty good. The flavor tastes fresher, with a lighter floral note. The crunch is fun, and peeling back the layers of the wafer cookie can make it last. I'm not a massive fan of the floral flavor, and I need to be in the right headspace to eat these. They are mostly found at Asian markets and American stores selling media from Asia. 

Bing Bing Matcha Cones = 7/10

The overall flavor is weaker in these small cones. However, a significant factor contributing to this score is their high palatability. These are actually the catalyst for this ranking idea, because I have demolished three boxes of them in the last month or so. The cone has a perfect crunch, and the filling is strangely chalky but foamy. I can only find these at my local Asian grocery store, and I appreciate them. 

Hello Kitty Matcha Marshmallows = 2/10

I am not a huge fan of marshmallows on their own. However, I obtained this to taste the promised matcha flavor. Upon biting into one, I did not taste any matcha flavor. It was purely sweet jelly in the middle with no distinctive flavor. The texture is nice, but the marshmallows are tiny, and given how bland they are, they are not worth buying unless you like Hello Kitty. Found with the wafer cookies. 

Puchao Uji Matcha = 9/10

The best flavor by far. It is made with real matcha and has every note of the delicious drink. I am not giving this a perfect score based on the texture alone. Pawpaw will lose his teeth trying to chew this candy. It has a texture similar to gum when chewed and takes more than five minutes to finish. Thankfully, the flavor lasts, unlike gum. Found only at my local Asian grocery store. 

Choco Pie Green Tea =4/10

These have a minimal but definite matcha flavor. As I said before, marshmallows are not really my thing. However, the mix of matcha, chocolate, and marshmallows is pretty good. The texture is dry and crumbly, but the flavor makes up for that. These cost $10 at my Asian grocery store. So, definitely the most expensive item. If you like marshmallows, you should get these over the Hello Kitty marshmallows. 

Closing Thoughts

Matcha is slowly making its way into US culture, and I am excited to see it. I hope to find more matcha-flavored items soon. While not everything was great, overall, I find them more enjoyable than many Western sweets. If you want more matcha reviews, send me links to your favorite matcha treat, and maybe I'll try it. 

I hope you can relate

-Dorin