rocky's matcha but an intense review
this blog cannot be named matchabodylove without a matcha review
Rocky’s Matcha tastes like an alternative to growing old. It is as if God Himself came down upon you and gave you the option to Benjamin Button yourself. With every sip, I become a little more youthful, and it becomes possible to put on rose-tinted glasses in a world where I am constantly reminded that my job opportunities are becoming more futile than they already were since there is an incoming recession and I am a… Classics and English Rhetoric Major. Do not forget I am also a female person of colour at that. Although reality threatens to shackle me to barista applications and depressive episodes, Rocky’s Matcha sprinkled with Redmond’s Salt and local, raw honey allows me to consider what my inner child would have wanted had she been nurtured properly.
Suffice it to say, I love this matcha. It runs through my veins, awakening every organ to remind my body that it cannot slack off. This review pertains to the 20g Ceremonial Blend; However, with my next incoming paycheck, I would honestly buy the entire line because it makes me feel like I have done a line of cocaine at a party where no one else is smiling or dancing or pretending to have a good time (except I am a true health freak, so I would actually be overdosing on magnesium glycinate).
The matcha powder is delivered in a silver packet enclosed inside a too-big-for-the-amount-given-but-beautiful cobalt blue tin with "rocky's matcha" embossed on the top. Although the packaging could be minimised, I suppose I should be grateful that the matcha even has a proper container because other companies neglect to do, so as if I have little containers around that I can keep my matcha in. A neon green sticker is slapped onto the tin, letting the consumer know it is a blend, but it should have a warning that delusions are mixed into the powder, so addiction can and will follow because, of course I want to romanticise my life. It also comes with a cute notecard depicting matcha preparation instructions.
I came in with medium expectations despite the high price point. For one, the colour of the matcha is bright, but this is not always a great indicator because matcha can be artificially coloured to be that bright. On my first tasting, I was unsure if I could trust it since I did not have much to say about the aroma other than it was just fine (now I crave the slightly vegetal scent in the same way I crave compassion and lip oil on dry lips… how silly life can be). The matcha has a creamy mouthfeel, which puts all of the other matcha brands I previously owned to shame. There are rich floral notes to this matcha. These floral notes resemble that of a jasmine flavour, yet not a drop of bitterness or astringency. As much as I love this matcha, I am unsure if it is a good choice for someone’s “first matcha” due to its richness. It is heavenly and leans sweet so, everyone will enjoy it, but I doubt I could have appreciated it this much had it been the first matcha I had ever tried. It is one of those matchas that does not require much of anything - if you put sugar in your matcha, try it without first because the gentle sweetness of this matcha will certainly astound even those who require ten pumps of white mocha in their grande lattes. Their website claims matcha as their favourite for lattes, but I say it could go as far as being a great option for usuchas, so milk is not a necessity either.
Daily Matcha Latte Recipe
Ensure that your whisk is properly bloomed in hot water first to protect the whisk and make life easier for yourself.
Add filtered water to the kettle. I think 79C/175F is the best temperature for this matcha.
While the water is heating up, sift 2g matcha powder with a strainer into chawan.
Add 70ml of the water from the kettle, the tiniest sprinkle of Redmond’s real salt, and 10g (absolute max) raw honey into the chawan. Gently but furiously, whisk into a “Z” formation as if you are in a class where your professor speaks like he cannot get the words out fast enough, but you want to maintain the beauty of your lecture notes. Whisk until a layer of foam appears and everything is beautiful.
Pour out the matcha into a different glass. Add a lot of ice cubes. Top off your drink with 5-6oz/147-177ml of local whole milk. Bonus points if you foam up the milk first for a great mouthfeel (or just for ritualistic entertainment since I use a glass straw when I drink this 80% of the time).
Enjoy!
You can also use a rechargeable coffee frother if you lack a chawan. The ritual aspect is gone, but it might be easier on the go, and you can still be happy. The only difference is you must use enough water that the machine will whisk it.