Matcha may have been around for nearly a thousand years, but it seems like the ancient green tea powder drink has never been more popular — here, anyway. It’s turning coffeehouse and tea shop menus green across the Bay Area.
What’s driving matcha’s booming popularity? It’s likely partly to do with the fact that it’s highly photogenic (and Instagrammable), and because many consumers are focused on health and wellness drinks, says Alexis Bolter, chief brand and experience officer for Santa Cruz-headquartered Verve Coffee Roasting. Matcha is high in antixoidants and can improve memory and decrease stress and anxiety.
Whether you’re a matcha purist or just eager to try out some of the creative matcha flavor pairings being crafted at local cafes, it’s a great time to go green.
Here are 7 spots to get your next matcha fix — plus some drink suggestions.
Verve Coffee, Palo Alto and other locations
The Santa Cruz-based coffee roaster has debuted an extensive matcha menu featuring nine different matcha drinks, including a strawberry cold foam matcha and sparkling grapefruit flavors.
The most interesting matcha item might just be its chamomile matcha tonic ($7.50), which blends floral chamomile notes with the earthy flavor of the finely ground tea leaves.
Details: Opens at 7 a.m. daily at 162 University Ave. in Palo Alto and other locations; vervecoffee.com.
Mind Coffee, Berkeley
Looking to find your zen and get caffeinated at the same time? Berkeley’s Mind Coffee near U.C. Berkeley is all about spreading mental health awareness, whether it’s providing mental health resources on its website or offering encouraging notes at the coffeehouse.
Packing a triple caffeine punch — in an energizing, non-jitter-inducing way — is Mind Coffee’s super-sippable iced dirty matcha latte ($6.50), served with two shots of espresso and ceremonial grade matcha. It’s super-sippable with extra oomph for powering through whatever the day may bring.
Details: Opens at 7:30 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. weekends at 1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley; themindcoffee.com.
Maruwu Seicha, Palo Alto
Matcha dominates this bustling shop, which offers ceremonial matcha from Kyoto and a menu including everything from matcha soft-serve to strawberry, mango and ube-layered lattes and matcha tarts.
A plain matcha latte ($6.90) highlights the quality of the matcha here, no frills needed.
Details: Opens at 10 a.m. daily at 250 University Ave., Suite 101, Palo Alto; maruwu.com/en
Cowboy Coffee, Sunnyvale
Tucked into an industrial area behind a church is Cowboy Coffee, an outdoor coffee shop serving artisanal matcha and coffee in a friendly, casual environment, with picnic tables topped with greenery.
The menu offers plenty of off-the-beaten-path beverages, including a matcha lemonade and butterscotch latte, but the Blueberry Creamtop Matchacano ($7) adds a fruity sweetness to this satisfying sipper. It also comes in vanilla and lavender flavors.
Details: Opens at 7 a.m. Monday-Saturday at 1145 E. Arques Ave., Sunnyvale.
Third Culture Bakery, Walnut Creek and Berkeley
Perhaps known best as the home of the mochi muffin and butter mochi doughnuts, chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu’s Third Culture Bakery first opened in Berkeley in 2016. The bakery’s name is inspired by the founders’ identities as “third culture kids” — people raised in a culture different from their parents’ upbringing, who have to bridge the gap between cultures.
Sourcing its matcha from the Uji region of Kyoto, the cafe serves roasted matcha drinks with less caffeine and a maltier, more chocolaty taste than traditional ceremonial matcha. The Walnut Creek shop’s matcha with salted maple syrup ($5.50) at the bottom is a winner.
Details: Opens at 9 a.m. daily at 1310 S. California Blvd. in Walnut Creek and 2701 Eighth St. in Berkeley; thirdculturebakery.com.
Sunright Tea Studio, Burlingame and other locations
This bright yellow boba and matcha shop — with its catchy “Shake 17 times” slogan — may be rooted in Southern California, but it’s a growing presence throughout the Bay Area.
With five different matcha drinks on the menu, including matcha paired with strawberry or oolong milk tea, there’s plenty to try. The matcha frostie ($6.95), blended with ice and swirled with the shop’s matcha brulee, is a delicious option.
Details: Locations in Burlingame, Milpitas, Union City, Sunnyvale and San Jose; snrtea.com.
Haiku Teahouse, San Jose
This tea shop serves up an extensive menu of creative tea drinks, including matcha and hojicha, in San Jose’s Berryessa neighborhood. The matcha einspanner ($7) — a matcha latte topped with cream foam — is a hot commodity, but the appeal of the mango matcha latte ($7.25), layered with mango puree, is undeniable.
Feeling adventurous? They do a unique boba made with poison oak honey.
Details: Opens at 7 a.m. Monday-Wednesday and noon Thursday-Sunday at 1501 Berryessa Road, Suite 35, San Jose; haikuteahouse.com.