Viviana Rivera

Before diving into this, all the criteria I have for this are:

Taste and Color– 9 times out of 10, the color can indicate how good the matcha actually ends up tasting (greener means better).
Is it genuine and organic, or just for aesthetic purposes?

That’s all.

Potheads Matcha with Strawberry Cold Foam

7.5/10

To me, this place definitely had the creamiest texture. However, it was also the sweetest I’ve got to taste. The color was not light, but wasn’t dark either. It felt in the middle and tasted great. The strawberry cold foam was bright, and it tasted good.

Oralia’s Bakery Strawberry Matcha with Strawberry Cold Foam

10/10

I had the chance to try this place exactly a week after they opened the bakery. This was one of those places that felt more authentic. They only offer their drinks in one size, which is a perfect indication if you’re looking for good matcha. Their strawberry matcha was the perfect shade of green, as it was deep. The taste of matcha was perfect. They hand-make their strawberry puree, and it was amazing. You could also taste the strawberry cold foam. Overall, it was perfect. This is the place I personally go to the most.

Poppin’ Coffee’s Strawberry Matcha

5/10

Given the name of the drink, I thought it would have a type of strawberry syrup, or puree, it was just matcha with cold foam. The color was mid-range (despite the pictures lighting). I couldn’t pick up much of a taste, and I also felt it was a little powdery. As far as the strawberry cold foam goes, I could not taste it either. I was in disbelief for a drink that was $9; I wanted to like it. So much so I went back a different time, but it was the exact same taste. I’m sure they’ve definitely got some poppin coffee, but not so much matcha.

Marie’s Berry Matcha

7/10

It was too powdery and not whisked well enough. There was a kind of puree at the bottom, but very little, and that had no taste to it. This truck was one that had been recommended to me by different people, so I had expectations for this one. As far as the taste and color of the matcha goes, it was great, and you could taste the strawberry cold foam.

Ohlala’s Barbie Matcha

6/10

The color of the matcha was on the lighter side. With that being said, it didn’t have so much flavor, but it was okay. The first thing that caught my attention though, was the “strawberry” parts of the drink. From how bright the pink was, it looked very artificial. I would think maybe if they’re using artificial flavoring, it would be to enhance the strawberry taste, but there wasn’t much to taste.

Makenna’s Love at First Sip

8/10

The strawberry they use for the drink is like an artificial syrup, but it is very delicious. I will also say the texture for this one was smooth as well. When we get into the color, it was one of the lightest I’ve tried, so there wasn’t much of the grassy flavor I look for, but overall it still tasted good. It started as a seasonal drink, part of their Valentine’s Day collection, so while it’s not seen on their menu anymore, if you ask for it, they will still make it for you.

Dolce Vita’s Matcha with Strawberry Syrup

10/10

From the moment I got there, it was more of an authentic place, and I saw one of the owners whisking properly in a stainless steel chawan. I knew right then and there, before receiving my drink, that this was going to be good. They met all the criteria: The color/taste were perfect, and the strawberry puree was homemade. While it did look a little light, that took nothing away from giving it the perfect taste.

Something I felt that was also worth mentioning is that if you are looking for really good quality matcha, a place that only offers one size cup, around 12 oz, means they care. They know how many grams you should be consuming for daily intake, so in order for them to give you something that isn’t watered down, cheap quality, or artificial, they must stick to only serving that one size. There were only two places on this list that did just that: Oralia’s and Dolce Vita.

It also goes to show that all you need for good-tasting matcha is heritage and passion. I had the opportunity to speak with Myrka from Oralia’s Bakery and she tells me:

“Our shop is mostly run by family and close family friends, where we treat one another like family, and our goal for the bakery & cafe is to create a friendly, social environment for everyone to enjoy as well.”

All their recipes are homemade and authentic, straight from Mexico, and passed down for generations to enjoy. With her father being a third-generation baker, Myrka is now the fourth! Everything they have to offer is made from scratch.

“Our foams and some of our syrups are made every day with fresh ingredients.”

“My parents taught me everything I know, from the work ethic to pouring love back into the community. We love remembering names, and we will definitely remember your order! Our promise is to come through with quality you can taste.”

I made this list not so much to critique, but more as a rundown. My thoughts and opinions can be very different from what you may be looking for in a strawberry matcha, but I hope, in what it is YOU are looking for, this list was helpful.

If there are any places you favor that were not mentioned, please feel free to share in the comments!

For real, raw, genuine, organic, Grade A, all-around PERFECT: Oralia’s Bakery and Dolce Vita

It’s not organic, but is definitely good: Makenna’s and Potheads (if a little unsweetened)

The perfect color green: Oralia’s, Marie’s, and Dolce Vita

Overconsumption, Shortage, and Alternatives

Today, matcha is a staple drink at any coffee place. But with it causing so much demand places today sell you a cup at $7-$10 full of cheap powder, artificial sweeteners, and cold foam. What happened?

I had first started drinking matcha 5 years ago, hearing it could help me with my stomach issues. It wasn’t until recently I came to the conclusion that what people are selling you today does not taste the same as it did before. There was once an earthier taste, way more grassy, if you will. 🤭

I want to say it was 3 years ago where I went in one day to get a matcha when the barista told me they were out of powder for the week. Later I went to another place and again I’m told they were out of powder. The times where it felt only me and Kourtney Kardashian drank it were over.

Unfortunately, throughout that time, it became a recurring situation where there was never enough supply to last coffee places the whole week. But it wasn’t until January of last year when I saw a video for the first time that there was a matcha shortage but I knew it had started way before that.

It feels like every week there’s a new coffee shop that opens and there is not enough matcha to go around.

I spoke with Veronica Sara – a matcha lover who has taken classes in Uji Japan learning about matcha and its origin. She physically got to grind matcha leaves by hand to create the powder. She shares,

“You only get 10g of matcha powder in 30 minutes of stone milling”

Getting back to what was said earlier, a lot of places will buy cheap powders and mask the drink with different flavored fruit syrups, foams, etc. And you pay upwards of $10 for a cheaply made drink.

I can name a couple of places here in the 805 that are or aren’t worth your money, but we can save that for a future segment.

What I can assure you of today though is that if you are looking for its true rich texture, flavor, and quality you are best off buying a great quality powder that originates from Uji, Nishio or Yame and making it yourself.

It’s not the easiest thing to get into, but I guarantee you once you get the hang of it, there’s really no going back. Also while a great quality powder can be pricey it’s worth the price compared to spending on a mid coffee shop.

There’s this saying I see in videos time and time again where they say depending on the color of the drink you’ll know if it’s actually good or not. The greener the better.

@dogloverimani on TikTok

But it also gets complicated and confusing because it also gets to a point people overdo the powder, and it’s not only adding to the shortage, but also people are overconsuming the number of grams they should be having for a daily intake. This, in some cases, causes people to end up in the ER because of a lack of poor knowledge.

I had the privilege of watching and observing all this play out in real time. However, it saddens me that matcha became another victim to overconsumption culture. There’s not, and most likely never will be, enough to get around to truly appreciate. The plot was lost and its beautiful culture was forgotten.