The scope and scale of “energy” drinks on the market today never cease to amaze me. They’re everywhere, in local markets, gas station minimarts, supermarket chains, department stores, even in vending machines. Why do people buy these things? They contain so many controversial ingredients — taurine,
The Japanese tea ceremony is a thing of unquestionable intrigue, beauty, and sheer historical awesomeness. It is triply so when performed and enjoyed within the context in which it arose: in some lovely wabisabi spot in Japan, ideally at a zen temple, which is where the whole thing really started. I
I’ve never understood why people ask, “Are you a cat person or a dog person?” Why the dichotomy? Isn’t it possible to love both? Of course it is; I have a special thing for both. It’s the same with matcha and coffee. People seem amazed when I tell them that I still drink coffee, as if [...]
Most of us agree that we feel awfully good after drinking a thick cup of matcha. Part of the reason behind feeling good is surely a placebo effect: you have this creamy, electric-green drink made of 100 percent baby green tea leaves and nothing else. It looks delicious and tastes even better. We jus
Am I addicted to matcha? Probably. But what does this mean exactly? The most common definition of addiction is probably something like: the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences. The most obvious addictions that fit this definition for many people are ab
When we drink matcha, we’re actually drinking a plant. Not the extract of a plant, mind you: the actual plant itself.The leaves of this gorgeous plant are plucked by hand, then steamed to preserve their brilliant color, then dried, then finely ground using specially designed grooved granite wheels.
For most of us, it’s common sense that tea is made with boiling water. Plonk tea bag in cup, add boiling water, steep, toss bag, drink. The end. How do we break free of fixed ideas like these? The brain has many ingenious ways of dealing with complexity, and a prominent one is to categorize informat
I recently had the opportunity to have a cup of matcha with the fascinating and inspiring Tynan, a young entrepreneur who’s obsessed with living a fulfilling and adventure-packed life. We hung out in his remarkable RV — parked behind a gas station in SF — which he has customized to an almost unimagi
I grew up with Red Rose tea bags, a blend of black and orange pekoe teas. My mother liked to make a cup in the evenings, after dinner, and I felt sophisticated whenever I joined her for a cup. She bought the 100-bag box at our local grocery store, and couldn’t have (wouldn’t have) paid [...]
