Nescafé joins the Matcha trend

Nescafé has announced that it has created the world's first Matcha pod for its Nescafé Dolce Gusto machine. Matcha is a finely powdered green tea that is especially high in antioxidants. It has been prepared, served and drunk during tea ceremonies in Japan for centuries, and now the powdered tea is gaining traction in the West. To be considered true matcha, Renee Creer from Perfect South, an Australasian Specialty Tea Association (AASTA) member, said the tea needs to be shade-grown. “Matcha has incredible superfood-style health benefits, and it can put you in a long state of relaxed concentration thanks to its unique properties,” said Creer. Sam James, founder of matcha specialist Kenko Tea said the matcha trend has been a long time coming. “I spend a fair bit of time in South East Asia and there is matcha-flavoured everything. It’s an ingredient, a flavour like chocolate or strawberry,” said James. Nescafé said it is rolling out the Dolce Gusto Uji Matcha capsules, using tea sourced from the Uji region near Kyoto, after successful trials in Hokkaido prefecture. The Japanese will have the opportunity to see how the pods compare to the traditional drink, when they hit the shelves nationwide this month.