How to Make Your Matcha Mouthwatering
Matcha is a Japanese-style green tea known to have ten times more antioxidants than regular green tea. It is often served as a latte, with a milk of your choice.
Here are four different ways to enhance your standard matcha latte, alongside a few Long Beach-based businesses that offer their own unique take on these twists.
Make it sweet
Matcha has a naturally earthy taste to it. To sweeten it up, consider adding in some fun flavors like strawberry and coconut.
An iced matcha latte made with coconut cream from Hojas Tea House, located in Long Beach at 4501 E Carson St., and an iced strawberry matcha latte from Loose Leaf Boba Company. The coffee, tea and boba shop is located at 315 The Promenade N. in Downtown Long Beach. Photos by Georgie Smith.
One place that gets coconut matcha right is Hojas Tea House. Their matcha uses a house-made coconut cream and can be served either hot or cold.
The creamy coconut aspect of this drink makes Hojas matcha stand out amongst other lattes, sometimes even bringing in fans who don’t typically find themselves sipping on matcha.
"I don’t really drink matcha,” said Ezra Navarro, a barista at Hojas Tea House, “But I like the matcha here, and that’s just because of the coconut!”
Another way to sweeten up your tea is with strawberries. At Loose Leaf Boba Company in Downtown Long Beach, this is one of their most popular drinks.
The Loose Leaf strawberry matcha latte is an iced matcha latte with a house-made strawberry purée. The sweetness of the strawberry acts as a perfect balance to the earthiness of the matcha.
Spice it up
If you are looking for a unique twist on the classic matcha latte, then head on over to Confidential Coffee and get yourself an horchata matcha.
Opened by Denise Maldonado in 2018, the Latinx-owned coffee shop pulls strong cultural inspiration for a variety of their drinks. Horchata is a traditional Mexican drink made up of rice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
Confidential Coffee's horchata matcha puts a cultural spin on the classic matcha latte. The coffee shop is located at 137 W 6th St. in Downtown Long Beach. Photo by Georgie Smith.
"She [Maldonado] pulls a lot from her culture, so that’s why there’s the inclusion of matcha and horchata,” said Vee G, a barista at Confidential Coffee. “It’s like a blending of two flavors, the horchata brings culture to the drink but the matcha makes it universal.”
Add some herbal essence
Opposed to spice and sweet? Try exploring teas with other natural ingredients, such as rose or mint.
At Black Dog Coffee Roasters, the “Sweet Little Hulk” is one of their most popular specialty beverages. Made with matcha, oat milk and rose syrup, not only does the drink taste delightful, but its contrasting colors also create a beautiful ombre pattern inside your cup.
When you are looking for something on the more refreshing side, try a matcha with mint.
Rose Park Roasters offers a mint agave matcha latte that is almost guaranteed to make your day feel more chill.
Located at 1101 E Third St., Black Dog Coffee Roasters offers a specialty menu of drinks, such as the "Sweet Little Hulk," an iced matcha latte with rose syrup. And, an iced mint agave matcha latte from Rose Park Roasters on 4th St. Photos by Georgie Smith.
The latte is available iced or hot and has received rave reviews from customers all around Long Beach.
"The mint matcha is one of my favorites,” said Lauren Garcia, a customer at Rose Park Roasters. “Everybody should try it at least once.”
If all else fails... Get it dirty
You may have heard of a dirty chai, but what about a dirty matcha? To make your matcha dirty, add a shot of espresso. Even though matcha naturally has some caffeine, adding that extra shot is perfect for those mornings when you need an extra boost.
Although most coffee and tea shops do not specifically offer a “dirty matcha,” ordering your typical matcha latte with an additional shot of espresso should get the job done.