Toronto's matcha scene is exploding right now. It seems like everyone is adding matcha to their menus, from Toronto's cutest cafés to the best bakeries in the city. Now that even Tim Hortons has jumped on the matcha bandwagon, you know you're late to the party if you haven't already been sipping on a matcha latte. But is matcha a new wellness staple that's here to stay or just another craze like the pickle trend?
Not to sound like a flannel-wearing hipster from 2015, but I've been drinking matcha since long before it was cool. At least once a year, I do a coffee cleanse when I give up the go-go juice and attempt to kick my addiction and reset my tolerance. For about a month, I swap out espresso for teas, including matcha. After three terrible days of hating everyone and everything, I no longer need coffee like Spongebob needs water. And after a week of drinking matcha, I feel uh-mazing.
Matcha offers what I would describe as a much cleaner caffeinated feeling than coffee. Rather than a jolt of energy (which often comes with jitters, anxiety and an eventual slump), drinking matcha is a smoother feeling of awake-ness. It's similar to the vibrancy you might experience right after exercising or shortly after you've come down from doing a cold-plunge. It's also packed with antioxidants that could contribute to overall health, while some studies suggest that it could even improve blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure; promote fat-burning; and aid digestion. It's no wonder wellness junkies in Toronto are all over matcha all of a sudden.
While you might not be getting the health benefits in a dessert, matcha is undeniably delicious. With its umami, slightly bitter flavour, matcha has the perfect notes to balance out sweet treats and give them a certain complexity, unlike fruity options which can be overpoweringly sugary.
It's not just Toronto that's recently discovered matcha, though. Global demand for the green tea has risen so much that we're on the brink of a matcha shortage that could start driving the prices up. Specially processed from shade-grown leaves, matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that originated in China, but was popularized in Japan, which is now responsible for the bulk of production. The traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony revolves around preparing and serving matcha as a hot tea.
Whipping the powder into a drink by hand is a lot of work, and the cost of buying a matcha latte every day can rack up real quick. Pro tip: I buy ceremonial grade matcha from Canadian health food store, Healthy Planet, and pop it into my frother with the milk of my choosing (almond) and voilà — an easy iced or hot matcha latte in minutes.
If you do want to jump on the bandwagon, there are endless possibilities for enjoying matcha in Toronto right now. Here are some of the most interesting and delicious treats, lattes and more to try at Toronto's matcha cafés and beyond.
Toronto's matcha cafés, lattes and treats to try
1. Tsuchi Cafe's matcha latte
688 College St.
OK, don't run away — this entirely vegan spot in Toronto is beloved for its drinks, desserts and snacks. The only entirely plant-based café in the city that's Japanese, Tsuchi Cafe delivers on fluffy pastries, delicious sandwiches and luxuriously creamy drinks (all without the use of animal products), and the iced matcha latte is no exception.
2. Pilot Coffee Roaster's Mango Sticky Rice Matcha
Multiple locations
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I've loved Pilot's coffee for years — the take-home beans and their in-store drinks — but now they have a brand-new summer drink that has been going viral on TikTok. Their Mango Sticky Rice Matcha is a must-try for anyone as obsessed with matcha as I am. It's layered with tropical mango puree, coconut milk and toasted rice.
3. Icha Tea's matcha powder and matcha latte
Multiple locations
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This specialty tea store imports and sells loose leaf teas of all kinds, from everyday options to fancier varieties, including matcha powder, so you can make your own matcha drinks and desserts at home. They're also touted as having one of the best matcha lattes in the city, along with matcha bubble tea and other drinks.
4. Uncle Tetsu's Matcha Cheesecake and Matcha Cheese Tart
Multiple Locations
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I've been in love with Uncle Tetsu's Japanese cheesecake since they first landed in Toronto and had lineups down the block. Now the dessert shop has added a matcha latte, matcha cheesecake and matcha cheese tarts to their lineup.
5. Matcha Matcha's Matcha Coco Cloud and Matcha soft serve
Multiple locations
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Matcha is the specialty here, and it comes in just about everything on the menu. There's the Matcha Coco Cloud, coconut water topped with a smooth and creamy puff of matcha; the Matcha Latte Float, a matcha latte topped with matcha soft serve; and a Strawberry Matcha Latte. Then there's all the desserts like Matcha Matcha Roll Cake, Matcha Canelé and Matcha Biscuit Sandos — ya, it's going to be a cheat day.
6. Bloom Café's Matcha Sundae and matcha pastries
Multiple locations
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In addition to matcha lattes, Bloom offers a number of matcha-flavoured pastries and sweet treats. For the summer, cool down with their limited-edition Matcha Sundae.
7. Kream Dessert's Matcha Kream Bomb and Mega Scoop Matcha Latte
526 Yonge St.
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Yes, square croissants are still a thing, and Kream Dessert has one that blends Ontario farm milk cream with Korean organic matcha powder. If you're not matcha'd out, pair it with their Mega Scoop Matcha Latte, a sweet treat that's topped with a big scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.
8. Forget Me Not Coffee's Banana Bread Matcha Latte
Multiple locations
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Matcha is more of a sidekick in this much-hyped drink that went viral because it actually tastes like a slice of banana bread (with a hint of matcha), rather than that fake banana flavour we all remember from our childhoods.
