A matcha latte with a latte-art heart. Photo John Beans, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Nobody on record first served one: the sources show who put it on menus, not who invented it.
Matcha lattes
What it took directly
- statedDunkin's Matcha Lattes took from matcha powder from the Nishio region of Aichi, Japan"Dunkin’s Matcha Lattes feature high-quality Matcha green tea powder, produced in the Nishio region of Aichi prefecture, Japan, where the finest Matcha has been grown for more than 800 years." Dunkin’ press release, February 20, 2020
- statedBlank Street's Blueberry Matcha took from the chain's classic Matcha Latte, which it joined on the London menu in spring 2023"In Spring of 2023 we launched our Blueberry Matcha, joining the classic Matcha Latte on our menu. This drink was the first of its kind in London, and […] immediately caused a huge buzz" Ignacio Llado, Blank Street's UK managing director, to Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
- documentedThe coffee-chain matcha latte comes from Starbucks' Green Tea Latte, which has kept matcha on U.S. menus since 2006"Starbucks has had matcha on U.S. menus since the introduction of the Green Tea Latte in 2006" Bret Thorn, Nation's Restaurant News
What it learned to do
- documentedThe café matcha latte learned from the café habit of adding milk: matcha combined with milk or an alternative milk"In many modern cafes around the world, it’s combined with milk or an alternative milk to create a latte, and this is typically what you’ll find in most cafes serving matcha in the U.S." Devorah Lev-Tov, Vogue
- inferredThe matcha latte took from the espresso latte: sold as a coffee alternative, and built like one"Now Dunkin’, the brand that keeps on-the-go people running with great coffee and espresso, will offer the perfect coffee alternative to help deliver that much-needed mental break, with the introduction of new Matcha Lattes." inferred — Dunkin’ pitches its matcha lattes as “the perfect coffee alternative”; that the format copies the espresso latte is our reading, not Dunkin’s words
- statedCafés' matcha lattes learned from how simple matcha is to prepare: a powder whisked with hot water"Matcha, on the other hand, is relatively simple to prepare, in the sense that it comes in powder form that is whisked with hot water." Omar Shah, owner of Cafe Mama & Sons in London, to The Independent
- statedMatcha cafés' lattes learned from the familiar coffee-shop order, served beside hand-whisked matcha to meet guests where they are"The thought is to meet guests where it is recognizable and familiar, so while we do provide hand-whisked matcha service, we make matcha lattes as well" Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, Stonemill Matcha in San Francisco, to Vogue
- documentedThe iced, flavored matcha latte comes from a tea traditionally drunk hot and unsweetened, now often flavored and drunk cold"The Japanese powdered tea, milled from dried premium tea leaves, is traditionally drunk hot and unsweetened, but these days it’s often mixed with different flavors and frequently consumed cold." Bret Thorn, Nation's Restaurant News
The tradition it sits in
- documentedThe matcha latte comes from the Japanese practice of whisking powdered green tea into hot water, a meditative ritual by the 16th century"its consumption and preparation developed into a spiritual practice by the 16th century, the whisking of powdered green tea into hot water a meditative ritual." Kathryn Brand, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
- documentedThe matcha in the cup comes from shade-grown tea, a method invented centuries ago in Uji, Kyoto"Shading the tea leaves is a traditional characteristic of matcha production, and is a method invented centuries ago in Kyoto, Uji, Japan, and is now widespread" Kathryn Brand, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, relaying Tomoko Honda of Ippodo, a Kyoto tea company
Where the whole form comes from
- documentedThe matcha latte comes from the Japanese tea ceremony, a practice that began in China"a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, a practice that originated in China but has been a permanent part of Japanese culture since the 12th century" Kate Ng, The Independent
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