Coffee or matcha?

Here I am folks. Currently, living in matcha country. In Japan, matcha is like green gold but coffee is still very much a staple in every restaurant, snack bar, office break room, vending machines, and kitchen. Coffee shops are everywhere. In this blog post, I want to share with you my experience/relationship with both beverages. I’m no expert but I’ll try to compare coffee and matcha as best as I can.

Coffee.

Let’s start by saying I’ve never really been a coffee person. I love the smell of roasted coffee beans. Anytime I pass by a coffee shop, my whole olfactory system gets aroused. Not to mention being INSIDE a coffee shop. I use a coffee scrub in the shower and oh, my goodness, it smells like heaven! But that’s exactly where my relationship with coffee ends. It’s like being involved with someone intimately only because you’re physically attracted to them. That’s it! You see, although I love the smell of coffee, the taste isn’t my cup of tea. Lol! I promise I’m funnier than that!

I could go for a latte or a macchiato. Maybe pumpkin spice, vanilla, caramel, mocha, matcha, hazelnut, or coconut. You know, cream, plenty foam, cinnamon, all the extras… anything to mask the taste of the coffee but still maintain the tiniest bit of kick.

I’ve never understood the concept of coffee addiction. My coworker recently gifted me with packets of filter coffee. The kind that you pour and drip. Oh, brother! One of the selling points on the packet is its bitterness level. I must admit that I drank all the packets… without milk, sugar or cream out of desperation. Anything to shoo the sleep away at work… besides actually sleeping. I’ve found that true coffee lovers like their coffee black, very bitter, pungent, sharp, caustic. Ugh! I had to research the various words used to describe the taste of coffee.  In the process, I found a coffee flavor wheel. Check it out here if you’d like.

Matcha.

So now we can talk about matcha. If you’re not familiar, think of finely powdered green tea leaves. It maintains that bright green color resulting from the high levels of chlorophyll found in green tea leaves. I’ve always liked green tea; hot and unsweetened. It is without question that the love I have for green tea just transcended into a love for matcha. My relationship with green tea’s offspring is much different than the one I have with coffee. Matcha is like the spouse with whom I’m in a nice, loving, stable relationship. It provides the right amount of excitement, joy, calmness, and tenderness. But every once in a while, I’ll take a whiff and taste of the ol’ Joe but matcha is really where my heart is.

I’m neither addicted nor obsessed and I don’t need it to be incorporated into my pastry or other meals. I just want to drink it; hot or cold. A nice hot cup of matcha, a smoothie or bubble tea is all I require.

Come to think of it, I’ve had matcha filled Oreos, matcha covered nuts (macadamia and almond), matcha flavored ice cream, matcha cream puff, matcha bread, and matcha flavored chocolate. Forget that I said I just want to drink it. I lied!

Let’s compare coffee and matcha.

Most persons look to coffee to kick start their day and perhaps, to keep the kick going throughout the day as well. I’ve been there before, out of desperation, like I’ve said earlier. My work day usually ends at 3:35pm. Let’s say at 2pm or beyond, my eyelids are getting heavier and heavier by the millisecond and I’m fighting for dear life. I’m reaching for the coffee. No doubt. This is an SOS situation and I need the lifeboat quickly! Thank God this doesn’t happen very often.

From what I’ve read and from experience, this is what I came up with.

The takeaway…

Both beverages are known for giving an energy boost when we need it. While coffee will give you the burst of energy much quicker than matcha, it is proven that with matcha, comes longer-lasting energy without the crash. They both contain anti-oxidants so that’s a considerable plus for both. As it relates the not so good attributes of coffee, all I can say is, indulge in moderation. Switch things up, try a little matcha or green tea now and then. Perhaps, you’ll like it!

As usual, I want to know what you think. Leave a comment down below! Let me know which you prefer and why.