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“I hated matcha the first time I tried it. It was uber BITTER, foul, and disgusting. I couldn’t even bring myself to rate it because I didn’t want to do that to 52 Teas. I’d been thinking about the...” Read full tasting note
“MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA!!! Ok… back to acting like a 24 year old… My matcha finally came today. Now this is not the matcha I ordered the day it came out- this is my replacement. I still...” Read full tasting note
“Since everyone has been posting about this, I broke my own rule and opened this one up without finishing the appropriate teas in line and…I’m SO GLAD I DID! I like matcha, and as we know from my...” Read full tasting note
“Guess what arrived today! I was very surprised (happily so!) to receive my package from 52Teas! The strawberry flavor is a bit tart. Or it could be that the slight bitterness from Matcha brings...” Read full tasting note
I know you guys have been waiting for this! After the success of our Mandarin Matcha, we’ve had several customers asking us for other flavored matchas, so here goes!
We blended premium matcha (stone-ground green tea) with strawberry powder (freeze dried strawberries crushed to powder) and natural strawberry flavor. This is a serious treat! Don’t miss out, this is a very limited edition blend!
At 52teas.com, you will find unique, hand-blended artisan loose leaf teas: a new limited edition creation every week of the year. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique, one-of-a-kind tea blends that you won’t find anywhere else.
I hated matcha the first time I tried it. It was uber BITTER, foul, and disgusting. I couldn’t even bring myself to rate it because I didn’t want to do that to 52 Teas.
I’d been thinking about the matcha since then. I was sad I didn’t like it at all. I had wanted to like it. I’d even thought about trying it again on a few days but pushed it off when the time came. Finally, yesterday evening I gave it another go.
I followed Cofftea’s recommendation using a very rough conversation from weight to volume. I figured it would at least be a place to start. All was pretty much the same as far as smells and looks until my first sip. ??? Was this the same tea I used the first time? I CANNOT believe the difference in taste using 1/4 the amount of matcha and nearly double the amount of water. I had thought no matter what I did it would still be horribly bitter.
The Strawberry Matcha was smooth, light, definitely green, and strawberry. Like “Hey! I’m GREEN! You want to make something of it?”. Unlike the smell, the strawberry wasn’t kiddie breakfast cereal marshmallows. It was distinctively strawberry and I could noticeably taste it. Last time, I could barely tell it was there. It was a little weak and there was lots of matcha sediment towards the bottom so maybe I need to whisk it more or perhaps use a bit more matcha. I have rated it but I suspect the rating will go up as I refine how I like it.
So complete 180. Matcha is good!
1/4 tsp in 8 oz water.
MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA MATCHA!!!
Ok… back to acting like a 24 year old…
My matcha finally came today. Now this is not the matcha I ordered the day it came out- this is my replacement. I still have no clue what happened to that 1st package… and it’s not so much my not getting it that bothers me… it’s the thought that no one will ever enjoy it and that makes me want to cry.
I didn’t try this the moment I got it in the house because just as I came in my boyfriend called. I hadn’t talked to him all day and some things (people) come before matcha.
The matcha looks like the Mandarin- a fine olive colored powder. When I finally opened the package I could smell the strawberry instantly. It smelled like strawberry bubble gum.
As soon as I get matcha, especially a flavored one, I always think more, not thicker, is better so I made this just the way I did the 1st time I tried Mandarin Matcha- 2 scoops of matcha w/ 16oz of water (the full capacity of my chawan).
Like the Mandarin, it instantly mixes with the water and froths even before I whisk it. Under the light colored foam is a dark, but not electric, green liquor.
Oh WOW! The strawberry is definitely there… and it tastes like I used strawberry jello water (jello before it solidifies) to make it. Now yes, I know I’ve always said “liquid jello” like it’s a bad thing when it comes to tea, but this ABSOLUTELY works. I think it’s because of the texture- like the Mandarin, it’s thick, and smooth, and creamy. But I also think it’s because there’s much more to the flavor profile. Unlike some fruit tisanes and even some decanted fruit flavored true tea (fruit flavored whites are especially notorious for this), there is ABSOLUTELY the rich, vegetal, sweet, slightly astringent flavor that matcha is famous for. Truly amazing.
And what’s even MORE amazing is… my mom actually tried it! While I was making it, I asked her to “just smell it” and I wouldn’t make her have any. Well she thought it smelt VERY GOOD… so i asked if she wanted some and she was like, “eh… I dunno… it’s green…” So I asked if she just wanted a spoonful… she was still unsure. Once I had it whisked I told her to “come humor me” and told her this was pay back for making me try really gross foods as a child (lol!) and I gave her a soup spoon full. I could tell by her facial expression that she was absolutely shocked that it wasn’t completely vile. Infact her exact words were “Wow, that’s actually pretty good”. I’ll never make her a bowla and I don’t think she’ll regularly try mine, but now I do have hope of her trying my Mandarin and even plain matcha. And an extra bonus- all that yummy matcha in my stomach was enough to cut my hunger so I only had 2 very small pieces of flat bread pizza for dinner.
Just a packaging suggestion Frank: Since this was only an ounce it looked like I was cheated based on the packaging used (I, of course, know I wasn’t) so you might want to have your packaging in direct proportion to the amount of tea to prevent doubt and skepticism from your customers.
What!??! Something coming before matcha, that’s absurd. It’s matcha! Mat-cha!!!!
God and Grant come before ANYTHING. Decanted tea I could drink while talking to him, but I haven’t figured out how to hold my chawan w/ one hand yet and I hate speaker phones.
I hate BEING on speaker phone but I don’t mind using it myself. Yay @ Strawberry Matcha success!!
I knew it would be- the yay part is being able to experience it!:)
Since everyone has been posting about this, I broke my own rule and opened this one up without finishing the appropriate teas in line and…I’m SO GLAD I DID!
I like matcha, and as we know from my previous posts, I really like to put my matcha in anything that is not water: yogurt, ice cream, protein shakes, milk, juice, so on and so forth. However, I always try it in water before experimenting.
I made this one in my new fancy matcha bowl with whisk, hot water, no additives, 1/4 teaspoon matcha, 4 ounces of hot water, whisked one minute. Did not get this one to foam up in my matcha bowl, but let’s be honest, I am probably doing it wrong. Anyway, no worries, the matcha itself smelled deliciously like strawberries and barely at all like matcha. First sip: oh there is the matcha, it tastes mostly like typical, with a kick of the usual vegetal green and bitter matcha, then there is the sweet soft flavor of strawberries. Fantastic. I usually drink these pretty fast so that they do not settle too much, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Second bowl: made with Vanilla Soy milk. I used the same amount of matcha (1/4 teaspoon, I do not have the fancy matcha spoon/scoop thing) with cold Soy Milk. This is easier with room temperature soy milk (as in just opened the box) because it does not clump as much, but with the appropriate amount of whisking, cold soy milk is not an issue. I whisked this close to two minutes, and it foamed! Yay! The vanilla in the soy milk definitely makes this a sweeter matcha, the milk also makes it thicker than when it is made with water. Overall, this is how I am going to enjoy more of this.
I am really enjoying the flavored matchas, this one is my new favorite, I found the matca to be a little too bitter and was hesitant to mix it with my dairy products, of course I found out that it was fine to do so, but I am just more comfortable mixing strawberries with creaminess from varied dairy.
I have a freezer full of frozen berries, and one cup of plain yogurt in the fridge next to my premade protein shakes (vanilla and strawberry). Will definitely be making these over the next few days and let you know! Enjoy!
I haven’t opened up mine either thinking I needed finish up some teas first, too! Thanks for this detailed review!
It seems that everyone is on the strawberry matcha bandwagon! I’m almost tempted to order some myself. Everyone keeps logging great things! Really interesting that you made it with milk, it sounds even more delicious that way!
Stephanie – I know how you feel, but I submitted to the peer pressure that I put on myself. Haha.
Kathryn Ann – It really is better, especially the strawberry with the cream/dairy, I really do not enjoy matcha with just water, I almost always make it with something else and think it is significantly better!
I need some soy milk! Had it with some half and half today and it was quite delicious. I had it plain, but the extra milk just makes it that much better. Though I also added a bit of sweetener =x
Using the flavored soy (I have vanilla at all times) negates the need for sweetener :) especially because I usually make it cold.
What sweetener do you use? I just feel like anything granulated would take too long to dissolve or interfere with the foaming so I have shied away from sweetening it. I would love to sweeten the mandarin though…
I have some plain classic syrup from Starbucks (basically just sugar + water). It’s like $5 for a bottle. I would have used Melon syrup, but unfortunately I am out of it and I believe they’ve discontinued it. It was what they used for ice passion tea lemonade and the green tea latte. I actually wonder what they use in place of that now. Hmm, I should probably ask them. I use to use a squirt or two of it in smoothies in the summer as well. What shall I do when summer comes around!
I never thought of syrup! What a great idea! Now I feel sheepish for not ever having thought of syrup…silly me always trying to dissolve sugar crystals…haha
Sugar is too much work. You need hot water and stir stir stir. Syrup works well with anything and blends very nicely. Two to three pumps of syrup and I’m done, no need to mess with opening the sugar jar and spooning out a few teaspoons and spilling some sugar over the counter.
Agave nectar tends to sit at a better spot (lower) on the glycemic index, and is still essentially just sugar, and liquid. The downside is that it can be somewhat expensive. I tend to use honey with matcha, personally…I like the flavor it adds, but to each their own!
you could just make simple syrup and keep onhand instead of trying to dissolve granulated sugar in your cold drink: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Syrup/Detail.aspx
Sophistre I have never actually had agave nectar, definitely should give it a shot.
Janefan, yea, I should just make some simple syrup, I always do for my chai. :)
Thanks for the ideas everyone, I will definitely let you know how it goes
Guess what arrived today! I was very surprised (happily so!) to receive my package from 52Teas!
The strawberry flavor is a bit tart. Or it could be that the slight bitterness from Matcha brings out the tart of the strawberry. The sweeter strawberry flavor arrives on the palate in the finish as sort of a low note. The strawberry flavor is a really nice addition to the flavor of the Matcha. I think I like the mandarin matcha a little better though. Overall a very pleasant Matcha.
you post made me go tearing out of the apartment to go check my mail, sadly nothing from 52teas, but at least a swap was there so it wasn’t a total let down. hopefully it gets here soon!
Mine arrived today too! I’m just staring lovely at it right now—I’m almost hesistant to disturb its vacuum-packed glory!
No fair! I want mine! What matcha/water ratio did you use?
Jealous!!! Mine won’t arrive till sometime next week!
I’m jealous too! Who knows when mine will arrive.
Maybe Chelsea likes me better than the rest of you. (evil grin)
FYI, all of the initial Strawberry Matcha orders went out the same day, so it’s all up to the post office now, but I would bet that everyone in the US should have theirs Monday.
Maybe the postal service likes me better than the rest of you. After all, my father is a retired postmaster. (giggle)
By the way, Frank… how about a peach flavored Matcha? Yum… or… maybe do a Chelsea special to the matcha and make it chocolate covered banana matcha! Chelsea’s rooibos is still my favorite from 52Teas!
I actually think the next one might be a tuna melt matcha. :)
oh… yummy! Can’t wait for it.
lol!! :)))
i vote for plain tuna salad actually, celery, tuna, mayo ;)
onion too, please… I love onion in my tuna salad.
While I totally believe that 52teas is capable of tuna melt or tuna salad matcha, cheese and mayo flavors scare me. Can they be done w/o needing to be refrigerated like the real thing?
@Cofftea – yes! well at least the tuna http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/dried-tuna-flakes-3-52-oz haven’t found a dry mayo yet
waiwait not what i wanted: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/saladdressings/ss/mayonnaise.htm so mayo is eggs (comes dry powered) and oil….so i think it can be done flavor-wise
Man, I wish this was still on their site.
Yes, it’s sad it’s gone, but the other ones are equally as good!
I was eying the cranberry matcha.
Do it!
@Geoffrey – the cranberry is probably my favorite of the three most recently released flavored matchas from 52Teas – I really like this one. Although, the other 2 are very good also.
Peer pressure really works on here.
Haha! Ooooh yeah.
Okay I’ll admit it I’m a virgin. A matcha virgin that is :) that is until today. I was so excited to get in my 52Teas order so that I could try this and I researched how it was to be prepared and all I can say is that I think I am on Team Chrine on this one.
I prepared it according to Wiki (One flat teaspoon to 2.5 ounces of water) all I can say is that I don’t think I am going to end up finishing this bowl. I seriously think this is an acquired taste. I can appreciate foods/drinks that are acquired tastes I mean I love raw oysters, boiled crawfish but I don’t see myself acquiring a taste for this ANYTIME soon.
It is strong like BLECH what was that, strong!!!!!!! I do pick up on the strawberry and that was the part that I think I liked. I am going to hold out on rating this tea in order to try it latte style and to try much less matcha to water ratio.
In the words of my son’s teacher DO NOT DO RESEARCH VIA WIKI. :)
Go TEAM CHRINE!
PART TWO: (My Second attempt at Matcha)
I would have posted the picture from flicker here __________________ but my 14 year old still has not taught me how to do this. LOL I can post pictures, send pictures I don’t know why I cannot paste a link here?! (aggravated) BTW I also have my after picture up on flicker of my before/after tea cupboard cleanout.
Anyway it’s round 2 Me (Soccermom VS 52Teas Strawberry Matcha) yesterday depending on how you look at it Matcha might have won it kicked me in the mouth and I threw it down the drain! Today determined to tangle with this wild drink and win I made another bowl of it and followed Shanti’s advice I started out with way less than a teaspoon and about 8 ounces of water. Did I mention I love the strawberry smell from the pouch? Well I do. I do not have exact measurements of anything used today I eyeballed it I didn’t have time to put on my fighting gloves in other words measure. I had to look this tea straight in the eye and try to intimidate it. I definitely did better this round as I didn’t get punched in the mouth like yesterday but instead we are fighting a fair fight Shanti’s advice was like having Freddy Roach in my corner I’m forever grateful for it. It tastes nice and mild actually I don’t know if I’ll be craving this but I wouldn’t mind stepping back in the ring for another round or two with this fruity but strong competitor.
You must not have seen my wiki matcha fail… just add more water til you can drink it.
Will do next time.
I think the 3 scoop measurement on wiki is accurate… but if I go by weight it’s actually 7! You could start w/ 1 scoop in 3-8oz of water and either increase the matcha or decrease the water till you get a good ratio you like.
Oh, I wiki everything for the quickness of it all! However, I say the same thing to the kiddies ‘wiki does not equal research’ when they are homework-ing. Hehehe now that I write it and look at it, sounds a bit double-standard-ish. But, then again, they also google everything!
I always use wiki…:)!
i use wiki for things i would ask a neighbor, for things you must have right i use encyclopedias or other things i can blame for my wrongness if needed
Matcha virgin here, too. I’m saving myself until I get up the guts to whisk…
I love it Morgana, that sounds really wrong.
All these comments are making me laugh! AmazonV – I agree! credible accountability is a must!
Morgana- All I can say is use lots of water, my matcha to water ratio was not to my tasting. Next time I’m going to try at least 8 oz of water to one flat teaspoon and work my way up from there.
Woo, matcha! I have three pouches of Mandarin left, so I didn’t order this one. But my tip is to try 1/2 to 1/3 of a teaspoon of matcha in 4 to 6 ounces of hot but not boiling water at first…as you get more used to it, you can start increasing the amount of matcha. But yeah, 1 teaspoon in 2.5 ounces of water is intense, especially if its a low grade matcha like the kind 52teas uses (I presume).
Shanti, Thanks so much for the experienced advice. I will try this method, are you the one (Shanti) that I read about in Ricky’s post that stole all the Mandarin Matcha?? :)
Yes, that’s me :) Or, actually, my evil alter-ego that swoops in an buys too much tea, Shantea haha :)
LOL
I tried 1tsp of powdered sencha in 6oz cold water (8x stronger than they suggest). It was, of course, VERY strong- but by no means undrinkable, helped by the addition of 2TB lemon juice. I also know that this is not matcha, but I thought I’d throw that out anyway.
Seems we’re all confused as to how to prepare this matcha ;)
I’m going to turn this into a latte next time, hmmm or make some ice cream with it? Hmmmm…..
No, I just think everyone likes it a little different. And I’m no help cuz I don’t measure w/ a tsp. lol. It’s funny, I don’t like matcha and milk, but I’m TOTALLY grooving putting some of the this on chocolate frozen yogurt. And yes I know “grooving” sounds really stupid, but hey matcha makes me act weird lol.
now i am nervous eyes matcha perhaps I’ll start with the yogurt plan first?
Matcha + Milk, delicious. Matcha + Chocolate milk sounds strange to me =P
Matcha + frozen yogurt… hmmm… now that’s a plan ;)
AmazonV, you could- it’s up to you. But don’t be nervous. Ya know… LiberTEAS is gonna shoot me lol, but are people having problems because they’re using a teaspoon to measure it? I use a matcha scoop and have very few matcha fails. Just curious.
Ricky, I got the matcha + ice cream (or frozen yogurt) idea from Den’s! (still waiting for their e-newsletter)
Ok, correction- I’ve only had one matcha fail (pertaining to ratio of matcha/water)… and that was completely wiki’s fault lol.
We’re going to start a Teaspoon Matcha club, who needs the bamboo scoop!
Hmm, I have to look that up on Den’s website when it gets warmer again.
Ricky… Maybe more people do? I’m not about to tell people how to make their matcha (although I do think a chawan or bowl of some kind just has to be done lol), but it does seem as if people who are displeased w/ it or have ratio problems are using a tsp. Just an observation. At least it’s a cheap accessory/gadget.
I got a matcha banana smoothie/shake from garrett yesterday that sounds awesome – soon as I find all my blender pieces, I will let you know how that goes! http://steepster.com/Shojikoto/posts/35069
Yea, teaspoon club! we’ll crack this case – no way am i investing in more tea gear….i don’t have anywhere to put it! ok and i went a little tiny bit crazy with orders last month, just a little…
lol, that’s actually what I like about scoops- ~$5 accessory that can fit in pretty much any nook and cranny. Very portable for travelling. I’ve noticed 52teas matchas (at least the one I’ve tried) don’t need much whisking so measure, dump, swirl, and drink:)
Where on Steepster can you find a Steepsterite who hasn’t gone just a tad bit crazy in the last month or so on tea orders, I ask? He/She would have to be one very self-controlled restrained person in the face of all these yummy tea posts/reviews! LOL! But, AmazonV, I love tea gear/tea ware … they are so pretty and functional and absolutely a requirement !?!?!
Haha, I’ve been very good lately. I’ve been trying to clear my cupboard to make room for summer tea. I even restrained myself from ordering DFT Series #2! Now I have a gap in my A&D tea collection, uhoh.
i gotta put together a little picasa on all my teaware….it’s a lot for a tiny apartment (2 dragon teakettles, 1 china, 1 porcelain, 1 cast iron, 1 glass, dozens of bone china teacups, 1 shelf of mugs, 1 shelf and 3 boxes of tea, 2 Russian tea cups, zarafina, breville water kettle, brita water pitcher, mr. iced tea maker, and more i don’t even want to unpack) that of course doesn’t even get into my coffee obsession…and a galley kitchen
Okay – you win! that is a lot of teaware! and if memory serves, you have some nice china teacups from mother-in-law, too! sorry for the awkardness of comment – now on iPod touch and am not that good on keyboard yet.
~lauren you are a better person than I – I keep trying to use steepster via Blackberry and end up with the most awful typing! half the time i give up and don’t post it
She’s a Steepster addict :P. I can’t even stand logging into Steepster from my iPhone. It’s dreadfully slow :(
TEAM CHRINE has changed sides. Just came to the Strawberry Matcha page to tealog and was reading your tealog. I did 1/4 tsp in 8 oz of 180° F water. I cannot believe the difference. I thought there was no way I’d ever like matcha. Anyways, I’m about to post a tealog about the matcha surprise so you can read all about it there!
PS I also used Wiki the first time I prepared it. Bad Wiki!
I know chrine! Where do they get that 3 scoops weighs that much? If you go by wiki’s # of scoops and not weight, you’re good.
I have no idea. It was WAY too much matcha for me.
I know! The thought of the 7 scoops of matcha I used makes me gag… :)
Oh, yay, I just noticed your update :) Yeah, I also tend to just eyeball the amount of matcha, and usually only make 3 or 4 ounces of it when I need a shot of something to force my eyes open. The bitterness (and of course the caffeine) are great when I’m feeling kinda “blah” and need to be jolted awake. I don’t know if I could handle 8 ounces at a time (plus the matcha might settle since I’m a slowish drinker). But yeah, maybe fiddling around with the amount of water might make it more palatable. :)
Oh, so it does settle? I thought I might not be mixing it enough still. (I just had some!) I noticed the perking effect and was wondering if it was in my head since I associated the super bitterness of the first attempt with high caffeine content. But it is a mellow perking, not a jittery perking.
chrine, take it from someone that often makes 8 (and on a rare occasion 16)oz at a time that it does settle if you don’t drink it quickly enough- it’s a suspension, not a solution. I prefer to take my time to enjoy it so an occasional whisk or two while drinking it does the job and I’m not forced to rush.
Thanks Cofftea, that’s good to know.
This is…get ready for it….the first time Jill’s ever made matcha!
I’ve had it often enough in latté form or the traditional form in various cafes and restaurants, but I’ve been too intimidated by all the equipment and preparation needed to try making it on my own. Then I saw this tea for sale on the 52Teas website and it sounded so awesome that I bought it on impulse, even though I have no matcha bowl, whisk, sifter, etc.
I let it hang out in my cupboard for awhile until I finally got tired of staring at it today and went for it. I decided to go with Chrine’s recommendation of 1/4 tsp in 8 oz of water just for starters. In lieu of a matcha bowl I used a ceramic cereal bowl (don’t laugh) and a little metal cooking whisk (is that sound I hear the matcha purists gasping in horror?). ;)
The matcha powder smells very strawberry-y with a bit of the green, grassy scent of matcha. When I added the water it turned into a colour that wouldn’t be amiss coming out of a swamp. The metal wisk and cereal bowl combo seemed to work okay for my purposes, although the matcha tended to settle quickly and I kept having to whisk it up again.
Taste-wise it’s a little watery for my liking, though not bitter at all, which is certainly appreciated. It has the powdery-textured, green flavour I usually associate with matcha with a hint of fruity strawberry lingering in the background. I kind of expected the strawberry to be stronger given how the powder smelled, but that may be due to the amount of water – next time I think I’ll reduce the quantity I add a bit.
Not bad for a first try, though it definitely needs some tweaking. Stay tuned for more!
:D
YAY FOR 1ST MATCHA MAKING! =D You’ll find the flavor come out more when you reduce the water. RE: “even though I have no matcha bowl, whisk, sifter, etc.” -I think a metal whisk is better than no whisk at all and the great new about this matcha (as well as Frank’s other flavors) is that you do not need a sifter!:) Actually, sifting this really doesn’t even work since the flavoring gets clumpy and I personally don’t want to leave that much flavor and matcha out of my bowl since it dissolves so easily.
I bought matcha today although like you I also don’t have matcha bowl, whisk or sifter. Cofftea, thanks for the tips/suggestions.
You don’t need a matcha bowl… any bowl will do. I used an old rice bowl that I’ve had for years for my first “chawan.” Because the wire whisk that I own is far too large for matcha – I used a fork to whisk the matcha! And the flavored matchas do not need sifting… if you’re going the unflavored route, you can use a small strainer (like a tea strainer) to sift your tea, and use the back of a spoon to force the matcha through the strainer. It works very well, in fact, this is the method I still use (except that I use the back of my chashaku now).
You don’t need the fancy tools to enjoy Matcha. They do make it easier, certainly, and perhaps give one a sense of ceremony… but they are not necessary!
I tried a fork once just for the heck of it and can’t seem to get the speed to whisk it enough… but then again it’s only recently that I’ve gotten good at making froth. The funny thing is, I don’t know what I’m doing differently lol!:)
If you don’t have a tea strainer you’d like to use for matcha, I suggest this one.
http://www.lupiciausa.com/product_p/41401682.htm it’s cheap, the mesh is VERY fine, and the long handle and tab at the opposite end allows me to rest the sifter on my chawan while I sift (I use a metal measuring teaspoon to push the matcha thru)… otherwise I know I wouldn’t be coordinated enough to sift and old the sifter lol.
Yay for first matcha experience at home! I made mine the same way, in a ceramic cereal bowl with a wire wisk. Thankfully Franks matcha blends easily:)
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Actually I have never tried flavored matcha, so I’m excited to try one. In my mind apples + matcha sounds like a combination that could work.
They all work- it’s just a matter if you like said flavor or not:)
OMG guys
Just….WOW. wow wow wow wow wow.
Used this in my breakfast smoothies this morning, a bit of almond milk for sweetness, some yoghurt and banana for thickeners and the result? SO GOOOOOOOOD. I cannot BELIEVE how good. The flavor of the matcha balances really well with the banana and I think I may actually like it MORE than I have liked the smoothies I made with real strawberries, which seems just weird. I think it’s because real strawberries have this tang about them that combines with the sourness of the yoghurt (I use plain) to it’s detriment. Since it’s just strawberry flavor though, you just get the strawberry without anything else. S’nice!
Also, somehow it just seems smoother – I think the combination of yoghurt, banana and matcha is a real winner. Clearly, my instincts about this being a great “mixer” matcha were spot on :D I think after just ONE of these I am addicted.
I’m very tempted to give this a 100 – but my mental block against giving 100s prevents me. (What if I find something even more awesome? I can’t take that chance.)
I found this to be ok. The matcha was in charge and at the end I tasted a bit of tartness from the strawberry but it wasn’t strong, I think I will try this again and hope if I play with the measurements the strawberry will come through better.
What ratio did you start with?
I kinda just made it I don’t have specifics. Next time I will make perfect measurements. I just went Willie Nillie on this one. I think I spelled that right. :-)
Haham yeah for most people matcha is about the perfect measurement so you may want to measure it next time.:)
lol no clue where that m came from…
I know I just wanted matcha now so I made it quick thought I would get it right.
As long as it wasn’t chunky, I think you made it right:) This isn’t something that screams “STRAWBERRY!”
Definitely not chunky the matcha itself is great just thought more strawberry.
I want to THANK SoccerMom for this sample! :)
Now that I have had one positive matcha experience I want to have more. I like Strawberries and some of the reviews on this flavored matcha got me wondering…
First, I have to say this smells AWESOME!!!! Reminds me of Strawberry Cheesecake!
The color is a brownish-green and VERY murky (but then again it’s a matcha!) I will saw that it dissolves VERY quickly!
The actual taste of this is good. But I can’t say I like it better than my Den’s Matcha Experience…that still takes first! BUT…I will say that I would drink this again! So…all and all…it’s pretty good.
There’s no way you can compare this to Den’s cuz it’s flavored. Now Lupicia’s maybe. Strawberry cheesecake? Hm. I haven’t gotten that. But yeah, both of 52teas’ matchas disolve w/ almost no whisking. and it’s a more frothy texture.
This is a Featured tealog today. =)
Thank you Ricky for this sample and for being a very patient swap buddy :)
I love the smell of the strawberries in this mix…it’s like strawberry milk or strawberry ice cream. Yum. Unfortunately, my matcha is a little affected by the smell/taste of some of the other teas in the box, so I’m not sure how much of the mellowed, milky flavor is from the matcha itself and how much is from the other yummy teas Ricky sent me. :)
This matcha, like 52teas Mandarin Matcha, has a kind of strange sharp, sour note. I’m not sure why…I assumed in the case of the Mandarin Matcha it was the acidity of the orange, but the same sourness is in this matcha as well. Maybe its a preservative or a flavoring thing? Or just the quality of the matcha itself? Who knows, but it’s keeping me from really loving this.
I’m thinking this is one I will have to try at some point! :)
The sharpness in this one put me off. I haven’t craved it since my second attempt which was mildly better than the first.
@Shanti: I notice the tart note as well. I attribute it to the combination of the fruit and matcha… since matcha has kind of a different sweetness than does either of these fruits, maybe the matcha brings out more of the tart of the fruit? I don’t know for sure, but I was just kind of thinking that was why… sort of like when you eat a chocolate cupcake and then drink orange juice… the orange juice tastes a bit sour after eating the sweet cupcake. :)
I thought it might be that as well, but it’s the same strange tartness in both the mandarin matcha and the strawberry matcha, and to me it doesn’t seem to be connected to the “fruit” flavor very much. I’m guessing it’s a preservative or something.
On one hand I think I need to just stop reading these cuz I’m so upset mine still is not here- but on the other hand I’m ABSOFRICKIN UBBERLY EXCITED that you figured out a better ratio!:)
Chrine, I didn’t hate my S.M. the second time around either. SO I’m still on TEAM CHRINE!! Lol
So glad that you figured out the right ratios!
Yours STILL hasn’t come?? It’s nearly two weeks now. It needs to come! I want to read your tealog on it and see how it compares to other matchas. I’m thinking positive thought for a Wednesday arrival!
I know! I was so excited too. I’m trying to convince my husband to try it again. He’s extremely skeptical. I made some for him the first time I made it and he thought it was awful.
lol
GO TEAM CHRINE!! MATCHA SUPERSTARS!!
Chrine… I’m VERY upset w/ 52teas… and at this point I don’t care if Frank reads it here or not. I’ve placed 3 orders w/ them and they have all taken 2 weeks. I’m in WI. There’s no way that should happen. The reason he gave for my previous order being so late was because of a computer problem or something… but that was ONLY after I complained… he said he was trying to get the problem fixed “before anyone noticed”… um… HELLO! It’s been two weeks, I’m gonna notice if my tea isn’t here. So I’ve been dupped, decieved, and taken for stupid. And all I got was an apology that, from as much as I could tell online, didn’t sound very sincere. I do realize that my matcha was free (I won their contest), but that’s no excuse for the crap I’ve gotten from them. I placed another (and most likely my last) order on the 8th, so we shall see how long that one takes.
P.S. sharing matcha w/ your special someone is an awesome experience!:)
Chrine, Was it just me or did you feel like this tea might be okay cold like maybe iced? Call me crazy and maybe it’s the strawberry that has me thinking it may not be bad iced.
Oh and uh GO TEAM CHRINE!!
I might have to try this tomorrow!
Do it Ricky! Torture me!
Well that was the idea ;)
It shouldn’t have to be that way, but that’s the only choice cuz you should not deprive yourself.
Haha, you’ll get yours soon, don’t worry! Just have some Mandarin matcha instead in the meantime or grind up some Tencha =]
I’m getting low on my mandarin so I’m trying to ration it. And I have no matcha mill so I steep and decant my tencha.
Cofftea – Don’t get mad at me but I think what you have is a case of Matcha Envy! hehe
SoccerMom- oh I always have matcha envy! I will be the very 1st to admit that. But this is case is just me being pissed at a company:)
Okay Cofftea I’m sorry to be the one to call you out on this but why is it okay for you to say pissed (which doesn’t bother me BTW) but you won’t order A&D because it has “Damn” in the name. I’m only asking because I’ve noticed that you’ve said you won’t buy A&D a couple of times because of the name yet I notice that you curse too.? Am I missing something about A&D product labeling. I would be mad too if my tea took two weeks to get to me but most of my tea orders take like 9 days anyway.
Dear Ms. “Cofftea”,
As I told you via private message earlier yesterday, I do not know what happened to your package. I am 100% positive that it shipped out on the same day with the first big batch of Strawberry Matcha orders. Apparently, it has been lost by the USPS, which is not my fault, however, (as I stated in my PM) we are going to send a replacement package to you right away. I am sorry you have had to cope with this inconvenience.
I am also sorry you feel the need to insult me (when you insult my business, you insult me). I take pride in what we do here at 52teas. I think we provide some of the best and most unique tea blends on the market. We are a small business, and frankly, we do not have the resources that some of our competitors have to spend on order processing and fulfillment. Sometimes I drop the ball; I am human, it happens. All I can do is try to do better the next time. But to say that we have duped you, deceived you, or taken you for stupid is hurtful in the extreme as is intimating that my apology for your inconvenience was somehow insincere.
Somewhere along the line, people are being taught that the nastier we can be about a situation, the better results we will get when it comes to resolving the problem. Well, maybe this is contrary to good business sense (and you can insult me for this too), but I don’t work that way. If you sincerely believe that my motives are so evil as to require such a public verbal scourging, then perhaps you shouldn’t order from me any more.
Don’t get me wrong, I need customers. But I would rather go out of business than have customers who assign such terrible motives to me. I have been working at this business for three years now. I have used up all of my savings and borrowed every penny I could get. I haven’t paid myself one thin dime. But I am still doing it—because this is what I love. I do it because I love reading these reviews on Steepster and knowing that people are enjoying our teas all over the world. For you to say that we have duped you, deceived you, or taken you for stupid makes me seriously question why I am doing this.
Frank, I’m sorry you feel that my stating facts is insulting you or your company. Perhaps then you should change your practices so my statements are no longer fact. Maybe you should question why you’re doing this. It’s odd that I seem to be the only customer that has had several poor experiences with your customer service (except for my groundhog order where a computer glitch which you tried to hide from your customers delayed my order… I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing… If it is truely the fault of USPS (except when you have computer problems whether you hide them or not), then perhaps you should speak to someone there about it. My advice from a business stand point would be to start giving tracking numbers- that way you know and the customer both know exactly who is to blame for delayed/lost packaging.
Be nice children ;)
@SoccerMom she refuses to purchase from A&D due to a religion thing. Nothing wrong with that. People have their beliefs.
@Frank Sorry, great post, but I just laughed when I read the word Frankly. Frankly, Frank, sorry, bad joke. It was just funny.
Actually Frank, I recall you use stamps.com to ship out a package. Tracking #s for first class packages are only 50 cents more. Why not add an extra option to let them have it if they so choose to.
Ricky, I do not appreciate being refered to as a child. I am simply stating facts and defending myself in the most polite way possible, but this is not a pleasant situation and my emotions are not positve.
It was a joke, did you not see the smiley face. =]
Some things are not funny no matter if you add it or not, I view it as an insult. (Just ask Jason, I’ve gotten in trouble for the same thing).
Cofftea ~ Does your boyfriend share your love of tea?
SoccerMom ~ Hmm, I don’t know what I’d think about it iced. I’ve be interested to read your tealog about it if you tried it though! I did think a splash of milk might be good in it.
Ricky ~ TEAM CHRINE says you should try some Strawberry Matcha today! TEAM CHRINE firmly believes you will enjoy it.
lol @ matcha envy!
Chrine, not so much- just sweet tea.. and you know my personal opinion of sweet tea lol. I bought his mom the decaf (which is really herbal… grrr) adagio sampler plus some extra decaf samples. Thanks for reminding me, I need to find out what she’s tried and how she likes them. I’m hoping I can convert Grant as easily as I converted my ex:)
And Ricky- try it the plain way… aren’t you w/ LiberTEAS in that easier is better? A matcha smoothie/latte is too much work!=D
I never thought I’d see this day…
A smoothie/latte is not too much work – but additional gadgetry would be required to make a smoothie or a latte, so I would not prepare a smoothie or latte for myself on a regular basis. But I do occasionally prepare these things for myself when I want to.
It’s not just that it’s extra work, in fact, that is the smallest of the issue. It’s that I keep the extra gadgets stored away… not on my countertop for easy access. We have limited kitchen space and I have three other people in my household, not to mention that a good part of my kitchen space is used for my business. I don’t think it’s very fair to have ADDITIONAL tea gadgetry everywhere you look. My family lives here too, and I’m the only one using the tea kettle.
And WHO said tea drinkers were boring??? We got drama too. :)
Tracking is now availble for your 52teas orders:
http://www.52teas.com/2010/04/14/tracking/
Thank you so much 52teas! Are plans to have it available for Manteas as well? Possibly for free since there’s no place to add "STEEPSTER for a $1 off our order like you have generously provided at 52teas?
LOL. “Give an inch…” I’ll see what I can do with Manteas. Running out of time today. Too much work to do. Just finally got the email newsletter trivia challenge resolved (check your inboxes—someone is going to be happy), and I STILL desperately need to update my 52teas In-Stock page. (I’m so far behind.) And I have packages to take to the post office (Including yours, Cofftea—you should have your tracking number in your email inbox (tho it hasn’t been scanned yet)).
I don’t see it as the “give an inch” addage- I see it as you should give the same (good) customer service to all your customers no mater what website they order from. I won’t have the $ or the space for my 1lb Mayan Chocolate Chai order any time soon so it won’t affect me personally if you don’t get around to it today- it is, after all, mid afternoon. “As soon as is convenient” works for me. I want that chai, but I don’t want risk anything happening to it so I probably won’t purchase it before tracking is available. Tracking recieved, now just waiting til it gets in the system. Thanks:)
@SoccerMom Life would be pretty bland without drama in it :D Think about all the drama movies that wouldn’t exist!
Ricky, I disagree. If there were no drama life would be a happier place.
Chrine- your positive thinking didn’t work. :(
@Ricky I do like (watching) drama after all I’m totally addicted to The Real Housewives of New York. I mean who couldn’t not like drama and like that show.
o.O whistles