Where Can You Drink Matcha in LA?

What things do you imagine by “green powder”? Many people might come up with the word “matcha.” As a lot of sweets with matcha flavor have thrived in many countries, macha has become one of the most beloved flavors today.

In response to the popularity, here in LA, there is an authentic matcha cafe called — “Cha Cha Matcha.”

Who They Are? 056d47

Cha Cha Matcha is a cafe that started at Broome in New York City in 2016 as a cafe pursuing health and beauty through alternatives to caffeine in coffee. They offer various kinds of matcha-flavored drinks and ice cream, with the real source of matcha coming from Uji, Kyoto. They now have six branches in the U.S., and here in LA, there are two shops, in Venice and Weho. Both are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, but you need to check the time prior to visiting because of the COVID situation.

What They Offer?

Although the menu is different depending on the shop you visit, the two shops in LA have the same menu. They have four categories: food, matcha, seasonal, and specials. Except for the food category, they specialize in drinks with matcha flavor, and people can choose and enjoy various beverages with customizations. The menu not only shows the name of the product but also its ingredients, so it will be helpful for those who are not familiar with matcha. For further information about their menu, click here. Cha Cha Matcha Menu

What Is Matcha By The Way?

Before exploring their products, let’s learn what matcha is. Matcha is made from “tencha,” a type of tea that is said to be effective against hay fever and is ground in a fine grinder. Back in the old days, at the end of the 1600s, matcha was used in the tea ceremony established by tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu, who taught “Chanoyu” as a way of enjoying tea. Chanoyu,” in simple terms, is similar to a modern-day tea ceremony, where people gather to enjoy tea with some sweets. As time goes by, due to the bright green color of matcha, it is widely used in sweets and as a topping for dishes other than in the tea ceremony.

Matcha is also known as a food with enriched nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, it is expected to improve beautiful skin and constipation. Moreover, since it is tea, it contains caffeine as well. Surprisingly, it contains the same amount of caffeine as that found in coffee. However, unlike coffee’s caffeine, matcha’s caffeine can moderate the strong effects of caffeine, so it slowly and gradually helps you wake up from sleep and improve your concentration.

Can You Explain The Differences Between “Green Tea” And “Matcha”?

When you think of matcha, one of the other questions you might come up with would be the difference between green tea and matcha. Even for Japanese people, it is difficult to explain the difference. However, they clearly differ from each other on three points.

Tea Leaf

As it is introduced in the above section, the tea leaves used to make matcha are called “tencha,” grown without exposing them to sunlight. Tencha, then steamed, dried, and grounded by the machine to make it powdery. On the other hand, the tea leaves used to make green tea are called “sencha,” grown without blocking sunlight. Sencha is then robbed, steamed, and dried.

Taste

Matcha is often dissolved and drunk using a special utensil and has a good balance of bitterness, sweetness, and flavor inherent in tea leaves. Green tea is made from sencha leaves that have grown in full sunlight, which gives it a moderate bitterness, but less sweetness, and a refreshing taste.

Nutritions

Powdered matcha is richer in vitamins and dietary fiber than green tea because it contains the whole nutrients of the tea leaves, and is said to have a relaxing effect and beautiful skin. On the other hand, green tea, grown without blocking sunlight, is rich in vitamins, minerals, polyphenol, catechins, and other nutrients that help prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and weight loss.

What I Ordered?

I ordered a hot matcha latte with my normal daily milk. It cost me $ 4.75 plus tax. I would say the taste is really macha itself! Some shops serve matcha products with added sugar or honey, but that was different. I could taste real matcha with a bit of bitterness. Also, it was well warmed and mixed with matcha and milk. However, since the taste has a bit of bitterness, some people want to sweeten it. For those, the shopper recommends a matcha latte with coconut milk.

Other than a hot latte, they also offer an iced latte, as well as more than five kinds of matcha-flavored beverages, so definitely try one of these!

Not Only Taste But Also…

Not only the taste, but also the atmosphere of the shop is photogenic! The shop is designed in a tropical style with pink and green colored decorations. You can take a bunch of pictures that are just instagenic!