Matcha Latte at Caribeana in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Matcha powder has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries but there is a huge boom in the use of matcha in coffee shops in and around NYC. A spoonful of matcha powder is said to have the benefits of around 10-12 cups of green tea. The powder is actual ground tea leaves emulsified and grounded into a fine powder and used for making tea.

Now let’s talk about how this has evolved into the matcha latte. New York City has a coffee shop on just about every block. Here in Brooklyn, every new little shop that opens up seems to be a “mom and pop” coffee shop. (FYI, I love a mom and pop and support whenever I can). I was driving in Crown Heights recently and came across a new spot, a Japanese and Caribbean fusion cafe, with a little chalkboard advertising their matcha latte. I pulled over and decided to try it. For $4, I was served a medium sized cup of a smooth latte with all the taste of matcha and no taste of coffee. It was my first taste of the tea and I was pleasantly surprised. The latte starts off with a very green foam but settles into a great pastel green cup of latte. I had it unsweetened and was glad. Glad I tried it and will have it again.