Matcha has taken the social-media world by storm with beautiful images of vibrant green lattes and tea-infused sweet treats circling the internet. On 9 May, Hong Kong’s first home-grown contemporary matcha brand MATCHALI opens its debut shop, initially for a period of six months, in Landmark, Central.
High in antioxidants, which help protect the liver, boost brain function, assist weight loss and promote a healthy heart, the green tea powder has been enjoyed in Japan for centuries as part of their traditional tea ceremonies. To increase the amount of chlorophyll the leaves produce, which gives the powder its bright green colour, the green tea is grown on bushes kept in the shade and ground for an hour in a dark room to protect the nutrients.
MATCHALI continues this tradition turning ceremonial-grade matcha, sourced by cousins Cara and Laura Li from a fifth-generation tea processing facility in Uji, Kyoto, into creative drinks. There’s a summer-y watermelon and passionfruit matcha, the simple matchacano for purists, matcha lattes and a traditional hand-whisked matcha. That latter will be meticulously prepared at a designated counter in the pocket-sized millennial pink shop.
