Meet your matcha – The green tea everyone’s raving about.

Meet matcha, the latest beverage craze hitting coffee shops worldwide. Recognised for its distinct green colouring, this drink has garnered about as much online attention as the Eras Tour and Labubus. With an earthy quality and refreshing flavour, matcha is the drink on everybody’s lips this year - literally.

Get ready to discover the matcha for you and learn about tastecard’s 25% off barista-made drinks coffee deal to experiment with the flavours of matcha for less.

What is matcha made of?

So, what is matcha made of? Well, matcha is a powdered version of shade-grown Camellia sinensis tea leaves. Unlike regular green tea, matcha is grown in the shade to boost its chlorophyll content, which helps maintain its vibrant green colour and grassy flavour.

It is then steamed and dried to further maintain its flavour, before being ground into a powder, perfect for mixing into a selection of barista-made drinks.

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha is famous for its earthy, grassy taste, which may not necessarily sound the most appealing. However, matcha beverages are loved for their creamy feel, sweet flavour, and somewhat bitter aftertaste. Matcha can be paired with a broad range of other ingredients, creating unique flavour profiles with depth.

Why the buzz? What are the benefits of matcha?

Now, flavour is one thing, but you’ll be glad to hear about the many health benefits of matcha - all the more reason to treat yourself next time you’re near your local coffee spot! So, what are the benefits:

• Supports brain function

• Boosts heart health

• Can increase metabolism

• Reduces oxidative stress

• Can have a calming effect

Meet your matcha.

Just like in love, everyone’s perfect match is out there, just waiting to meet them. So, let’s treat this like a dating profile, shall we? We need to consider your preferences and personal taste in order to get you linked up with your perfect matcha. Let’s get you introduced to a few contenders and see if we’re able to nail down your ‘type.’

• Iced Matcha Latte: Possibly the most popular matcha variety, an iced matcha latte combines matcha with your choice of cold, creamy milk to create a refreshing latte. But that’s not all. This drink is undeniably versatile and can incorporate a variety of flavourings to create a deliciously fruity, spicy, or sweet blend. Your go-to coffee spot will likely offer a variety of iced matcha lattes, including blueberry, strawberry, turmeric, vanilla, lychee, and many more. 

• Matcha Lemonade: The perfect sunny-day vibe, matcha lemonade is a refreshing, zesty take on the matcha trend. 

• Iced Matcha Bubble Tea: For bubble tea enthusiasts, consider experimenting with adding matcha to the mix. Combining tapioka balls, milk, and matcha, this drink is just as aesthetically pleasing and Instagrammable as it is delicious. 

• Matcha Smoothie: Add matcha to your go-to smoothie to introduce an entirely new level of flavour to your order. Combined with a selection of fresh fruits, you can reap even more health benefits from your beverage.

Where to find the best matcha.

Hopefully, by now, you’ve got a better idea of what kind of matcha tickles your fancy. The next step is to put you on your path to finding it! Luckily, tastecard is partnered with plenty of coffee shops across the nation that know how to get matcha exactly right, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. 

Boasting an impressive matcha menu, Black Sheep Coffee is the perfect place to take a deep dive into the creamy, green waters of matcha. With a seemingly endless list of flavours, Black Sheep Coffee has welcomed matcha as a must-have on any good coffee shop menu. Whether you prefer your matcha spiced, fruity, or extra sweet, you’ll feel spoiled for choice at Black Sheep Coffee.

It’s no secret that Caffé Nero is one of the UK’s giants when it comes to a good barista-made drink, and their matcha is absolutely no exception. Offering a range of flavours, Nero’s iced matcha range is just as refreshing and tasty as it sounds. If you want our recommendation, we can’t get enough of their new iced pistachio matcha latte. 

Whether you tend to stick to chain restaurants or are curious about exploring the unique flavours of independent restaurants’ matcha, you’ll find plenty of deals on matcha at tastecard. Just think - with 25% off, that’s essentially every fourth matcha completely free! Sounds good to us.

Now that we’ve answered questions like ‘What is matcha?’ and ‘What does matcha taste like?’, it’s time to set up your first date with the green tea! Choose from one of our recommended spots or download the tastecard app to find out about even more of our coffee deals across the nation.