Matcha is just bitter grass in a cup and I’m tired of pretending it’s good

r/

I’ve given matcha so many chances. Every time I’m left wondering how people manage to pretend it tastes good. To me it tastes like powdered spinach mixed with regret.
Yes, it’s packed with antioxidants and yes it’s a cleaner caffeine, but that doesn’t change the fact that it tastes like a damp lawn. I honestly believe people are drinking it more for the aesthetic and Instagram factor than the actual flavor.

Comments

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  2. Some_nerd_______ Avatar

    I’m sure all the people who’ve been drinking matcha for thousands of years are absolutely doing it for internet clout. You’re right. 

  3. setzerseltzer Avatar

    I think you’re projecting when you say “most of us”

  4. Letywolf Avatar

    It’s basically Mate (argentinian herb drink) for basic white girls.

  5. Afraid_Evidence_6142 Avatar

    Coffee just a bitter bean mixed with water

  6. Sad_Hannibal Avatar

    Have you tried not drinking it? 

  7. sidewisetraveler Avatar

    Oh Oh Oh! Now do kombucha!

  8. Optimal-Bag-5918 Avatar

    Hot matcha smells like cow breath 🐄

  9. ImAlreadyTracerBoii Avatar

    I can’t drink matcha it makes me gag because it tastes like grass to me so agreed here. Beautiful color though

  10. KoroSensei1231 Avatar

    It’s good with milk and a bit of honey.

  11. OrganizationWarm2110 Avatar

    matcha is good as fuck when it is made right (not from starbucks)

  12. IllegalIranianYogurt Avatar

    If you want to be reductive, everything is ‘just’ something

  13. EverybodyLovesTimmy Avatar

    why were you pretending to begin with?

  14. PopEnvironmental1335 Avatar

    I like the earthiness but I agree it does taste like grass.

  15. TheGargageMan Avatar

    The few times I’ve had it, it was ice-cream and it was pretty good.

  16. AnonymousResponder00 Avatar

    One of my strongest up votes ever in this group. It’s weird.

  17. DragonfruitLover1357 Avatar

    It’s an acquired taste for me. However you have to get REAL matcha and I do add sweetener

  18. Commmercial_Crab4433 Avatar

    Ok, but I like bitter grass in a cup. That’s the good part.

  19. Emilytea14 Avatar

    I love matcha. Coffee makes me anxious, but matcha makes me sleepy. I also just love the taste- especially sweetened. Matcha flavoured ice cream, matcha lattes, matcha frozen drinks- and I’ve never taken a single picture of any of them. 🙂 Everybody’s got preferences

  20. Fearless_Freya Avatar

    I have also disliked everything I’ve tried matcha in

  21. glwillia Avatar

    i like it, but i also like bitter tastes in general (beer, black coffee)

  22. BusinessForeign7052 Avatar

    I’ve never had matcha…

  23. Mpulsive_Aries Avatar

    My daughter made me try it, taste like dirt.

  24. LarryBird27 Avatar

    Matcha? Gotcha.

  25. theduckthat3 Avatar

    Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re supposed to mix it with some sweetener.

  26. Delicious-Chapter675 Avatar

    Try hojicha.  Roasted green tea.  Delicious.

  27. myboyfriendsbraces Avatar

    It tastes good mixed with other stuff that sweetens it up a bit, but so that the matcha is still the main flavor. It can be subtley sweet… and delicious. Do people actually drink that stuff without other ingredients? I suppose it’d be akin to taking your coffee black, then.

  28. cottoncandymandy Avatar

    Why would you pretend to like it?

  29. Snake_Eyes_163 Avatar

    I’m completely in agreement with you, there’s some mass hysteria going on with matcha. I don’t believe anyone actually thinks it tastes good. It’s a mental projection because of the health benefits.

  30. foofyschmoofer8 Avatar

    Spends entire life in India, wonders why his matcha tastes bad.

    1. You didn’t prepare it correctly
    2. It’s probably shit matcha although this matters less
    3. You didn’t prepare it correctly, probably tried mixing it like chai. It’s meant to be heavily sweetened

    Please at least have 1 Japanese matcha dessert before you start spouting off your uncultured nonsense

  31. flarbas Avatar

    I keep thinking if I were to find a real foolproof way to mix it so it wasn’t so gritty, that would solve a lot of the problems I have with it.

  32. justinhveld Avatar

    Cocoa just bitter mud water in a cup.

  33. Squaredandleveled Avatar

    I drink it everyday and agree. I mix mine with ogicha and cinnamon. It makes it palatable.

  34. -xXxMangoxXx- Avatar

    Matcha has been popular for a thousand years. You think they were doing it for the aesthetic? I hate coffee, will only ever drink it if it’s filled with milk/cream, other flavours and copious amounts of sugar, and there’s plenty of people that agree with me. Does that mean everyone that likes coffee is a liar?

  35. ace1oak Avatar

    i love matcha and actually prefer to drink it as tea and not as a latte, if you dont like it though dont drink it, i dont understand people trying to force themselves to like something just cause its trendy

  36. theysquawk Avatar

    I feel the same way about coffee, i never understood how people could drink (specifically talkin about black coffee) something so bitter and leaves a cigarette after taste, first thing in the morning.

  37. ripersnifle23 Avatar

    You just have to accept that people like different things like a proper adult (if you are). I also don’t like matcha, but I know people that genuinely enjoy and order it on a regular basis without the need to post it on social media. Surely you also like something that some would not agree with.

  38. softhi Avatar

    Only bad matcha tastes like grass. The good one doesn’t.

    I like matcha but most matcha you find in cafe/boba place/”white” supermarket taste like grass.

  39. riceewifee Avatar

    As a lover of the lawn clippings jelly bean, it’s not the same taste at all! I like the earthiness of matcha but grass has a brighter, more layered taste

  40. Reasonable_Beat43 Avatar

    Incredible similes.

  41. alpha_60 Avatar

    Why are you pretending to like it?

  42. uuusagi Avatar

    I find the taste of coffee to be far too bitter for me. Matcha is more mild and the caffeine release is gradual as opposed to the instant energy boost then hard crash of coffee. Just a matter of taste preference.

  43. gatorhinder Avatar

    Matcha is the same as really hoppy IPAs. Nasty but everyone fears to demonstrate their lack of refinement by admitting they suck.

  44. ApingMeCray Avatar

    Sweeten that SOB! Add good milk for a latte. Otherwise yeah. Bitter grass.

  45. sSyler14 Avatar

    This remind me of posts that says coffee is just bean water.

    Flavor is very subjective. That said I agree that most commercial matcha is ass, the high quality stuff gives a much better experience. The flavor is pleasantly complex that goes down smoothly, it has this subtle nutty and sweet taste to it with little bitterness, there’s still the grassy taste but it’s not as loud.

    The reality here is that cafes, or most other places, don’t do matcha justice, it’s prepared haphazardly in shit condition with low quality powder.

  46. mooliciousness Avatar

    I’m actually not sure you’re having 1st harvest matcha.

    1st harvest matcha looks like…radioactive green and it has a mild nutty sweetness and THAT shit is absolutely heavenly. And insanely expensive. And you should keep it at a steady temperature and little to NO oxygen because the more it darkens and browns the more bitter it becomes.

    2nd harvest is pretty good too but matcha at places like Starbucks is generally not treated right and looks 3rd harvest.

  47. post-capitalist Avatar

    I remember when I was a kid thinking (black) tea was just old leaves stirred in hot water and tasted like it.

    It does and I love it.

  48. darcmosch Avatar

    Next you’ll say tea is just hot leaf juice…

  49. bibbybrinkles Avatar

    yes that’s one way to describe green tea is grassy. you’d really love sencha lol

  50. HubrisOfApollo Avatar

    Matcha is severely underrated as an energy and mood booster. It gives me a level of focus that rivals Adderall. I only use ceremonial grade.

    I like getting a scoop of it and mixing it with orange juice. The bitterness compliments the tartness.

  51. duowolf Avatar

    it’s great in cakes and chocolate

  52. lupuscapabilis Avatar

    “Most of us”

  53. Delicious_Leading600 Avatar

    This is how I feel about kale.. dirt with a rubbery attitude.

  54. GypsyRosebikerchic Avatar

    Why would you ever even once pretend to like something you hate? Seriously, why even try if it’s so gross? I’ve never tried it, never had an inkling to. Just be you. Life is too short and stressful to worry about anything other than you, the people who love you and living a life with purpose. I’m pretty sure matcha has nothing to do with any of that.

  55. DJ-Jolly-J Avatar

    2 teaspoons matcha, 4oz boiled water, 21grams of organic honey all whisked up.
    Add 1 cup of almond milk and ice that bad boy. Can’t tell me that’s not a refreshing beverage…down here in Texas I like being able to drink a healthy caffeinated cold beverage instead of hot coffee before working under the sun.

  56. thelyfeaquatic Avatar

    What is “cleaner caffeine”???

  57. whats_up_doc71 Avatar

    Not a huge fan of the taste but it’s a great way to get caffeine

  58. traitorgiraffe Avatar

    i am not sure this is unpopular, I am asian and matcha sucks. My family treats me like I don’t know math for hating matcha

  59. couldntyoujust1 Avatar

    “Powdered spinach mixed with regret”

    I once described a basket of mac and cheese bites from Movie Tavern in a similarly humorous way. I got their “mac and cheese” when they first opened and it was delightful! It was like mac and cheese that was super cheesy with cheese and bread crumb crumbles on top and it was heavenly! So the next time I went a few months later and ordered the same thing, they gave me a basket of mac and cheese bites… I was SO disappointed. I was pissed! It turns out the mac and cheese dish I had before was no longer on the menu but these mac and cheese bites were. So I told the guys I went to the theater with that it was “a basket full of lies!”

    Another time, Dominos had just rolled out their specialty chicken and a friend of mine and I were doing DnD on the regular. I volunteered to order us pizza and decided “you know what? I wanna try their new chicken thing, let’s order a box.” We did. It was a sorry excuse for chicken bites. So I dubbed it the “box full of sadness” to his amusement.

  60. ninethirtyman Avatar

    Why were you pretending to like it? 

  61. StrawbraryLiberry Avatar

    “Bitter grass in a cup” I fail to see the problem. Sign me up!

  62. C__Wayne__G Avatar

    Stick to your bean water. More matcha for me

  63. laughing_cat Avatar

    I love it, but I’ve never had it the traditional way. I put 1 teaspoon in a bottled water and shake. So refreshing!

  64. WolverineFun6472 Avatar

    Cleaner caffeine?

  65. tucky22 Avatar

    I have disliked every matcha ive tried EXCEPT this one place called Igniis right next to me in Sydney. Ran by Japanese people and it just tastes spectacular, served with a bit of cinnamon on top. Its my favourite hot drink ever just from this one specific place.

  66. thecarolinelinnae Avatar

    > powdered spinach and regret

    > damp lawn

    Accurate, and I agree.

  67. awesome_possum007 Avatar

    Giving that bitter grass some sugar really makes it tasty

  68. BumpyMcBumpers Avatar

    I haven’t had it, so I have no opinion on the matcha itself. But dude, you don’t have to pretend you like it if you don’t. That’s on you.

  69. okokokok78 Avatar

    tea in general is all mid to me

  70. ThunderbirdClarinet Avatar

    You’ve probably got several comments talking about getting good quality matcha already, now I’m gonna ask, have you tried different sweeteners/flavorings/drink types? If you’re a fan of sweet drinks then some sugar or vanilla syrup could help you enjoy your matcha latte. I know someone who dislikes plain matcha lattes but enjoys a strawberry matcha or a matcha lemonade because they’re so sweet and fruity

  71. michaltee Avatar

    I mean, that’s YOUR preference. Give us something you like so we can break it down and tell you why it sucks.

  72. CrAZiBoUnCeR Avatar

    MATCHA IS 🔥

  73. prefix_code_16309 Avatar

    My wife and daughter love this stuff. Nasty, imo.

  74. BasilProfessional744 Avatar

    Yeah Macha sucks I agree, I don’t think this is too unpopular

  75. SamLooksAt Avatar

    Beer tastes like 4am sweat, but it’s still very popular.

    People just like different things is all.

  76. pavlov_the_dog Avatar

    Do Not Use Boiling Water.

  77. rumdrums Avatar

    I also find it gross but love gyokuro, which is the tea they use for matcha. Just steep the leaves like regular tea instead of grinding them up.

  78. ClydeStyle Avatar

    Is this unpopular? I’ve been claiming its lawn clippings for ages… never knew I had to distinguish between ‘green tea’ and ‘matcha’ either until after I made that mistake.

  79. TankFoster Avatar

    Why have you been pretending it’s good if you don’t like it?

  80. Potential_Bill2083 Avatar

    Who is making you pretend it’s good?

  81. FutureHot3047 Avatar

    “I don’t like so that means it’s impossible for others to like it.” It’s fine if you don’t like matcha, not everyone does. You’re also ignoring how many people drank it before the internet.

    People do not pretend it tastes good, they like it because they like different things than you. You do not have to like the same thing as everyone else.

  82. snootyworms Avatar

    You *have* been getting it with milk and sugar, right?

  83. Potential_Bill2083 Avatar

    Matcha likely originated in the Tang Dynasty, as in, years 600-900 roughly, so I think you’re maybe overestimating its significance in America a bit compared to the eastern half of the world

  84. QueenofCats28 Avatar

    I’ve had good matcha, and it does not taste like bitter grass.

  85. Apprehensive_Yak2598 Avatar

    To translate: I can’t understand that I’m not the only person in the world. I am also a faker who pretends to like popular things because I’m a sheep so therefore everyone else must be pretending too. 

  86. evergreen-8880 Avatar

    Humans experience taste differently. Our taste buds and nervous systems vary a lot. Some people feel the bitter flavors more strongly. For me, a lot of stuff others describe as “bitter” (for example coffee) tastes creamy, caramelly, or even sweet. It’s as if they can only sense the bitter, and miss out on all the other flavours. I eat raw slices of broccoli stems as candy because the middle is sweet, kind of like bamboo shoots. I also tend to munch on fresh lemons, they’re so good. I don’t understand why others don’t do that, like, it’s just a fruit. And matcha is delicious if you don’t screw it up.

  87. Tallon_raider Avatar

    What’s really going on is Starbucks absolutely butchering perfectly good coffee drinks.

  88. drewkep7 Avatar

    I agree but a tad bit of cream goes a long way.

  89. Nimue_- Avatar

    And to me, coffee tastes like hate mixed with bitter orphan tears. Everyone likes different things. I haooen to love matcha. I enjoy the grassy flavour. Just like to me, cilantro tastes like soap but i kinda like it

  90. -Cinnay- Avatar

    …they’re not pretending. Idk why you’re acting like you can’t understand the concept of subjectivity.

  91. Altostratus Avatar

    I love the taste of bitter grass. My green tea. My hoppy beer. My weed.

  92. Vaash75 Avatar

    It’s not for you. Why are you trying to make it for you.

  93. prostheticaxxx Avatar

    I love matcha and I’ll be glad when its no longer trending bc u fucks are using up my stock

  94. keIIzzz Avatar

    I feel the same way about people who love coffee or alcohol. It’s all just personal preference. I love matcha and the earthy flavor. I’m a tea person in general.

  95. Defiant-Extent-485 Avatar

    Tastes like kratom

  96. lizpowwow Avatar

    You don’t need to pretend it’s good

  97. lil_lychee Avatar

    It sounds like you’re either drinking bad quality matcha, or burnt matcha. There are different tiers of matcha just like coffee. You can get a burnt cup of coffee at McDonald’s or a nice pour over at a fancy coffee shop. Those two are not the same. It shouldn’t taste like bitter grass. It shouldn’t be heavily bitter. It should be earthy and balanced.

  98. biggus_baddeus Avatar

    You’re worried about this more than you should be. It’s ok to not like it man.

  99. _awkward_ask_ Avatar

    To me, it tastes more like spanich

  100. lodemeup Avatar

    Ah yes but good matcha tastes like bitter grass in a cup, but fancy and I’m all about that shit.

  101. Typical-Tradition687 Avatar

    People like different things. You might want to a refresher on that concept. When it comes to food I’d never consume something regularly I don’t genuinely enjoy the taste of. I love matcha and drink it in a black travel thermos. Deluded to think people are drinking it for the “aesthetic”

  102. Necessary-Fondue Avatar

    Went to a tea ceremony in Japan and learned that the proper way to drink it involves letting a sweet sugar candy melt in your mouth as you drink it, to help with the bitterness.

  103. Prize_Sort5983 Avatar

    Who’s making you pretend?

  104. meomeo118 Avatar

    it is def a trend. I used to hate matcha so much because of how bitter it is too. The only reason why I am switching it is because it is a better source of caffein. but now seeing everyone hyping over it.. it’s crazy

  105. Fancy_Holiday6187 Avatar

    Coffee is bitter too, and people love it. Just add sugar if you can’t handle it- or just don’t drink it

  106. DRN0R3SPWN Avatar

    I once tried matcha from a cafe that I liked in Munich. Their coffee is excellent, but their matcha is just hot grass water in a cup. I’ve never tried matcha after that

  107. StaggerLee509 Avatar

    If you’re living a life where you have w to pretend matcha is good you gotta get better friends

  108. vivec7 Avatar

    I don’t really drink it, but the few times I have I quite enjoyed it.

    But I also really love the taste of kava, which is apparently not considered a nice flavour by most of the people I’ve mentioned it to.

  109. DudeCrabb Avatar

    Everytime I get to from Starbucks it’s weirdly fishy. I love matcha though. I’m a guy, and I don’t follow many trends at all. My girlfriend introduced me to it and it’s one of my favorites

  110. TheVoxAlchemist Avatar

    Funny, I absolutely love the taste, but it smells like a dirty fish tank to me.

  111. how_long_can_the_nam Avatar

    You can believe whatever you want, but you’re wrong. People like it. I like it.
    I dislike coffee, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does too.

    Disliking matcha isn’t the unpopular part of this post, it’s your statement that everyone who says they like it is lying. It’s asinine.

  112. palatablezeus Avatar

    If you don’t like it then you don’t like it. Why would you keep forcing yourself to try it?

  113. FoggyInc Avatar

    A little liquid sugar or honey and you’ve got a deal

  114. Alternative-Soup2714 Avatar

    I drink it for the health effects, not the taste. Coffee was making me anxious. I was having memory issues as well (unrelated to coffee). I read about the l-theanine in matcha and made the switch. I feel a lot better every day. I mix mine with sugar but I did that with coffee so I’m having the same amount of sugar as before only now I’m also getting l-theanine and I’m not as anxious.

    I do enjoy the taste when it has sugar mixed in. I don’t enjoy it without sugar… but I’d say the same about the taste of coffee.

  115. Arqideus Avatar

    I’ve had matcha lates and it just tastes like grass flavored bitter milk. Flashbacks to middle school when they put in a vending machine of flavored milk. I tried them all and they were all just so bad.

  116. ReturningAlien Avatar

    Same with tea. The taste you dislike is what we like. Baaaa 😁

  117. Fit_Peanut_8801 Avatar

    You don’t have to pretend it’s good if you don’t think it is

  118. YOBlob Avatar

    Have you considered that other people have different preferences and they aren’t just pretending to like things that you don’t?

  119. Th3Giorgio Avatar

    I used to think this until I regained sensibility to sugar, and now I love matcha

  120. BuffWobbuffet Avatar

    The amount of butthurt people in this comment section is hilarious

  121. jarstein96 Avatar

    I live in the Japan and the way that they eat and drink matcha here is so different than what I’ve had in America

    Here matcha often seems to be combined with something sweet. They have matcha flavored ice cream and matcha flavored chocolate. It’s in cakes and cookies. And the matcha lattes here are often very sweet

    And if you drink just a cup of straight matcha, they bring it to you with some traditional wagashi (Japanese sweets). You’re supposed to take a bite of the wagashi and then a sip of the matcha and the flavors combine in your mouth. It becomes very sweet

    The sweet flavor combined with the matcha is super delicious and I’m a huge fan. I always try matcha flavored products whenever I have the opportunity

    In America, my impression is that people drink just straight matcha which, I agree with you, is not my favorite. Maybe if you tried matcha with a little sweetness, you would like it more?

  122. TrainingWestern2633 Avatar

    What’s a cleaner caffeine? Genuinely interested.

  123. sacred_bleu_cheese Avatar

    culinary grade is not the same as ceremonial grade and you’re probably scalding the culinary grade with boiling water.

  124. kellyguacamole Avatar

    Why would you pretend it’s good? Who is forcing you to do that?

  125. Leading-Tear5159 Avatar

    gif

    Still good though

  126. natziel Avatar

    I’ve learned over the years that I’m just really not sensitive to bitter flavors and sometimes it’s very surprising learning that people think some things are bitter. Like who knew that matcha was bitter? Wild

  127. wtrredrose Avatar

    I’ve tried a lot of matcha. Bad matcha tastes like grass. Good matcha doesn’t.

  128. TinnieTa21 Avatar

    The only worse-tasting flavour is early grey. Both taste like death.

  129. Michael_CrawfishF150 Avatar

    I fuckin love matcha. I could eat the powder straight up (although I haven’t tried this).

  130. trendoll Avatar

    I love tea, don’t really like matcha. Honestly most sencha isn’t my jam either. The only Japanese teas I drink regularly are genmai and houjicha.

  131. CookiesToGo Avatar

    Some people love it, some people don’t and that is fine

  132. Trivi4 Avatar

    Have you tried it with tonic?

  133. superbusyrn Avatar

    Bitter grass? Damp lawn? Be still my taste buds! OP definitely wasn’t ripped away from eating random greenery in the yard as a kid and it shows.

  134. PhuckNorris69 Avatar

    Have you tried wheat grass? That shit is fucking gross

  135. Icy_Construction5602 Avatar

    Agreed. It’s tastes like photosynthesis

  136. Flashbackhumour28 Avatar

    Lol, I posted a very similar thing on the subject of Brioche and the Mods deleted it because it should have been on r/self.

  137. Quetas83 Avatar

    So true and rice is just beans with water and meat is just a hot dead animal, and don’t get me started on potatoes, a growth full of dirt in my plate??

  138. BabelTowerOfMankind Avatar

    Milk is just carbohydrates in a cup

    Juice is just sugar in a bottle

    Water is just hydrogen in a mug

  139. ceelogreenicanth Avatar

    Just don’t drink it, you don’t have to like everything.

  140. ScrambledWaves Avatar

    Trust me, try the brand “Perfect Ted.” It tastes amazing.
    I didn’t like matcha either, but I heard somebody explain how if it’s not of a certain quality it tastes like grAss.
    Ceremonial grade is a whole different world.

  141. DigitalStefan Avatar

    “Antioxidants” is a meaningless, faux-health, unregulated marketing term.

  142. Pixikr Avatar

    Yes. I love the tangy taste. Same as I love plain coffee and plain black and green tea. That’s the point.

  143. msing Avatar

    It is quite a unique flavor that I never imagined gaining so much popularity outside of Japan. I understand in Japan they do have a huge preference of green tea. I grew up drinking tea, my grandfather grew team on a farm, my uncle met his wife on a tea farm, and I am still an avid drinker of tea. Matcha tastes like green tea. Green tea is in my culture, but it’s not consumed daily. The most popular preference among people seem to be black tea (called red tea here). There’s more elegant, refined teas that may or may not be green (some get oxidized, and still have a rich floral taste). I do feel like it became popular as the young western population tried to follow the same trends as Japan.

    There are other grass/herbal flavors which aren’t necessarily matcha, but are native in Asia. I think Mesona in grass jelly tastes a hell of a lot like rum, the spirit. Ube is amazing and gaining popularity. Lemongrass is popular in cooking meats.

  144. scaryclown148 Avatar

    But it helps me poop

  145. Yoldark Avatar

    It’s an acquired taste.