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“YAY!!! I’M THE 1ST TO LOG THIS!!! 1st some 52teas business: ~Price point: Amazing -$12.99 for 2oz matcha and NO SHIPPING! ~Shipping: Again FREE, but there’s no tracking code which is a – for me...” Read full tasting note
“Matcha Matcha Man!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08 Need I say more!? Okay…maybe I should…this is the first song that popped in my head when I took this one out to stir up this...” Read full tasting note
“I’m enjoying a Matcha smoothie at the moment – Kefir, frozen peaches, banana and Mandarin Matcha. This time, I am using coconut milk kefir, which adds a very interesting dimension to the flavor –...” Read full tasting note
“So I first tried this one on Saturday. We made it thick, with hot water and no additives. It is a dark green color, and smells heavily of mandarin and matcha. The main thing I got out of it was...” Read full tasting note
Now THIS is a special treat! Japanese Matcha with real freeze dried orange sections (we pulverized them in an attempt to make the pieces as fine as the matcha, so you might not be able to see them, but we promise, they are there) and natural orange flavoring.
If you’ve never had matcha before, it is a stone-ground green tea from Japan, traditionally served in Japanese tea ceremonies. Preparation involves whisking the powder into hot (NOT boiling) water to create a frothy green tea.
As with all of our Tea of the Week blends, this is a limited edition blend, and it’s likely to go FAST, so get yours while you can!
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.
YAY!!! I’M THE 1ST TO LOG THIS!!!
1st some 52teas business:
~Price point: Amazing -$12.99 for 2oz matcha and NO SHIPPING!
~Shipping: Again FREE, but there’s no tracking code which is a – for me (you can have it shipped not USPS for a charge, but a tracking code isn’t worth $ to me)
~Delivery time: Again, it was free (not many companies don’t charge you shipping for a 2oz package costing $12.99) and yes it was winter (which includes Christmas), but I ordered this way back on 12/18 so 15 days (double the estimate I was given) is a little less than reasonable for me especially considering I thought the estimate I was given was already on the long side, but it may have just been a fluke and will give a more fair, unbaised, and accurate shipping rating when I make my next purchase.
~Free stuff (other than shipping): I loved getting their Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Tea pamphlet and even learned something new- Pu Erh is not a sub type of black tea like I thought it was, it is its own category. I also loved their How to Make a Fat Free Chai or Tea Latte! card (and bonus points for going health concious and putting "fat free).
~Steeping/Preparating directions: Anyone who knows anything about matcha knows that you do not steep matcha (which implies decanting). Both the website and the packaging state to steep matcha for 2-3min. Now I know, and you know, that the people at 52teas and Zoomdweebie’s actually do know their tea (I mean come on, you gotta be a genius to come up w/ a way to flavor matcha like this!), but steeping/preparation directions like this really shoot their credibility in the tea cup. It would also be nice, since it is matcha, to have the suggested amount in scoops and not teaspoons.
Now on to the review… which I have to admit that I’m selfishly going to regret posting this because I just know as soon as you read this everyone will make a mad dash to their website and order the rest. But… since they have reblended some teas (like their Maple Bacon Flavored Black tea which there is only 1 left in their 2nd batch), I’m praying that when it does run out (which I can promise you will be very shortly) they will not only come out w/ many other flavored matchas, but reblend their original. Ok, ok… I’ve stalled enough. On to the review.
Holy amazing matcha!!! The color is not a bright and vibrant green, but more olive and the texture is by far the finest of the 3 “raw” matchas I’ve seen… Although due to the choice of packaging it does get a little clumpy, but sifting it fixes this problem completely. The aroma is slightly sweet w/ a very mild orange sent.
I made this thin because I wanted a whole bowl (not only am I freakishly excited about this and it’s National Hot Tea Month, the wind chill is -30). 2 scoops in the bottom of my matcha bowl and 16oz of hot water poured over it.
Oh. My. Matcha! I can hardly contain myself! THIS FOAMS! I can’t even say that I got it to foam, because it foamed as soon as the water hit it. It’s certainly not latte or cappuccino foam, but there is definitely a thin seafoam green layer on top! I don’t think it needs it, but I give it a quick wisk anyway. And now for the taste… I just have to quote Michelle Tanner again… Yummy in my tummy! Smooth (almost creamy in texture actually), slightly sweet, slightly orangy. The matcha flavor itself isn’t as strong as other brands I’ve tried, but it is there. Maybe mix it 1/2 and 1/2 w/ an unflavored brand? But then will the orange be too light? Perfect.
Who should try this: Everyone! But specifically: Those that like to flavor their own matchas (this makes flavored matcha so much quicker), those that like sweet matchas (I do believe this is both sugar and artificial sweetener free except for the fructose in the oranges, but I could be wrong), those that want to make matcha ice cream or frozen yogurt, and those that are looking to try matcha on a budget (this is ~23 cents/gram- remember, no shipping to factor into the price per serving).
Note: The matcha flavor itself probably only earns a 98/100 in my book (I was hoping for a more savory matcha w/ an orange flavor, not sherbet-esk), but the other 2 are easily earned for: price, easy of preparation (little or no whisking needed when made thin as well as having it preflavored), ease of foam forming on top, and pure novelty.
P.S. Because I had a LOT to say and I just had a full bowl of matcha, this review took me 37 min to write!=D
Matcha Matcha Man!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08
Need I say more!? Okay…maybe I should…this is the first song that popped in my head when I took this one out to stir up this afternoon!
The Mandarin levels are perfectly MACHO! And the Matcha…very nice!
Wait… where did you get this? From someone? Did Frank reblend it?
I have the exact same question!
D=
We demand answers!
Yumm, how can a beverage be both soothing and uplifting? I don’t know, but that’s how Matcha Lattes make me feel.
I got it from LiberTEAs a while back! Sorry to get your hopes up! LOL
Ok then I am even more impressed w/ this cuz that’s one old sample of matcha! lol:)
Yuppers! It holds up well!
I’m enjoying a Matcha smoothie at the moment – Kefir, frozen peaches, banana and Mandarin Matcha. This time, I am using coconut milk kefir, which adds a very interesting dimension to the flavor – it has a bit more tropical flair that I’m really liking.
Yum!
It appears that I only have enough of this Matcha left for one more serving… perhaps I will finish that off with a chawan of Matcha in a bit.
Oh yes! I suggest drinking it from a chawan:)
You know, we put some of this back behind the counter in a jar for serving to our in-shop customers, and they never really wanted this one much. I’m thinking I might have enough left in the jar for ONE more 2oz. pouch…
What’s up your sleeve matcha wise Frank?
Currently out of matcha. Going to order some more with my next tea order (should be soon). Will see what we can come up with then.
Zoomdweebies should sell unflavored matcha too- I’d love to taste your base:)
The Zoomdweebie’s site is about to be completely revamped. We’re moving completely away from ecommerce. We’re only going to carry 52teas and ManTeas blends, and maybe a third brand in the future. But everybody has essentially the same base teas. There are very few true importers in the US, I think we have worked with all of them. The new Zoomdweebie’s site is coming along: http://zoomdweebies.52teas.com Almost ready to transfer to zoomdweebies.com
Actually there are quite a few teas Zoomdweebies carries that I’ve never heard of- but then again maybe I’m not looking in the right place lol.
If there are some you are interested in, I’m open to suggestions. I’m trying to figure out how to clearance them out.
clearance sale a la the tin sale?….preferably in 3 months when i have money again though,
What about a Watermelon matcha? Watermelon white tea? I’m really craving watermelon now!
Watermelon matcha would be really good… or a cantaloupe (muskmelon) matcha would be really good also. mmmmmmm… But… don’t make it next week… or even the week after that. Give me a while to catch up on my tea purchases here!
LiberTEAS, both water and muskmelon matchas would be wonderful! I’ve already requested a cucumber muskmelon matcha.
So I first tried this one on Saturday. We made it thick, with hot water and no additives. It is a dark green color, and smells heavily of mandarin and matcha. The main thing I got out of it was thick and bitter. Which it should be, mandarins are not always sweet, but the thickness of it was off-putting. So I decided not to rate it based on this (because it would not be good) and would try it again.
Tried it again on Sunday, using less matcha with more water. The color and fragrance were the same, but the matcha was definitely better. It was not as bitter, and if flowed more easily. The matcha flavor is strong and tends to overpower the mandarin a bit, I think I need to adjust something.
Today, I decided I did not want to be bothered with making the matcha in the bowl with this whisk and went straight to my smoothie:
1/4 cup of frozen mixed berries (no blackberries this time, avoiding the seeds)
1 tsp. Mandarin Matcha
Pinch of Splenda
3/4 cup of water
The frozen berries helped to keep this thick. I did not want to mix citrus with milk, so I used all water, in hindsight, I could have used orange juice, but I did not have any. I added the splenda because that is what I usually do make sure the berries do not make it bitter, this was especially important because I find the Mandarin matcha to be bitter.
The smoothie was the best way I enjoyed this. The Mandarin actually contrasted the sweetness of the the berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) and then the Splenda helped to brighten the flavors.
I would love to get this right as a straight matcha, if you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.
Your smoothie sounds great! I could use one right now. :)
why not make a latte?
Mmm, smoothie….
How much matcha did you use? I tend to do 1-2 chashaku scoops for 3-4 ounces.
@mattscinto I would be afraid of a latte because of milk with the orange, I would think the combination of the milk and the citrus would put me off to it. Have you tried it?
@shanti I use less matcha when I am adding berries. For this one specifically I used 1 tsp. If it was straight matcha (no mandarin) I would have probably used 1 to 2 tsps. I am going to try this again with more mandarin matcha because I think I can creep up the amount without hurting the smoothie.
I am in awe of your smoothie making skills :) I’ve been saving your recipes in my online recipe box so I can try them someday!
By the way, 1-2 tsps is a lot, even for thick-style matcha! One chashaku scoop is about 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon. It seems like Mandarin Matcha isn’t a very high grade of matcha, so it’s not really good for thick style, anyway. Maybe you’ll like it thin style?
Maybe, that might be the difference, I just usually use a LOT of matcha when making it in the bowl, I especially use a lot in protein shakes or you lose the flavor, so I guess I am just used to lots of matcha.
True that a higher grade I would be able to use less, but still, I would probably use a lot of it unless it was the really really expensive stuff.
Oops, I actually meant the opposite—usually you can use more high-grade matcha than low-grade matcha because the higher grade matcha is more sweet and less bitter. That’s why the more expensive matcha is used for koichha/thick style. Alas, I am poor, so no thick-style matcha for me! :’(
By the way, have you tried those yogurt/berry frozen mixes yet? I see them in the store and they look yummy and easy, but I figure I might as well just add my own liquid yogurt in.
Cinoi, RE: your milk concern- if you like dreamcicles or orange yogurt you should like it latte style. The orange isn’t nearly as strong as yogurt or dreamscicles but there is that feel to it.
@shanti, no I have not tried them, I avoided milk with the Mandarin Matcha, but Cofftea has convinced me it should be OK, I don’t know how I could have forgotten about creamcicles. I will make something tonight and let everyone know how it goes :)
Sounds like it might be good! But as I mentioned before, I’m the queen of making awful, yucky smoothies, so I could be wrong! :)
Cinoi, as far as straight matcha goes I like both the 1 scoop/3oz water and 1 scoop/8oz water ratios. Let me know which one you prefer:)
Shanti, are you really interested in trying those smoothie mixes? I saw them on Biggest Loser last week. They seem kinda stupid IMO. How hard is adding your own yogurt, fruit, milk, honey, etc into a blender? That way you can have it exactly the way you want. I have not gotten to the store to check out the nutritional info yet, but I’d also think it’d be a lot healthier to make your own (and you can actually pronounce all the ingredients!). Maybe I’m wrong though.
Well, I’m not sure if I’d buy it myself, but it sure is a lot easier (and perhaps cheaper) to throw a single bag of frozen strawberry, mango, pineapple, and yogurt together with milk than it is to find each of those individual items fresh (or even frozen…I’ve never seen frozen pineapple or frozen mango at the store), cut and prepare them, freeze them in advance, and then blend them up. I’m not sure why it’d be a “lot” healthier to use your own frozen fruit than pre-frozen…
I was thinking because you could control the amount and what sweetener you use. You also have the option of using fat free yogurt and milk (or yogurt w/ lots of fiber). So I guess it wouldn’t always be healthier, but I’d think it sure could be. I personally prefer to use organic, in season, unsweetened fruit, but if you have a hankering for say mangos this time of year, then yeah this may be the way to go. Shrugs- idk, just some initial speculations when I saw it.
@cinoi I’ve never tried mandarin matcha with milk, however I love plain matcha with milk. I feel like it would taste amazing with milk… sort of that orange and creme taste. I’m imaging some silky soy milk with the orange taste… ahhh. TRY IT please.. for me? haha
I’ve found that it’s really hard to compare this to plain, unflavored matcha—they’re two different animals. Even though Mandarin Matcha isn’t the same as regular matcha, it’s still wonderful in its own way. The powder is olive green, rather than the bright, radioactive green of fresh matcha. I’m guessing the color is due to the pulverized dried orange that is mixed in with the matcha, and not just the quality of the matcha itself. The smell is flowery and sweet.
Today I’m using two scoops and 4 ounces of hot water. The color of the tea is a murky green, and quite a bit different from that characteristic jade green color of regular matcha tea. Mandarin Matcha does not foam, no matter how hard or how long I whisk it. Only a few weak bubbles appear at the surface.
The taste is a bit weaker and sweeter than regular matcha is at this concentration. I’m guessing this is because of the orange that’s mixed in with the matcha dilutes it. The orange taste is light and not artificial tasting. There is a strange sharpness or sourness near the back/middle of my tongue, but it’s bearable. Happily, there is no bitterness.
In exchange for the orange note, you do lose some of the vegetal/grassy flavor of regular matcha. At the same time, there is an interesting blossomy component to it that I didn’t taste in the plain matcha I have on hand. And oh, the smell! The smell of Mandarin Matcha is divine. Juicy orange, tart and sweet, cream, and matcha.
I think it’s a good change of pace from regular matcha. The novelty of the orange flavor certainly makes it worth trying. While I don’t know if I’d consider it the best matcha I’ve ever had, it has earned a place in my cabinet.
SO glad to see the rating go up!=D Although I must admit a part of me was hoping that a lack there of would lead you to share the wealth lol. My one bag is going all too fast, but I can’t wait to see what flavors they do next!
Mandarian matcha… I’m nabbing those packets the moment they are back up on 52teas! Oh yeah, what does it come in? A tin? The pouches?
Ricky – The matcha comes in the same pouches as the other 52teas.
I just hope they change the preparation suggestions.
Whoops… forgot to log this one.
From the tasting notes I expected a lot more orange flavor, but (again) my taste buds seem to be dull to “flavorings” and the orange sections didn’t add much. I got almost entirely matcha and a slight aftertaste of orange.
Plain matcha is okay if it’s what I’m in the mood for, but that day I wasn’t, so my husband finished that cup (he liked it alright, though I think he picked up the orange more strongly than I did and he thinks flavored matcha is WEIRD).
He makes good chocolate truffles rolled in matcha, so I’d love to have that done with this. Hmm….
Preparation details: 1 tsp in 8 oz hot water, frothed by electric whisk.
Mandarin Matcha Truffles w/ Mandarin Matcha drinking chocolate… my taste buds would be thrilled, but w/ all the caffeine I wouldn’t sleep for a week! You should post the recipe in the cooking w/ tea thread and let us know what you think of them:)
Okay, your husband is like my dream man—likes tea and MAKES CHOCOLATE. Notice the caps in the second part of that sentence.
He doesn’t do it often because he says they’re a PitA, but maybe having some new matcha will inspire him???
2oz for $13 is really cheap matcha. Actually, probably the cheapest I’ve ever seen. Is it citrus peel orange or is it orange juice orange?
It’s kind of hard to tell because the flavor is so light. I’m going to prepare it thick (3oz of water/1 scoop matcha) so I should be able to tell you more then, but I’m kinda thinking peel at this point- or maybe fresh squeezed pure juice, no sweetener of any kind. That little bit of liquid in my big, beautiful matcha bowl… seems like a waste…
I was thinking and rereading this (because I’m still so excited!) and I think it’s like a matcha orange sherbet.
That sounds amazing! Orange sherbet tea would be a winner in my book.
Now orange sherbet would taste good, I’m not a fan of orange citrus peel. Sadly, I wouldn’t be able to make this into a latte, maybe a smoothie.
@Ricky, orange sherbet wasn’t really accurate cuz there was absolutely no vanilla or cream flavor to it. I’m just trying (and failing miserably) to wrap my head around the flavor and define it verbally. But yeah, I don’t think it would be a good latte for me. I love MarketSpice chai, but since it has orange in it, when I add any amount of cream, creamer, or milk, it tastes like a hot, melted, dreamsicle.
I just wanna say that this review totally made me smile.
Michelle Tanner reference for the win!
Andrea- isn’t it wonderful when reading about someone’s tea experience can make you smile w/o even having any yourself?
Madison- lol I hope I didn’t sound too childish or immature, but I was so excited that was the only thing I could think to justify how good it tasted!:)
oh don’t worry that was one of those smile moments where you just go… Oh yea! I forgot about that!
Totally awesome
I’m home alone most of the time and silence freaks me out so I have the tv on while I’m on steepster- and sometimes that’s the best thing on. It’s kinda fun to watch shows as an adult that you used to watch as a kid and to see what you missed. The Golden Girls is another good one for that lol.
mmmm this sounds yummy. I am almost out of my current matcha and have been searching for a new one. Thanks for sharing =]
There is no such thing as free shipping… if it’s “free” it is already included in the price you pay for tea. Actually the more tea you are purchasing the more you are paying for your shipping.
The “free” shipping helps with impulse buys. Two ounce via USPS takes about $2 to deliver (I think $1.69 is the exact value, I could very likely be wrong), assuming it’s in a small package form and not a regular envelope. That being said I think we’re still getting a pretty good deal from their tea.
I saw on TV yesterday that those little orange membranes I find on my chasen are called vessicles.
hehehe vessicles… that just sounds dirty
Oh wow what a price for such a flavorful matcha! Do you think they ground up orange peel as well in the mix or something else?
Their website states “freeze dried orange sections and natural flavoring”. You should totally get some:)
This sounds neat, but the color description is a little off-putting….the fresher and higher quality the matcha, the brighter green it should be. Still, it sounds like it’s worth trying, at least.
Get it while you can Shanti, you will not regret it.
Shanti, I think the lighter green is because of the froth or foam on top (whatever you want to call it). This morning the lighter color did not cover the entire bowl, you could see the dark green underneath.
Oh, I meant the dry matcha…I read online that the higher quality the matcha powder is, the more bright, almost radioactive green it will look. But I still have not tried matcha yet, so I really don’t know much about it at all!! Which is why I’m so excited to try the Mandarin Matcha :)
I’m sure the additives had something to do w/ it.