June 19, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode of Trivia Tangents, we're whisking up some serious matcha energy with special guest Kyla, a self-proclaimed matcha enthusiast and at-home latte queen. From ancient tea rituals to the misty hills of Uji, Japan, to the neon-green lattes flooding your Instagram feed, we dig into matcha’s global takeover. Along the way, I quiz Kyla on matcha trivia, and we learn about what makes ceremonial grade actually ceremonial. Expect Bay Area cafe reviews, fun facts, and a few chaotic matcha hot takes. Grab your whisk, this one’s steeped in flavor!
Where to find Kyla:
https://www.instagram.com/kylaishungry/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kylaishungry
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTWwhQUhXOrUmV8oRVrdXw
Links:
Taste of Kyoto Organic Reserve Matcha (Amazon)
***
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Matcha and Trivia Tangents
03:52 History of Matcha
10:23 Ceremonial Matcha and Uji Japan
23:09 The Modern Matcha Craze
24:44 Exploring Matcha Cafes and Favorites
30:18 The Rise of Matcha Culture
35:38 Innovative Matcha Creations
41:37 Café Recommendations and Personal Favorites
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:12):
Welcome to Trivia Tangents, the podcast where we turn everyday
passions into surprising trivia deep dives.
I'm your host, Lena, and each week I quiz a friend on
something they know way too muchabout.
Turning everyday passions into trivia gold.
We all know that on trivia night, the bigger the team, the
(00:32):
better you'll play. So that's why I bring the team
together here on Trivia tangents.
Today's guest is Kayla, who's here to talk all about Matcha.
So get ready for some fun facts you'll definitely want for your
next trivia night. Hi Kayla, how are you?
(00:55):
Welcome to the podcast. Hello.
I'm good. How are you?
It's been so long since we last.Chatted.
Oh my gosh, I know I'm good. And I know I said before this
episode I was like it's too latein the day to have a matcha, but
here I am with a. Matcha, I love that for you.
(01:17):
Just know you guys, I might be sipping on this throughout the
episode, but yeah, it's been so long since we caught up.
It's so good to see you. Good to see you.
I'm so excited to be here and talk about all things Matcha.
Yeah, I'm so excited too. So to give the listeners a
little bit of background on my good friend Kyla, she lives in
the Bay Area just like me, and she makes a lot of TikTok
(01:41):
content on food, vlogging and beauty reviews.
And she's probably the next big influencer, so I'm so excited to
have her on the podcast today. Fingers crossed.
Yeah, the next big influence. Yes, girl, we manifest that and
honestly, like us, like collabing here, like we're going
(02:02):
to make it happen. It's just the beginning.
It's just the beginning. So we met it initially through
work. We don't have to say what
company, but that was probably like 3 years ago now.
That's crazy. Yeah, I think so, yeah.
We've always been on the same team and honestly Kayla, you've
(02:22):
been such a pleasure to work with and we've always had so
much fun on our in office days. Yes.
Especially the Trader Joe's club.
Those are my favorite days ever and like all the snacks OK.
I feel like you made those events so poppin, so kudos to
(02:43):
you. Oh my God.
Yeah. At one point I was the Trader
Joe's club leader, president, lead.
Yeah, like lead. Like I was always a Trader
Joe's. But yeah, that was fun.
Maybe we could do an episode topic on that?
I love Trader Joe's. Yeah, don't we all?
But today we are talking our shared obsession, Matcha Matcha.
(03:09):
Kayla makes matcha lattes at home and makes the most amazing
content sharing her recipes. So today we have 3 sections, 1
the history of matcha, 2 Ceremonial matcha and Uji Japan,
and three, the modern matcha craze.
(03:30):
Are you ready for question one? Yes, I'm nervous, but yes.
Don't be, don't be nervous. It's multiple choice.
Let's do it. Oh, OK, great.
I got this. Yeah, you got this.
Just a process of elimination, OK?
Yes, I'm ready. Section 1.
(03:53):
The history of Matcha trivia Question one Which country is
credited with the first cultivating and drinking matcha
in its earliest form A China, B Japan, C Korea or D Thailand?
(04:14):
OK, I'm actually pretty sure it's.
A but I think a lot of people would think B, so let me know if
that's right. You're right.
Good job. Good job, Kayla.
You know your stuff. And in the episode, like edit,
you'll hear the little. Oh, I like that.
(04:36):
Yeah. The right answer.
Yes. So you're right.
Although matcha is most closely associated with Japan today, the
practice of powdered green tea was first developed in China
during the Tang dynasty, which was 618 to 9 O 7 AD 618 is
(04:57):
crazy. Wait, are we allowed to cuss or
no? Oh yes.
Of course, just making sure. Oh, yeah, We're allowed to cuss.
This is a This is a safe space. OK.
Thank you. Yeah.
So the method of grinding tea leaves into a powder and
whisking it into hot water was then brought to Japan by the
(05:22):
Buddhist monk, A Sai. A Sai, I'm not sure how to
pronounce that. Apologies.
But this happened in the late 12th century.
So in Japan, matcha evolved intoa ceremonial drink and became
deeply embedded into the culturethrough the Japanese tea
ceremony. And I feel like you kind of
(05:43):
already knew that, but I was just giving a little bit of
background to our listeners. So Kayla, I would love to learn
a little bit more about about your matcha journey.
So when did you first try matcha, if you can remember?
Or when did you start making matcha at home?
OK, I feel like I first tried matcha back in college.
(06:04):
I don't remember what shop or cafe but I'm pretty sure it was
like probably a Bobo shop. And then I started making it at
home in 2021 when I started working remotely.
OK, same. I feel like the first time I saw
it, like outside of my own home was in like a boba shop, 'cause
(06:25):
my my mom has been drinking matcha for like 20 years now, so
I've kind of always knew about it.
Yeah, 'cause she's drinking it at home.
But yeah, the the tea shops these days are just going all
out with the flavors. And I know that you have made
some pretty awesome drinks from home.
So what do you think is your favorite flavor to compliment
(06:48):
the matcha? Is it?
I've seen stuff like lavender, rose, honey, strawberry.
What's your favorite? Yeah, OK, so at home I feel like
I do either vanilla or I love doing like Maple and sea salt.
That's like so good to me. But if I go out to a cafe and
they have a strawberry matcha onthe menu, I'm 100% getting that.
(07:12):
Oh my God yes, I am such a strawberry matcha kind of girl
too. And I know we'll talk about this
later, but like, the first time I tried it, boba guys.
So freaking yes. So good.
And there Boba's really good too.
Yes, it is. So just, you know, kind of tying
up this little section here about the history of matcha
(07:36):
itself. In your professional matcha
opinion, do you think that the historical roots of matcha kind
of add to its allure in the modern?
Day, I think definitely because as you mentioned, the monks
incorporated it back like years ago and I know they incorporated
(07:57):
it into like meditation. And I think nowadays I don't
know if people are necessarily using it like within meditation,
but I know that people like matcha because it gives them a
steady flow of energy as opposedto like a double espresso shot.
I know for me, if I drink coffeesome days my heart is like
racing. So I much prefer matcha.
(08:19):
I feel like it's like calming ina way, but gives me a good boost
of energy and I'm like, OK, cool.
Like I can take on the day with this little iced matcha in my
hand. Yeah.
Oh my gosh, I totally get what you mean.
Like it kind of has that sort ofdelayed release.
Yes. Yeah, of the caffeine, which is
like reminding me of like delayed release Adderall for
(08:39):
some reason. Like the Yeah, like, like
medicine and. Yeah, literally.
So it's kind of gives you like, like you said, like that steady
flow instead of that, instead ofthat like insane burst of energy
that you can get from coffee, which is what I had this
morning. Oh my gosh.
(09:01):
Speaking of, did you, what did you drink today?
Like did you have a matcha? Did you have a coffee?
What was your vibe today? I didn't drink anything today.
I really wanted to have a matchain the morning but then it just
didn't work out. Like what so?
So OK let me explain. So basically I'm like pretty
caffeine sensitive so I try not to have caffeine pass like one
(09:22):
or two PM or else I will not sleep.
So then I wanted a matcha, but then I put in a grocery like
delivery order and it didn't come in time because I wanted to
use like the Creamer, yeah, thatI was ordering.
So then what? By the time it came, it was too
late and I was like, OK, I can'thave any caffeine, right?
Now, oh, what a bummer because you know we're talking about
(09:43):
matcha today, but I know yeah, we'll see some of your your
pictures of your best at home matchas.
Yes. Yeah.
So we just touched on the historical roots of matcha
itself. So I kind of want to move
forward into the ceremonial matcha and Fuji Japan, which I
(10:04):
think is super fitting because you and I are both going to
Japan. Yes, I'm cannot wait.
Yes. To step foot.
I'm so excited, so let's take itaway to Section 2.
Section 2 Ceremonial matcha and Fuji Japan.
(10:29):
Are you ready for trivia Question two Yes.
OK Fuji Japan is considered the birth place of Japan's highest
quality matcha. When did matcha cultivation
begin in Fuji A600AD? B 11191 ADC 15187 AD or D 1800
(10:58):
AD. Wait, did you mention this
earlier? Because if you did, then I think
a, but if you didn't mention it,then I don't know.
I definitely did not. I don't think I mentioned it,
but is a your answer. Yeah, I'm gonna go with a.
OK, unfortunately you're wrong. Dang.
OK, but I feel like the six, I think you were thinking of like
(11:22):
the six because it was the late 16th century, which is actually
15187 AD cause like you know howit's so annoying how we talk
about years, the year like. No, I know what you're trying to
say because I didn't know that for a long time until like my
(11:43):
last year of high school. And I was like, Oh my God, this
whole entire time. Yeah.
Like. OK, I had the years messed up.
I guess here's a good one. Like the 1900s people refer to
as the 20th century. Yeah.
And then? And that's crazy.
And that just like doesn't really make sense.
It doesn't make sense. That's a little tangent, but
here we are in trivia tangents. So like that you you get.
(12:05):
Very fitting. You get what you clicked on.
So. Yeah, the answer was 1587.
So let me give you a little bit of background into that, and
then I have some discussion topics.
So the answer was 1587 AD. Here's a little deep dive for
you guys about that. Uji, located just South of
(12:26):
Kyoto, has been producing Japan's finest matcha since the
late 16th century, which was the1500s.
As we previously discussed, the story is in 1587.
The Shogun Toyoto Tomi. Wait, I pronounced that wrong.
The Shogun let me try again. The Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(12:55):
hosted a grand tea ceremony in Uji, cementing its reputation as
the premier region for ceremonial grade matcha.
Period. Yes, period.
So the area's climate and nutrient rich soil in Uji
produce some of the world's bestmatcha.
(13:16):
It's known for its bright green hue and smooth umami forward
taste. So let's talk about the climate
and the tea cultivation within Uji's geographic location with
its river basins and surroundingmountains.
It creates a sort of quote UN quote river fog and a sort of
(13:37):
mountain mist, which is ideal for tea cultivation and
specifically the flavor profile.So that kind of got me thinking,
like, I wonder if San Francisco would be a good place to grow
matcha since we have Carla Fog. What do you think?
That would be so cool. I feel like that would be cool.
Like an SF branded cultivated matcha, Yes.
(14:02):
I was like, I was gonna say yournext business venture.
Dude, yeah, no, first I need this podcast to take off.
Yes. So Ugi T from the Wazooka region
is also known for its mist fragrance due to the fog, which
allows the tea to be particularly fragrant and
(14:22):
flavorful. And then also tea cultivation.
Uji farmers have developed this sort of method that's called the
overlaid cultivation method. This involves covering tea
fields with Reed mats to inhibitphotosynthesis and create a
sweeter, more flavorful tea. So I thought that was pretty
(14:44):
interesting, you know, since we're talking about ceremonial
grade matcha, Kayla, do you knowhow to tell if a matcha is
ceremonial grade? And it's totally OK if not OK I.
Think I only know one like characteristic which is color.
So and I think you mentioned that earlier too.
So I know that if it's ceremonial, it's supposed to be
(15:05):
very vibrant. And then I've seen matchas that
aren't ceremonial that are more muted and almost like a
yellowish green to be honest. So that's usually how I can
tell, but I'm sure there are other characteristics.
Yeah, yeah, you're spot on. The color, that's number one.
And that's that's the thing thatmy mom always looks for too,
(15:28):
'cause she's a self-proclaimed matcha expert.
Yes, she looks for color, that vibrant electric green, not dull
or yellowish. Four other characteristics here,
texture. So it should feel like sort of
ultra fine powder, kind of like like chalk, like like ground up
(15:49):
chalk, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For those gymnasts, if you're ifyou were a previous gymnast or
if you're a rock climber, you know what I'm talking about.
Like the sort of powder, powdered chalk and then taste so
smooth, slightly sweet, only a little bit of bitterness, not a
lot. If it's too bitter, it might not
(16:09):
be ceremonial grade and then also origin.
So often the label will say ceremonial or and or it's
sourced from a reputable region like Uji in Kyoto.
And then lastly, price and packaging.
Higher quality matcha typically costs more, as you know, we
(16:33):
probably all know, and it is sold in airtight light blocking
containers. Yes.
Yes, so I know I told you guys I'm drinking matcha and I wanted
to show, I'll show you Kyla whatI'm drinking.
I brought the bag. It's called Taste of Kyoto and
(16:54):
it's labeled Reserve Matcha. Guess how much this bag cost?
It is 8.8 oz, so 250 grams. You want to guess how much this
cost? I want to say like 58.
Girl. Was.
Way too low. Oh my God.
(17:16):
OK, 85. Nope, higher.
OK, 125. Yeah, I was basically.
Like 1/19, 1:20. That's crazy.
Well it's a big ass bag if that makes sense.
It's supposed to last me like a pretty long time.
It's been, it's been like 2 months now with this bag so and
(17:38):
yeah and like I don't think it expires for a while.
So I think I'm good but. And you ordered it online or did
someone like bring it? Back I got it off of Amazon.
Amazon, I didn't know they had much of that big.
Dude, I mean, it's a private, it's like a, it's like a private
seller. Obviously they just like also
list it on Amazon. So yeah, I can send you the link
(18:01):
if you want, and maybe I'll sendthem this episode and they can
promote it. Give us a code.
Yeah, give us a code. I I will be, I'll you can be one
of my first sponsors. But anyway, getting back on
track here, Kayla, I know that you're going to Japan soon.
Yes. I hope that you are able to make
(18:24):
it to Uji, and if So, what are you most excited to experience
in Uji or Kyoto? Yeah.
So I saw that there was a matchagrinding workshop at a museum.
So that's like the top of my itinerary list if I go.
And then of course, obviously like cafe hopping and then
(18:44):
getting some tins to take home. Yeah, Oh my God, the tins, dude.
The the tins 'cause you have to like, store this matcha in
airtight light blocking containers.
Yeah, 'cause the oxygen and sunlight can deteriorate the
matcha because it's so fragile. So like, I don't where do you
(19:07):
get your tins? Because I had to get mine on
Etsy and like wait for it to ship.
OK, I don't know if this is likenot good.
Well, I think it's fine. So basically I've had a tin from
a previous matcha and I just keep reusing that one tin.
So I finished that up and then whenever I order something new,
I just put, if it's in a bag, I'll put it in that same tin.
(19:27):
Yeah, totally, totally. I get that.
Was it expensive live on Etsy? It was like 20 something dollars
and I really wanted something authentic because my mom was
always like, you have to get theauthentic stuff or else it's not
real or whatever and like good quality stuff.
So I got 1 and it's made by someguy in Japan.
(19:49):
I love that. Yeah.
And then I'm assuming you also have like your own bowl and like
whisk and whisk holder and everything.
Yes. So that's also something I would
be excited to pick up in Japan to get like authentic ones.
But I'm going to be real. I just have the set from Amazon.
I love it. You'll have to send me a
(20:10):
picture. Yes.
Yeah. So I guess in your opinion, as
someone who has had a lot of matcha, do you think that
ceremonial matcha is different from what's typically found in
cafes here in the? USI think it depends.
I think there are definitely cafes who do strictly use
(20:31):
ceremonial matcha which is really great.
But I also think like the Starbucks and the Dutch Bros,
like that's obviously probably not ceremonial and a little bit
less quality. So I think you just have to do
research if you want to find a Cafe that is strictly
ceremonial. For sure.
Yeah, yeah, you mentioned Starbucks.
(20:54):
Starbucks has actually had matcha on their menu for years.
Yeah. I want to see I.
Used to get it. Yeah, me too.
Wait, I want to look it up. I used to get it and then I
found out there was hella sugar in it and I was like, OK, well
that's number one. That's why it tasted good.
But #2 probably not good for health one. 100% girl I realized
(21:17):
the same thing. So Starbucks has had matcha on
its menu since 2006. Wow OK.
Oh geez. Oh geez.
But you're right, they packed that shit full of sugar.
Yeah. So even if you like order like
if you try to get a sugar free drink, you can't with matcha
because there's already sugar like in the blend or something.
(21:39):
Like that, yeah, that's how it used to be.
I've been, I've been like on them, like just not in like an
aggressive way. But basically every time I go I
like ask about the matcha. And this year, I think, or
within the last, within the lastyear or so, they changed their
formula so that the the sweetness and the matcha tea
(22:05):
itself is separate. That is so.
Yeah. Good.
What the heck? It's so good to know but The
thing is you have to be very careful when you order because
if you say hey can I have an iced matcha latte in in their
recipe they have to put 3 pumps of classic syrup.
So what you have to say is can Ihave a matcha latte?
(22:28):
No classic, no classic syrup, nosugar for like completely sugar
free. Yeah, cuz their default is to
put the sugar in it. That's.
Crazy, I know. But yeah, if I had to have any
sweetener, like I do like a little bit of honey, but that's
on occasion. Yeah, yes, yeah.
(22:49):
OK. So you talked about, you know,
certain cafes like you have to do a research to see if that one
has good quality matcha. So my next section is about
cafes specifically. OK, Section 3.
(23:11):
The modern matcha craze. Are you ready for trivia?
Question 3. Yes, I'm ready.
OK, Kayla, you're you're one for2, so hopefully you can get this
one right. OK, trivia question three.
According to Yelp, what is the top rated matcha cafe in San
(23:33):
Francisco? A kiss of matcha B Matcha Cafe
Myko, C oshi matcha or D Maruwo secha And for all.
For each of these cafes I have their location so if it's
helpful I can say where they're located.
(23:55):
So A is my personal favorite onebut I feel like B is more poppin
because I feel like they have multiple locations.
They totally do. So OK I'm going to say B but I'm
scared because I know A is poppin.
Dude A is totally poppin, B is really, really good.
But the answer was. D OK, I haven't heard of the
(24:18):
other two, so I'm. Curious.
I haven't either, like I just looked it up Yelp and all of
these were on the list. Wow.
Maruu Secha in Japan town was the top rated and that makes
sense. It's in Japan town.
Wow. OK, I know, right?
We need to go. But Kayla, can you tell me a
(24:40):
little bit more about Kiss of Matcha, your favorite one?
Yes OK that one is so good. I, I've only had their
strawberry matcha latte cause it's, it's so good.
I just get that one every every time.
But they have a large menu and Ithink you can get ice cream and
like sundaes and stuff. So soft serve.
Yes, I really love that one. And I think they have two
(25:03):
locations as well. What else do I know about it?
I think that's it. Well, cool, I am familiar with
it because the the one that I'm familiar with I guess was in the
Inner Richmond, which was two blocks from my last apartment.
Oh, oh, OK, yeah. So that was dangerous.
(25:24):
There was always a super duper long line and it honestly, I
didn't get it that much because #1 the line and then #2 their
hours of operation were so weird.
Really. Like they didn't open until like
10 or 11:00 AM. And I'm like girl, like this is
(25:45):
a morning time drink. Yeah, I think I got it on a
weekend. Yeah, that makes sense.
Interesting. And then matcha matcha Cafe
Maiko. The one I know is in Stonestown
Mall. Love that one.
I think they have one in Japan Town too.
Yeah, if I'm not mistaken. They probably do because I know
(26:07):
they have multiple locations andI think I could be wrong, but I
think they also have one in Waikiki.
Yes, so good. I could be wrong, but I kind of
have a vague memory of that. I think they have a bunch of
locations, like some in the like, I think San Jose area too.
Like I think they're like reallyexpanding.
(26:28):
Yeah. Oh, you know what matcha place I
didn't like that's like super popular in SF and maybe I just
went on a bad day because this place like I feel like everyone
talks about it. Oh my God, tell me spell.
Stone Mill matcha. I think I've heard of that.
(26:49):
I feel like it's like one of thetop ones, Yeah.
And when I went, it was so. Bitter.
That means it was not ceremonialgrade.
But I think they do use it so I was very confused.
But I also got the strawberry matcha and I feel like it was
like really sour as well, like the actual strawberry.
So I don't know, whatever they gave me I was not liking it.
(27:11):
But that was also a few years ago, so maybe it's different
now. But this place gets like high I.
Know I see they have like 4 1/2 stars on.
Google and they have food too which I wish I tried the food
but. Yeah, yeah.
Let's go to that, the one you said first.
Let's go to Maruwu. Seicha, which is in Japan Town
(27:33):
and I was there the other day because I was looking for God
damn tin for my match. I went all the way to freaking
Japan Town. I didn't walk away with
anything, obviously, but the line from Mario Seicha was so
long and everyone was carrying around their little.
Can I like look it up? Let me.
Yeah, look it up. Seicha Maru Wu.
(27:55):
Seicha. Maru Wu.
OK, MARUWU. Thank you, SEICHA.
OK. Let me see what's going on here,
OK? It's looking familiar.
Yes, on Yelp it has 4.3 stars and 494 reviews and this is
recorded in May 2025. Yeah, we need to go here.
(28:17):
Yeah, we totally need to go here.
Oh my God. Wait, my Yelp Elite manager left
a review for this place? What did they say?
I'm dead. Dominic said first time trying
this Matcha spot in Japan town can be very popular with long
lines so I recommend coming during off hours. 2 lines when
you enter. Left line for self order kiosk,
(28:39):
right line for ordering with staff member.
Mango matcha is aesthetically pleasing and the mango at the
bottom is sweet and tasty. Beaches stir before drinking.
Flavors were well balanced with the matcha flavor coming out
well but not overpowering. Matcha was a bit grainy though.
Grainy though, but not too bad. And then he included included a
(28:59):
picture. I love Dominic, he's so funny.
Oh yeah. We gotta go here cuz they have
because they have like egg tarts.
Is that what? I'm custard tarts custard.
Tarts so good. OK, they also have dirty matcha.
This is something I wanted to talk about.
I think that's disgusting. Dirty matcha when?
(29:20):
Like coffee? Yeah, when matcha meets
espresso. Eww.
I. Don't like?
That no, these are very different things.
It's like, so it's like brown and green.
That's. What it's called OK,
interesting. Oh, you know what I remember
this when we were talking about Starbucks.
I used to get I forgot what the exact drink was, but it was
(29:43):
matcha and Chai and that it was fire low key.
But maybe it was when it was like super sweet.
So maybe I was. Just like in the sweet, you
know, I feel like that could work 'cause like, they're both
teas. Yeah, they both the cinnamony.
Yeah, they both come from leaves.
They're both like inherently Asian based flavors.
(30:06):
Yeah, I would be interested to try that for sure.
Yes, maybe not at Starbucks, but.
Yeah, No, not at Starbucks. Starbucks has its highs and
lows, but yeah, OK, can I tell you a little bit more about the
modern matcha craze? Because yes, it's it's macho
mayhem out there. I would love to know, yeah.
(30:28):
So the rise of matcha and cafes can be traced back to around
2015 with Starbucks as an exception.
They had they started in 2006, but basically 2015 onwards
matcha lattes became a major Instagram trend.
And like we said, this totally tracks for me and Kyla because I
(30:50):
remember in high school around 2015, a new place called Boba
guys opened and they had the absolutely the best strawberry
matcha Pearl milk tea. So fucking good.
And they still have it to this day.
You can check out Boba guys in Palo Alto, in Burlingame in San
(31:11):
Francisco. I don't know.
Do they have it in the East Bay Kyla?
They do. They have one in San Ramon.
Oh my God. Amazing.
Yeah. So influencers and Wellness
bloggers like Kourtney Kardashian and health conscious
celebrities helped boost Matcha's image as a quote UN
(31:31):
quote superfood. Which I honestly, I buy into
this because I was recently exposed to black mold and I got
really sick. Oh no.
Yeah, and basically to kind of revive myself and detox my body,
I drank exclusively matcha instead of coffee because it was
(31:54):
supposed to help me detox. And so I feel all better.
And you know, maybe that's because I'm not being exposed to
black mold anymore, but I'd liketo thank the matcha had a little
bit something to do with that. Yes.
Yeah, that's amazing. I know, right?
So cafes like Cha Cha Macha in New York City and Alfred Coffee
(32:17):
in Los Angeles. I don't I've.
I've tried. Have you heard of it?
Lattes, yeah OK not their matchabut their like coffees.
OK, well I've never heard of that, but apparently those two
places, Cha Cha Macha. I love that name.
Cha Cha Macha and and Alfred Coffee played a huge role in
popularizing the matcha. And then.
(32:40):
Yeah, apparently so. And then grocery chains, like,
of course, Whole Foods began to stock matcha powder like in
those big bags, making it easierto enjoy at home.
Yeah. Yeah.
But those are the big bags at like Whole Foods.
Are they ceremonial or it depends?
(33:02):
I don't know. If I had to guess, probably not.
That's what I was thinking. Like I mean wait, now that it
Whole Foods is owned by Amazon and I get my ceremonial matcha
from Amazon so maybe? So it could maybe like some,
some are and some are. So you have to like, I don't
know. But where do you get your your
(33:24):
matcha for home Kyla? I usually order it online so
I've done this site called Matcha Full.
They have like two different blends that I've tried and then
I've recently tried or ordered Rocky's matcha and that is the
matcha they use at Community Goods, which is a super popular
(33:45):
cafe in Lai think the Biebers gothere.
So that's why I feel like a lot of people who come to LA are
like, I wanna try Community Goods because the Biebers go
here because we don't go there now, but.
Girl, Oh my God, anything that Haley Bieber does like people
hop on that. Exactly the Air One smoothie.
(34:08):
OK, but why did I love that movie?
I know I got it too and it was pretty good it.
Was so good. I was like, wait, this is bomb.
And I got we got another flavor and I didn't like that one at
all. So I was like, oh, so this one's
really good. I guess Haley has a good taste
profile, Not so sure about her makeup brand but taste profile
(34:28):
OK. I just ordered.
Well this is like a tangent, butI just ordered one of her
blushes so I will see. I'll let you know if I.
Like Oh my God, please please make a review video and we'll
rehost it. Yes.
So in your opinion, Kayla, do you think Matcha's popularity is
here to stay or is it just a Wellness trend?
(34:52):
I definitely think it's here to stay.
I feel like there are so many cafes and shops that currently
have it and I feel like all the ones that are opening up, they
already know to add matcha to the menu.
Like just as much as like coffee, like lattes and stuff.
There's also going to be much options.
So I think it's here to stay. Girl I agree.
(35:14):
One of the trivia questions I was kind of playing with but I
decided not to include was like what percentage of cafes in
California have matcha on the menu?
And I couldn't find like a definite statistic which is why
I didn't include it. But the answer I kept seeing was
60%. Yeah.
So it's very popular, like they just know include the matcha.
(35:37):
People love the matcha. I know that you've you make
matcha at home. You've seen a lot of matcha
drinks from different places. We've talked about mango,
strawberry, honey, vanilla. What do you think is the
craziest matcha drink that you've ever seen or tried?
OK I haven't personally tried anything crazy but I saw this
(36:01):
crazy one on my feed this week and I was like what is this?
But also I want to try it. It was a Dubai chocolate matcha,
which I'm low key having like Dubai chocolate fatigue because
why is it like now all of a sudden everywhere?
I thought we were kind of getting over that.
But now I'm seeing like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are coming
(36:22):
out with their own like bars. But anyways it was like
pistachio milk base the matcha and then chocolate cold foam and
then cocoa powder and then the crunchy.
I think it's called knafe on top.
Oh my God, my mom is screaming right now.
She's like, she's probably so offended listening to all that,
(36:44):
like. She's like, what is happening?
It was like it was extra for sure.
Probably you can't even taste the matcha at that point.
Seriously. Also.
It's probably all like, yeah, just chocolate and pistachio at
that point. And what the hell is Dubai
chocolate? Like Dubai the place?
Yeah, you've never heard of it? No, I've never heard of this.
(37:04):
Ever. Oh my.
Goodness, OK, it's well, maybe it's 'cause I'm on like foodie
talk, but it's like this chocolate bar that you could
only get in Dubai and it's like just regular chocolate like on
like a bar. And then inside is Kanafi and
then pistachio cream and then yeah, it's like filled with
(37:24):
that. And apparently it's really,
really good. So ever since that happened, I
feel like a bunch of different places have tried to recreate
it. So I know like this local like
chocolate shop in the East Bay recreated their own.
And so I tried that and personally maybe it was like
theirs that I didn't like, but it's not that I didn't like it,
(37:45):
but I thought it was over hyped.Like it wasn't that great.
But I feel like everybody on TikTok was like saying it was
this most like the most amazing thing ever.
OK, sorry if. I'm like not aware but for
hopefully other people also don't know but all questions are
good questions. What is Kanafi?
(38:08):
OK, it's like this. Let me see if I can.
Like, I want to know what else it's in.
It's like crunchy. Kanafe Kanafe sounds like a sort
of weed strain to me. Oh, I think I'm saying, I think
I said something super wrong. Hold on.
It's oh. My God, let me look it up,
please. It's.
Kataf kataifi. So it's thinness shredded phyllo
(38:33):
dough. Oh.
Kataifi kataifi kanaf. Because when I looked up Kanafi,
it said like cheese. I was like, it's not.
Cheese like so lava. Yes, yeah.
So it's like. That OK, now I understand
Kataifi Kataifi. Oh and then Kanafi is similar.
(38:55):
It's it's the Kataifi with cheese inside.
Yeah. So it's not Kanafi, it's
Kataifi, OK. Kataifi OK, good to know.
Oh oh, I'm seeing a video. This look this chocolate looks
really good. Of the Dubai.
Yeah, OK. We need to try.
That maybe I'll try the crazy Dubai chocolate matcha.
(39:18):
Yeah. See what happened you.
Should that seems very interesting, I would love to
hear a review. Please get back to us.
Yes, I also really want to try ablack sesame matcha, but I
haven't seen one around me so maybe I need to venture out to
SF to find one of those. Yeah, or maybe you can make it
yourself. I got to.
(39:38):
I don't know if I could. I feel like it might be
complicated but. So yeah, totally last question
here to sort of wrap up the conversation of of this specific
section about cafes, what is your go to cafe?
Oh yes, so as I mentioned earlier, Kiss of Matcha is my
(39:59):
favorite 1 yes. I think it's so worth like,
making the trek over. So yeah.
That's my top choice. Yeah.
The trek from the East Bay to San Francisco, yes.
Yeah. How long does that take you, by
the way? Well I usually take Bart so it
usually takes like an hour and a.
Half dude, at that point you have to get like three matches.
(40:22):
One for there, one for the way back and then the last one you
hold on until you get home. You can drink it.
I wanted to get a tin there 'cause I forgot which one they
had but it looked good, but theywere.
Sold out sounds like. Dang, that would have been so
worth it if I like went there, got my drink and then took like
(40:45):
one or two tins out. Oh my gosh.
Well if you ever need more tins,I actually did find a place.
It's like a restaurant supply place on Clement.
Oh, OK. And they have a bunch of tins.
And I was like, God damn it, whydidn't I know this before?
I ordered one on Etsy but that'sOK.
OK, good. Thanks for letting me know.
Yeah. OK, so let's wrap up the
(41:07):
conversation here. What was your favorite thing
that you learned during this chat, Kyla?
I think my favorite thing was Trivia question 2.
OK. So that one was about the the
the year Uji yes, matcha cultivation in Uji 1586AD.
(41:30):
Or 16th century. Or 16th century.
So annoying how yes, those are labeled.
I know, right? Yeah, I hope you remember that
answer. Maybe this talking, talking
about it will help us, you know,cement it in our brain.
That's one of the reasons why I like this podcast is because I
feel like I learned the best, like listening or talking about
(41:50):
it. So I'm trying to remember all
these things for some yes, imaginary trivia event that
happens. In the future trivia night or
like Jeopardy or Oh my God, you'd be so good on Jeopardy.
Dude, my brother is, is my brother's training for Jeopardy.
Really. Yeah, that.
Is so cool. Yeah, like there's and there's
like a whole test you have to take before you audition.
(42:12):
I feel like I would be so bad. Yeah, it seems hard, fast.
Yeah, well, thank you so much for being on the pod.
I hope you had fun. If you were.
Good. If you were to be a guest again,
like, what do you think you'd want to be quit.
Be quizzed on. Oh, OK, so I love like skin
care, beauty, makeup, and then Ialso love pop culture.
(42:36):
So maybe we could do like a segment on celeb beauty brands.
Like Rd. R.E.M.
Rare yay. All of those.
I love that. Why do they all start with R?
That's so funny. And then all of the ones that
like, we don't know are celebrity owned.
Like, yeah, Anastasia Beverly Mills.
(42:57):
Wait, what? Anastasia Beverly Hills is
celebrity owned. I mean, I guess Anastasia is now
a celebrity. I didn't know who that was.
I'm so dead. Make up by Mario.
Yes. They're basically all celebs at
this point. But there's a lot, like, I think
(43:18):
Scarlett Johansson has the skin care brand, which I'm like,
that's super random. So yeah, I would love to talk
about that. And like, even the celebrities
who I feel like are just doing it as a cash grab, like, yeah,
let's talk about that tea. Oh my God, I love that.
I'm going to make a note of that.
Hold on. So I know Kayla, you have a
TikTok channel, a food Instagram.
(43:41):
Is there anything that you'd like to promote on the podcast?
Anything coming up for you that we can tag below that you want
people to know about? I don't have anything in
particular but just follow me onall of my socials.
It's Kyla is hungry on TikTok and Instagram and then on
YouTube it's Kyla Sarmanto. OK.
Amazing. And we'll put those in the
(44:03):
description below. So it's an easy, just click
follow. Yay and.
Yeah, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Today, thank you for having me, I had so much fun.
Thank you for listening to the show.
This is Trivia Tangents, where we cover various trivia topics.
(44:25):
We have new episodes released every Thursday, which I like to
call Trivia Thursday. I'm Lena and special thanks to
our guest Kayla for sharing her awesome insights and trivia
tangents about Matcha with us. Make sure to keep an eye out for
next week's episode about archery with my very talented
friend Elizabeth, who specializes in foot archery.
(44:46):
That's so cool. Thanks for listening.
And learning. Bye bye.
If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a five star
rating or thumbs up. Follow or subscribe and share
with a friend for bonus content.You can find trivia tangents on
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and of course all podcast platforms
under Trivia Tangents Podcast. Check out our website at
(45:08):
triviatangentspodcast.com to purchase trivia starter packs
based on these episodes, perfectfor hosting your very own trivia
night.
Welcome to Trivia Tangents, the podcast where we turn everyday
passions into surprising trivia deep dives.
I'm your host, Lena, and each week I quiz a friend on
something they know way too muchabout.
Turning everyday passions into trivia gold.
We all know that on trivia night, the bigger the team, the
(00:32):
better you'll play. So that's why I bring the team
together here on Trivia tangents.
Today's guest is Kayla, who's here to talk all about Matcha.
So get ready for some fun facts you'll definitely want for your
next trivia night. Hi Kayla, how are you?
(00:55):
Welcome to the podcast. Hello.
I'm good. How are you?
It's been so long since we last.Chatted.
Oh my gosh, I know I'm good. And I know I said before this
episode I was like it's too latein the day to have a matcha, but
here I am with a. Matcha, I love that for you.
(01:17):
Just know you guys, I might be sipping on this throughout the
episode, but yeah, it's been so long since we caught up.
It's so good to see you. Good to see you.
I'm so excited to be here and talk about all things Matcha.
Yeah, I'm so excited too. So to give the listeners a
little bit of background on my good friend Kyla, she lives in
the Bay Area just like me, and she makes a lot of TikTok
(01:41):
content on food, vlogging and beauty reviews.
And she's probably the next big influencer, so I'm so excited to
have her on the podcast today. Fingers crossed.
Yeah, the next big influence. Yes, girl, we manifest that and
honestly, like us, like collabing here, like we're going
(02:02):
to make it happen. It's just the beginning.
It's just the beginning. So we met it initially through
work. We don't have to say what
company, but that was probably like 3 years ago now.
That's crazy. Yeah, I think so, yeah.
We've always been on the same team and honestly Kayla, you've
(02:22):
been such a pleasure to work with and we've always had so
much fun on our in office days. Yes.
Especially the Trader Joe's club.
Those are my favorite days ever and like all the snacks OK.
I feel like you made those events so poppin, so kudos to
(02:43):
you. Oh my God.
Yeah. At one point I was the Trader
Joe's club leader, president, lead.
Yeah, like lead. Like I was always a Trader
Joe's. But yeah, that was fun.
Maybe we could do an episode topic on that?
I love Trader Joe's. Yeah, don't we all?
But today we are talking our shared obsession, Matcha Matcha.
(03:09):
Kayla makes matcha lattes at home and makes the most amazing
content sharing her recipes. So today we have 3 sections, 1
the history of matcha, 2 Ceremonial matcha and Uji Japan,
and three, the modern matcha craze.
(03:30):
Are you ready for question one? Yes, I'm nervous, but yes.
Don't be, don't be nervous. It's multiple choice.
Let's do it. Oh, OK, great.
I got this. Yeah, you got this.
Just a process of elimination, OK?
Yes, I'm ready. Section 1.
(03:53):
The history of Matcha trivia Question one Which country is
credited with the first cultivating and drinking matcha
in its earliest form A China, B Japan, C Korea or D Thailand?
(04:14):
OK, I'm actually pretty sure it's.
A but I think a lot of people would think B, so let me know if
that's right. You're right.
Good job. Good job, Kayla.
You know your stuff. And in the episode, like edit,
you'll hear the little. Oh, I like that.
(04:36):
Yeah. The right answer.
Yes. So you're right.
Although matcha is most closely associated with Japan today, the
practice of powdered green tea was first developed in China
during the Tang dynasty, which was 618 to 9 O 7 AD 618 is
(04:57):
crazy. Wait, are we allowed to cuss or
no? Oh yes.
Of course, just making sure. Oh, yeah, We're allowed to cuss.
This is a This is a safe space. OK.
Thank you. Yeah.
So the method of grinding tea leaves into a powder and
whisking it into hot water was then brought to Japan by the
(05:22):
Buddhist monk, A Sai. A Sai, I'm not sure how to
pronounce that. Apologies.
But this happened in the late 12th century.
So in Japan, matcha evolved intoa ceremonial drink and became
deeply embedded into the culturethrough the Japanese tea
ceremony. And I feel like you kind of
(05:43):
already knew that, but I was just giving a little bit of
background to our listeners. So Kayla, I would love to learn
a little bit more about about your matcha journey.
So when did you first try matcha, if you can remember?
Or when did you start making matcha at home?
OK, I feel like I first tried matcha back in college.
(06:04):
I don't remember what shop or cafe but I'm pretty sure it was
like probably a Bobo shop. And then I started making it at
home in 2021 when I started working remotely.
OK, same. I feel like the first time I saw
it, like outside of my own home was in like a boba shop, 'cause
(06:25):
my my mom has been drinking matcha for like 20 years now, so
I've kind of always knew about it.
Yeah, 'cause she's drinking it at home.
But yeah, the the tea shops these days are just going all
out with the flavors. And I know that you have made
some pretty awesome drinks from home.
So what do you think is your favorite flavor to compliment
(06:48):
the matcha? Is it?
I've seen stuff like lavender, rose, honey, strawberry.
What's your favorite? Yeah, OK, so at home I feel like
I do either vanilla or I love doing like Maple and sea salt.
That's like so good to me. But if I go out to a cafe and
they have a strawberry matcha onthe menu, I'm 100% getting that.
(07:12):
Oh my God yes, I am such a strawberry matcha kind of girl
too. And I know we'll talk about this
later, but like, the first time I tried it, boba guys.
So freaking yes. So good.
And there Boba's really good too.
Yes, it is. So just, you know, kind of tying
up this little section here about the history of matcha
(07:36):
itself. In your professional matcha
opinion, do you think that the historical roots of matcha kind
of add to its allure in the modern?
Day, I think definitely because as you mentioned, the monks
incorporated it back like years ago and I know they incorporated
(07:57):
it into like meditation. And I think nowadays I don't
know if people are necessarily using it like within meditation,
but I know that people like matcha because it gives them a
steady flow of energy as opposedto like a double espresso shot.
I know for me, if I drink coffeesome days my heart is like
racing. So I much prefer matcha.
(08:19):
I feel like it's like calming ina way, but gives me a good boost
of energy and I'm like, OK, cool.
Like I can take on the day with this little iced matcha in my
hand. Yeah.
Oh my gosh, I totally get what you mean.
Like it kind of has that sort ofdelayed release.
Yes. Yeah, of the caffeine, which is
like reminding me of like delayed release Adderall for
(08:39):
some reason. Like the Yeah, like, like
medicine and. Yeah, literally.
So it's kind of gives you like, like you said, like that steady
flow instead of that, instead ofthat like insane burst of energy
that you can get from coffee, which is what I had this
morning. Oh my gosh.
(09:01):
Speaking of, did you, what did you drink today?
Like did you have a matcha? Did you have a coffee?
What was your vibe today? I didn't drink anything today.
I really wanted to have a matchain the morning but then it just
didn't work out. Like what so?
So OK let me explain. So basically I'm like pretty
caffeine sensitive so I try not to have caffeine pass like one
(09:22):
or two PM or else I will not sleep.
So then I wanted a matcha, but then I put in a grocery like
delivery order and it didn't come in time because I wanted to
use like the Creamer, yeah, thatI was ordering.
So then what? By the time it came, it was too
late and I was like, OK, I can'thave any caffeine, right?
Now, oh, what a bummer because you know we're talking about
(09:43):
matcha today, but I know yeah, we'll see some of your your
pictures of your best at home matchas.
Yes. Yeah.
So we just touched on the historical roots of matcha
itself. So I kind of want to move
forward into the ceremonial matcha and Fuji Japan, which I
(10:04):
think is super fitting because you and I are both going to
Japan. Yes, I'm cannot wait.
Yes. To step foot.
I'm so excited, so let's take itaway to Section 2.
Section 2 Ceremonial matcha and Fuji Japan.
(10:29):
Are you ready for trivia Question two Yes.
OK Fuji Japan is considered the birth place of Japan's highest
quality matcha. When did matcha cultivation
begin in Fuji A600AD? B 11191 ADC 15187 AD or D 1800
(10:58):
AD. Wait, did you mention this
earlier? Because if you did, then I think
a, but if you didn't mention it,then I don't know.
I definitely did not. I don't think I mentioned it,
but is a your answer. Yeah, I'm gonna go with a.
OK, unfortunately you're wrong. Dang.
OK, but I feel like the six, I think you were thinking of like
(11:22):
the six because it was the late 16th century, which is actually
15187 AD cause like you know howit's so annoying how we talk
about years, the year like. No, I know what you're trying to
say because I didn't know that for a long time until like my
(11:43):
last year of high school. And I was like, Oh my God, this
whole entire time. Yeah.
Like. OK, I had the years messed up.
I guess here's a good one. Like the 1900s people refer to
as the 20th century. Yeah.
And then? And that's crazy.
And that just like doesn't really make sense.
It doesn't make sense. That's a little tangent, but
here we are in trivia tangents. So like that you you get.
(12:05):
Very fitting. You get what you clicked on.
So. Yeah, the answer was 1587.
So let me give you a little bit of background into that, and
then I have some discussion topics.
So the answer was 1587 AD. Here's a little deep dive for
you guys about that. Uji, located just South of
(12:26):
Kyoto, has been producing Japan's finest matcha since the
late 16th century, which was the1500s.
As we previously discussed, the story is in 1587.
The Shogun Toyoto Tomi. Wait, I pronounced that wrong.
The Shogun let me try again. The Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(12:55):
hosted a grand tea ceremony in Uji, cementing its reputation as
the premier region for ceremonial grade matcha.
Period. Yes, period.
So the area's climate and nutrient rich soil in Uji
produce some of the world's bestmatcha.
(13:16):
It's known for its bright green hue and smooth umami forward
taste. So let's talk about the climate
and the tea cultivation within Uji's geographic location with
its river basins and surroundingmountains.
It creates a sort of quote UN quote river fog and a sort of
(13:37):
mountain mist, which is ideal for tea cultivation and
specifically the flavor profile.So that kind of got me thinking,
like, I wonder if San Francisco would be a good place to grow
matcha since we have Carla Fog. What do you think?
That would be so cool. I feel like that would be cool.
Like an SF branded cultivated matcha, Yes.
(14:02):
I was like, I was gonna say yournext business venture.
Dude, yeah, no, first I need this podcast to take off.
Yes. So Ugi T from the Wazooka region
is also known for its mist fragrance due to the fog, which
allows the tea to be particularly fragrant and
(14:22):
flavorful. And then also tea cultivation.
Uji farmers have developed this sort of method that's called the
overlaid cultivation method. This involves covering tea
fields with Reed mats to inhibitphotosynthesis and create a
sweeter, more flavorful tea. So I thought that was pretty
(14:44):
interesting, you know, since we're talking about ceremonial
grade matcha, Kayla, do you knowhow to tell if a matcha is
ceremonial grade? And it's totally OK if not OK I.
Think I only know one like characteristic which is color.
So and I think you mentioned that earlier too.
So I know that if it's ceremonial, it's supposed to be
(15:05):
very vibrant. And then I've seen matchas that
aren't ceremonial that are more muted and almost like a
yellowish green to be honest. So that's usually how I can
tell, but I'm sure there are other characteristics.
Yeah, yeah, you're spot on. The color, that's number one.
And that's that's the thing thatmy mom always looks for too,
(15:28):
'cause she's a self-proclaimed matcha expert.
Yes, she looks for color, that vibrant electric green, not dull
or yellowish. Four other characteristics here,
texture. So it should feel like sort of
ultra fine powder, kind of like like chalk, like like ground up
(15:49):
chalk, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For those gymnasts, if you're ifyou were a previous gymnast or
if you're a rock climber, you know what I'm talking about.
Like the sort of powder, powdered chalk and then taste so
smooth, slightly sweet, only a little bit of bitterness, not a
lot. If it's too bitter, it might not
(16:09):
be ceremonial grade and then also origin.
So often the label will say ceremonial or and or it's
sourced from a reputable region like Uji in Kyoto.
And then lastly, price and packaging.
Higher quality matcha typically costs more, as you know, we
(16:33):
probably all know, and it is sold in airtight light blocking
containers. Yes.
Yes, so I know I told you guys I'm drinking matcha and I wanted
to show, I'll show you Kyla whatI'm drinking.
I brought the bag. It's called Taste of Kyoto and
(16:54):
it's labeled Reserve Matcha. Guess how much this bag cost?
It is 8.8 oz, so 250 grams. You want to guess how much this
cost? I want to say like 58.
Girl. Was.
Way too low. Oh my God.
(17:16):
OK, 85. Nope, higher.
OK, 125. Yeah, I was basically.
Like 1/19, 1:20. That's crazy.
Well it's a big ass bag if that makes sense.
It's supposed to last me like a pretty long time.
It's been, it's been like 2 months now with this bag so and
(17:38):
yeah and like I don't think it expires for a while.
So I think I'm good but. And you ordered it online or did
someone like bring it? Back I got it off of Amazon.
Amazon, I didn't know they had much of that big.
Dude, I mean, it's a private, it's like a, it's like a private
seller. Obviously they just like also
list it on Amazon. So yeah, I can send you the link
(18:01):
if you want, and maybe I'll sendthem this episode and they can
promote it. Give us a code.
Yeah, give us a code. I I will be, I'll you can be one
of my first sponsors. But anyway, getting back on
track here, Kayla, I know that you're going to Japan soon.
Yes. I hope that you are able to make
(18:24):
it to Uji, and if So, what are you most excited to experience
in Uji or Kyoto? Yeah.
So I saw that there was a matchagrinding workshop at a museum.
So that's like the top of my itinerary list if I go.
And then of course, obviously like cafe hopping and then
(18:44):
getting some tins to take home. Yeah, Oh my God, the tins, dude.
The the tins 'cause you have to like, store this matcha in
airtight light blocking containers.
Yeah, 'cause the oxygen and sunlight can deteriorate the
matcha because it's so fragile. So like, I don't where do you
(19:07):
get your tins? Because I had to get mine on
Etsy and like wait for it to ship.
OK, I don't know if this is likenot good.
Well, I think it's fine. So basically I've had a tin from
a previous matcha and I just keep reusing that one tin.
So I finished that up and then whenever I order something new,
I just put, if it's in a bag, I'll put it in that same tin.
(19:27):
Yeah, totally, totally. I get that.
Was it expensive live on Etsy? It was like 20 something dollars
and I really wanted something authentic because my mom was
always like, you have to get theauthentic stuff or else it's not
real or whatever and like good quality stuff.
So I got 1 and it's made by someguy in Japan.
(19:49):
I love that. Yeah.
And then I'm assuming you also have like your own bowl and like
whisk and whisk holder and everything.
Yes. So that's also something I would
be excited to pick up in Japan to get like authentic ones.
But I'm going to be real. I just have the set from Amazon.
I love it. You'll have to send me a
(20:10):
picture. Yes.
Yeah. So I guess in your opinion, as
someone who has had a lot of matcha, do you think that
ceremonial matcha is different from what's typically found in
cafes here in the? USI think it depends.
I think there are definitely cafes who do strictly use
(20:31):
ceremonial matcha which is really great.
But I also think like the Starbucks and the Dutch Bros,
like that's obviously probably not ceremonial and a little bit
less quality. So I think you just have to do
research if you want to find a Cafe that is strictly
ceremonial. For sure.
Yeah, yeah, you mentioned Starbucks.
(20:54):
Starbucks has actually had matcha on their menu for years.
Yeah. I want to see I.
Used to get it. Yeah, me too.
Wait, I want to look it up. I used to get it and then I
found out there was hella sugar in it and I was like, OK, well
that's number one. That's why it tasted good.
But #2 probably not good for health one. 100% girl I realized
(21:17):
the same thing. So Starbucks has had matcha on
its menu since 2006. Wow OK.
Oh geez. Oh geez.
But you're right, they packed that shit full of sugar.
Yeah. So even if you like order like
if you try to get a sugar free drink, you can't with matcha
because there's already sugar like in the blend or something.
(21:39):
Like that, yeah, that's how it used to be.
I've been, I've been like on them, like just not in like an
aggressive way. But basically every time I go I
like ask about the matcha. And this year, I think, or
within the last, within the lastyear or so, they changed their
formula so that the the sweetness and the matcha tea
(22:05):
itself is separate. That is so.
Yeah. Good.
What the heck? It's so good to know but The
thing is you have to be very careful when you order because
if you say hey can I have an iced matcha latte in in their
recipe they have to put 3 pumps of classic syrup.
So what you have to say is can Ihave a matcha latte?
(22:28):
No classic, no classic syrup, nosugar for like completely sugar
free. Yeah, cuz their default is to
put the sugar in it. That's.
Crazy, I know. But yeah, if I had to have any
sweetener, like I do like a little bit of honey, but that's
on occasion. Yeah, yes, yeah.
(22:49):
OK. So you talked about, you know,
certain cafes like you have to do a research to see if that one
has good quality matcha. So my next section is about
cafes specifically. OK, Section 3.
(23:11):
The modern matcha craze. Are you ready for trivia?
Question 3. Yes, I'm ready.
OK, Kayla, you're you're one for2, so hopefully you can get this
one right. OK, trivia question three.
According to Yelp, what is the top rated matcha cafe in San
(23:33):
Francisco? A kiss of matcha B Matcha Cafe
Myko, C oshi matcha or D Maruwo secha And for all.
For each of these cafes I have their location so if it's
helpful I can say where they're located.
(23:55):
So A is my personal favorite onebut I feel like B is more poppin
because I feel like they have multiple locations.
They totally do. So OK I'm going to say B but I'm
scared because I know A is poppin.
Dude A is totally poppin, B is really, really good.
But the answer was. D OK, I haven't heard of the
(24:18):
other two, so I'm. Curious.
I haven't either, like I just looked it up Yelp and all of
these were on the list. Wow.
Maruu Secha in Japan town was the top rated and that makes
sense. It's in Japan town.
Wow. OK, I know, right?
We need to go. But Kayla, can you tell me a
(24:40):
little bit more about Kiss of Matcha, your favorite one?
Yes OK that one is so good. I, I've only had their
strawberry matcha latte cause it's, it's so good.
I just get that one every every time.
But they have a large menu and Ithink you can get ice cream and
like sundaes and stuff. So soft serve.
Yes, I really love that one. And I think they have two
(25:03):
locations as well. What else do I know about it?
I think that's it. Well, cool, I am familiar with
it because the the one that I'm familiar with I guess was in the
Inner Richmond, which was two blocks from my last apartment.
Oh, oh, OK, yeah. So that was dangerous.
(25:24):
There was always a super duper long line and it honestly, I
didn't get it that much because #1 the line and then #2 their
hours of operation were so weird.
Really. Like they didn't open until like
10 or 11:00 AM. And I'm like girl, like this is
(25:45):
a morning time drink. Yeah, I think I got it on a
weekend. Yeah, that makes sense.
Interesting. And then matcha matcha Cafe
Maiko. The one I know is in Stonestown
Mall. Love that one.
I think they have one in Japan Town too.
Yeah, if I'm not mistaken. They probably do because I know
(26:07):
they have multiple locations andI think I could be wrong, but I
think they also have one in Waikiki.
Yes, so good. I could be wrong, but I kind of
have a vague memory of that. I think they have a bunch of
locations, like some in the like, I think San Jose area too.
Like I think they're like reallyexpanding.
(26:28):
Yeah. Oh, you know what matcha place I
didn't like that's like super popular in SF and maybe I just
went on a bad day because this place like I feel like everyone
talks about it. Oh my God, tell me spell.
Stone Mill matcha. I think I've heard of that.
(26:49):
I feel like it's like one of thetop ones, Yeah.
And when I went, it was so. Bitter.
That means it was not ceremonialgrade.
But I think they do use it so I was very confused.
But I also got the strawberry matcha and I feel like it was
like really sour as well, like the actual strawberry.
So I don't know, whatever they gave me I was not liking it.
(27:11):
But that was also a few years ago, so maybe it's different
now. But this place gets like high I.
Know I see they have like 4 1/2 stars on.
Google and they have food too which I wish I tried the food
but. Yeah, yeah.
Let's go to that, the one you said first.
Let's go to Maruwu. Seicha, which is in Japan Town
(27:33):
and I was there the other day because I was looking for God
damn tin for my match. I went all the way to freaking
Japan Town. I didn't walk away with
anything, obviously, but the line from Mario Seicha was so
long and everyone was carrying around their little.
Can I like look it up? Let me.
Yeah, look it up. Seicha Maru Wu.
(27:55):
Seicha. Maru Wu.
OK, MARUWU. Thank you, SEICHA.
OK. Let me see what's going on here,
OK? It's looking familiar.
Yes, on Yelp it has 4.3 stars and 494 reviews and this is
recorded in May 2025. Yeah, we need to go here.
(28:17):
Yeah, we totally need to go here.
Oh my God. Wait, my Yelp Elite manager left
a review for this place? What did they say?
I'm dead. Dominic said first time trying
this Matcha spot in Japan town can be very popular with long
lines so I recommend coming during off hours. 2 lines when
you enter. Left line for self order kiosk,
(28:39):
right line for ordering with staff member.
Mango matcha is aesthetically pleasing and the mango at the
bottom is sweet and tasty. Beaches stir before drinking.
Flavors were well balanced with the matcha flavor coming out
well but not overpowering. Matcha was a bit grainy though.
Grainy though, but not too bad. And then he included included a
(28:59):
picture. I love Dominic, he's so funny.
Oh yeah. We gotta go here cuz they have
because they have like egg tarts.
Is that what? I'm custard tarts custard.
Tarts so good. OK, they also have dirty matcha.
This is something I wanted to talk about.
I think that's disgusting. Dirty matcha when?
(29:20):
Like coffee? Yeah, when matcha meets
espresso. Eww.
I. Don't like?
That no, these are very different things.
It's like, so it's like brown and green.
That's. What it's called OK,
interesting. Oh, you know what I remember
this when we were talking about Starbucks.
I used to get I forgot what the exact drink was, but it was
(29:43):
matcha and Chai and that it was fire low key.
But maybe it was when it was like super sweet.
So maybe I was. Just like in the sweet, you
know, I feel like that could work 'cause like, they're both
teas. Yeah, they both the cinnamony.
Yeah, they both come from leaves.
They're both like inherently Asian based flavors.
(30:06):
Yeah, I would be interested to try that for sure.
Yes, maybe not at Starbucks, but.
Yeah, No, not at Starbucks. Starbucks has its highs and
lows, but yeah, OK, can I tell you a little bit more about the
modern matcha craze? Because yes, it's it's macho
mayhem out there. I would love to know, yeah.
(30:28):
So the rise of matcha and cafes can be traced back to around
2015 with Starbucks as an exception.
They had they started in 2006, but basically 2015 onwards
matcha lattes became a major Instagram trend.
And like we said, this totally tracks for me and Kyla because I
(30:50):
remember in high school around 2015, a new place called Boba
guys opened and they had the absolutely the best strawberry
matcha Pearl milk tea. So fucking good.
And they still have it to this day.
You can check out Boba guys in Palo Alto, in Burlingame in San
(31:11):
Francisco. I don't know.
Do they have it in the East Bay Kyla?
They do. They have one in San Ramon.
Oh my God. Amazing.
Yeah. So influencers and Wellness
bloggers like Kourtney Kardashian and health conscious
celebrities helped boost Matcha's image as a quote UN
(31:31):
quote superfood. Which I honestly, I buy into
this because I was recently exposed to black mold and I got
really sick. Oh no.
Yeah, and basically to kind of revive myself and detox my body,
I drank exclusively matcha instead of coffee because it was
(31:54):
supposed to help me detox. And so I feel all better.
And you know, maybe that's because I'm not being exposed to
black mold anymore, but I'd liketo thank the matcha had a little
bit something to do with that. Yes.
Yeah, that's amazing. I know, right?
So cafes like Cha Cha Macha in New York City and Alfred Coffee
(32:17):
in Los Angeles. I don't I've.
I've tried. Have you heard of it?
Lattes, yeah OK not their matchabut their like coffees.
OK, well I've never heard of that, but apparently those two
places, Cha Cha Macha. I love that name.
Cha Cha Macha and and Alfred Coffee played a huge role in
popularizing the matcha. And then.
(32:40):
Yeah, apparently so. And then grocery chains, like,
of course, Whole Foods began to stock matcha powder like in
those big bags, making it easierto enjoy at home.
Yeah. Yeah.
But those are the big bags at like Whole Foods.
Are they ceremonial or it depends?
(33:02):
I don't know. If I had to guess, probably not.
That's what I was thinking. Like I mean wait, now that it
Whole Foods is owned by Amazon and I get my ceremonial matcha
from Amazon so maybe? So it could maybe like some,
some are and some are. So you have to like, I don't
know. But where do you get your your
(33:24):
matcha for home Kyla? I usually order it online so
I've done this site called Matcha Full.
They have like two different blends that I've tried and then
I've recently tried or ordered Rocky's matcha and that is the
matcha they use at Community Goods, which is a super popular
(33:45):
cafe in Lai think the Biebers gothere.
So that's why I feel like a lot of people who come to LA are
like, I wanna try Community Goods because the Biebers go
here because we don't go there now, but.
Girl, Oh my God, anything that Haley Bieber does like people
hop on that. Exactly the Air One smoothie.
(34:08):
OK, but why did I love that movie?
I know I got it too and it was pretty good it.
Was so good. I was like, wait, this is bomb.
And I got we got another flavor and I didn't like that one at
all. So I was like, oh, so this one's
really good. I guess Haley has a good taste
profile, Not so sure about her makeup brand but taste profile
(34:28):
OK. I just ordered.
Well this is like a tangent, butI just ordered one of her
blushes so I will see. I'll let you know if I.
Like Oh my God, please please make a review video and we'll
rehost it. Yes.
So in your opinion, Kayla, do you think Matcha's popularity is
here to stay or is it just a Wellness trend?
(34:52):
I definitely think it's here to stay.
I feel like there are so many cafes and shops that currently
have it and I feel like all the ones that are opening up, they
already know to add matcha to the menu.
Like just as much as like coffee, like lattes and stuff.
There's also going to be much options.
So I think it's here to stay. Girl I agree.
(35:14):
One of the trivia questions I was kind of playing with but I
decided not to include was like what percentage of cafes in
California have matcha on the menu?
And I couldn't find like a definite statistic which is why
I didn't include it. But the answer I kept seeing was
60%. Yeah.
So it's very popular, like they just know include the matcha.
(35:37):
People love the matcha. I know that you've you make
matcha at home. You've seen a lot of matcha
drinks from different places. We've talked about mango,
strawberry, honey, vanilla. What do you think is the
craziest matcha drink that you've ever seen or tried?
OK I haven't personally tried anything crazy but I saw this
(36:01):
crazy one on my feed this week and I was like what is this?
But also I want to try it. It was a Dubai chocolate matcha,
which I'm low key having like Dubai chocolate fatigue because
why is it like now all of a sudden everywhere?
I thought we were kind of getting over that.
But now I'm seeing like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are coming
(36:22):
out with their own like bars. But anyways it was like
pistachio milk base the matcha and then chocolate cold foam and
then cocoa powder and then the crunchy.
I think it's called knafe on top.
Oh my God, my mom is screaming right now.
She's like, she's probably so offended listening to all that,
(36:44):
like. She's like, what is happening?
It was like it was extra for sure.
Probably you can't even taste the matcha at that point.
Seriously. Also.
It's probably all like, yeah, just chocolate and pistachio at
that point. And what the hell is Dubai
chocolate? Like Dubai the place?
Yeah, you've never heard of it? No, I've never heard of this.
(37:04):
Ever. Oh my.
Goodness, OK, it's well, maybe it's 'cause I'm on like foodie
talk, but it's like this chocolate bar that you could
only get in Dubai and it's like just regular chocolate like on
like a bar. And then inside is Kanafi and
then pistachio cream and then yeah, it's like filled with
(37:24):
that. And apparently it's really,
really good. So ever since that happened, I
feel like a bunch of different places have tried to recreate
it. So I know like this local like
chocolate shop in the East Bay recreated their own.
And so I tried that and personally maybe it was like
theirs that I didn't like, but it's not that I didn't like it,
(37:45):
but I thought it was over hyped.Like it wasn't that great.
But I feel like everybody on TikTok was like saying it was
this most like the most amazing thing ever.
OK, sorry if. I'm like not aware but for
hopefully other people also don't know but all questions are
good questions. What is Kanafi?
(38:08):
OK, it's like this. Let me see if I can.
Like, I want to know what else it's in.
It's like crunchy. Kanafe Kanafe sounds like a sort
of weed strain to me. Oh, I think I'm saying, I think
I said something super wrong. Hold on.
It's oh. My God, let me look it up,
please. It's.
Kataf kataifi. So it's thinness shredded phyllo
(38:33):
dough. Oh.
Kataifi kataifi kanaf. Because when I looked up Kanafi,
it said like cheese. I was like, it's not.
Cheese like so lava. Yes, yeah.
So it's like. That OK, now I understand
Kataifi Kataifi. Oh and then Kanafi is similar.
(38:55):
It's it's the Kataifi with cheese inside.
Yeah. So it's not Kanafi, it's
Kataifi, OK. Kataifi OK, good to know.
Oh oh, I'm seeing a video. This look this chocolate looks
really good. Of the Dubai.
Yeah, OK. We need to try.
That maybe I'll try the crazy Dubai chocolate matcha.
(39:18):
Yeah. See what happened you.
Should that seems very interesting, I would love to
hear a review. Please get back to us.
Yes, I also really want to try ablack sesame matcha, but I
haven't seen one around me so maybe I need to venture out to
SF to find one of those. Yeah, or maybe you can make it
yourself. I got to.
(39:38):
I don't know if I could. I feel like it might be
complicated but. So yeah, totally last question
here to sort of wrap up the conversation of of this specific
section about cafes, what is your go to cafe?
Oh yes, so as I mentioned earlier, Kiss of Matcha is my
(39:59):
favorite 1 yes. I think it's so worth like,
making the trek over. So yeah.
That's my top choice. Yeah.
The trek from the East Bay to San Francisco, yes.
Yeah. How long does that take you, by
the way? Well I usually take Bart so it
usually takes like an hour and a.
Half dude, at that point you have to get like three matches.
(40:22):
One for there, one for the way back and then the last one you
hold on until you get home. You can drink it.
I wanted to get a tin there 'cause I forgot which one they
had but it looked good, but theywere.
Sold out sounds like. Dang, that would have been so
worth it if I like went there, got my drink and then took like
(40:45):
one or two tins out. Oh my gosh.
Well if you ever need more tins,I actually did find a place.
It's like a restaurant supply place on Clement.
Oh, OK. And they have a bunch of tins.
And I was like, God damn it, whydidn't I know this before?
I ordered one on Etsy but that'sOK.
OK, good. Thanks for letting me know.
Yeah. OK, so let's wrap up the
(41:07):
conversation here. What was your favorite thing
that you learned during this chat, Kyla?
I think my favorite thing was Trivia question 2.
OK. So that one was about the the
the year Uji yes, matcha cultivation in Uji 1586AD.
(41:30):
Or 16th century. Or 16th century.
So annoying how yes, those are labeled.
I know, right? Yeah, I hope you remember that
answer. Maybe this talking, talking
about it will help us, you know,cement it in our brain.
That's one of the reasons why I like this podcast is because I
feel like I learned the best, like listening or talking about
(41:50):
it. So I'm trying to remember all
these things for some yes, imaginary trivia event that
happens. In the future trivia night or
like Jeopardy or Oh my God, you'd be so good on Jeopardy.
Dude, my brother is, is my brother's training for Jeopardy.
Really. Yeah, that.
Is so cool. Yeah, like there's and there's
like a whole test you have to take before you audition.
(42:12):
I feel like I would be so bad. Yeah, it seems hard, fast.
Yeah, well, thank you so much for being on the pod.
I hope you had fun. If you were.
Good. If you were to be a guest again,
like, what do you think you'd want to be quit.
Be quizzed on. Oh, OK, so I love like skin
care, beauty, makeup, and then Ialso love pop culture.
(42:36):
So maybe we could do like a segment on celeb beauty brands.
Like Rd. R.E.M.
Rare yay. All of those.
I love that. Why do they all start with R?
That's so funny. And then all of the ones that
like, we don't know are celebrity owned.
Like, yeah, Anastasia Beverly Mills.
(42:57):
Wait, what? Anastasia Beverly Hills is
celebrity owned. I mean, I guess Anastasia is now
a celebrity. I didn't know who that was.
I'm so dead. Make up by Mario.
Yes. They're basically all celebs at
this point. But there's a lot, like, I think
(43:18):
Scarlett Johansson has the skin care brand, which I'm like,
that's super random. So yeah, I would love to talk
about that. And like, even the celebrities
who I feel like are just doing it as a cash grab, like, yeah,
let's talk about that tea. Oh my God, I love that.
I'm going to make a note of that.
Hold on. So I know Kayla, you have a
TikTok channel, a food Instagram.
(43:41):
Is there anything that you'd like to promote on the podcast?
Anything coming up for you that we can tag below that you want
people to know about? I don't have anything in
particular but just follow me onall of my socials.
It's Kyla is hungry on TikTok and Instagram and then on
YouTube it's Kyla Sarmanto. OK.
Amazing. And we'll put those in the
(44:03):
description below. So it's an easy, just click
follow. Yay and.
Yeah, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Today, thank you for having me, I had so much fun.
Thank you for listening to the show.
This is Trivia Tangents, where we cover various trivia topics.
(44:25):
We have new episodes released every Thursday, which I like to
call Trivia Thursday. I'm Lena and special thanks to
our guest Kayla for sharing her awesome insights and trivia
tangents about Matcha with us. Make sure to keep an eye out for
next week's episode about archery with my very talented
friend Elizabeth, who specializes in foot archery.
(44:46):
That's so cool. Thanks for listening.
And learning. Bye bye.
If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a five star
rating or thumbs up. Follow or subscribe and share
with a friend for bonus content.You can find trivia tangents on
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and of course all podcast platforms
under Trivia Tangents Podcast. Check out our website at
(45:08):
triviatangentspodcast.com to purchase trivia starter packs
based on these episodes, perfectfor hosting your very own trivia
night.
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