But coffee was always there for me. American culture seems to have positioned it to be a magical potion, and I bought into it big time. Feeling tired? Coffee. Stressed? Coffee. Need an emotional pick-me-up? Coffee. Afternoon slump? Coffee. Instead of approaching it from a functional standpoint, coffee became a mental and emotional crutch. I’d had matcha before and wasn’t sold—it was too grassy and bitter for my taste. But after a trip to a matcha shop near work, I decided it was time to try a full month of matcha. For me, the tipping point was convenience. I don’t brew coffee at home; I buy it daily, so being able to pick up a matcha was key. Also, it was February—the shortest month of the year—I figured I could do it for 28 days. And so I did. I’m not gonna lie; the first week was rough. I endured withdrawal headaches, but they were never as bad as relinquishing caffeine altogether. I also learned the hard lesson that not all matcha is created equal. I got a few matchas at other restaurants and matcha shops in the city, but none were as good as the single-origin Hikari I was drinking. “Single origin” means it all comes from the same farm and allows for better quality control. If you’re switching from coffee to matcha, I recommend getting a higher grade, at least at first, to help with the taste. Moving forward, I’m going to stick to matcha save for one day a week. I’ll always love the taste of espresso, but now that my body has “recalibrated” from the cumulative effects of coffee, it can handle the intensity. My only regret is not trying it sooner.
