Sweet Matcha Powder Sticks by Ito En
Also part of my asia market haul was the Sweet Matcha Powder Sticks by Ito En.
General Info
It comes in a bigger box with 10 sticks in it that are surprisingly big! This matcha comes sweetened already. It's also granulated and therefore blends easily with hot water without a whisk - makes sense for an instant matcha. I forgot how much I exactly paid at the store, but it is available online for around 12 dollars. It says nothing about the grade, the time of harvest or where it is from. On the packaging, they offer two recipes: One for mixing it into yoghurt, and one for making a smoothie with it; then on the bottom, instructions for tea. I focus on the tea.
Color and Smell
The color is an average light green, not bright but also not looking old or dirty. Makes sense for a powder that is processed with sweetener into granules. The smell is very grassy, freshly mowed lawn.
Taste
You can taste that it's not the best matcha powder used, but this makes sense for a cheaper instant product where added sweetness might overshadow more complex flavors. It is a very grassy-bitter matcha though, and the sweetener doesn't really cover it, but exists alongside it. The sweetness is very strong and leaves a sour taste on my tongue after. I feel like taste-wise, there is nothing in between the extreme bitterness and extreme sweetness; I would love if both were reduced and there would be a slight hint of umami to connect the two. Sugar tastes lovely in matcha that is shaded longer and has more complex umami flavors. I did not try it as an iced matcha latte this time because of the strong sweetness.
Conclusion
I think it's good this product exists for when you want a quick matcha fix on the go without equipment and just hot water. It's clearly aimed at people that love sweet matcha mochi and getting their matcha latte from places like Stabucks that sweeten them. However, it is sweeter than that and personally too sweet for me. I feel like the bitter grassiness of the matcha clashes too much with the intense sugary sweetness for me instead of adding to each other. I would prefer if it was more subtly sweet, and if possible, less bitter. I think for that price, you can get a better matcha powder and sweeten it better yourself, getting a nicer color and flavor profile; but you'd also lose out in the comfort of the granules and preportioning.
๐ต๐ต 2 out of 5 matcha bowls.