Matcha Made in Heaven: Go green with Potion Matcha pop-ups

It was only a matter of time before matcha made a comeback. It’s 2019 and if we know one thing, the phone eats first.

Mix it into your morning smoothie and you’re sipping on a bright-green elixir packed with caffeine and antioxidants without the afternoon crash thanks to L-theanine. Add the powder to your pancakes for a healthier take on a breakfast classic. Or, if you’re talented enough, you can transform it into pearls to garnish your fresh oysters. Be warned, though, this method is best left to the matcha masters like Chloe Emmons of Potion Matcha.

Oysters with matcha pearls is just one of the many ways Emmons is taking the traditional Japanese ceremony tea and infusing it with modern takes. Her pop-ups took going green to a whole new level as nearly every menu option is that iconic bright green color, or at least featuring it. From iced matcha with fruit purees down to the biodegradable drinking straws made from hay, everything is also completely vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.

The menus at her pop-ups are constantly changing, but have featured the likes of peaches and cream iced matcha, a combination of peach puree with iced matcha and oat milk. The subtle green tea sweetnesses combined with the powerful punch of peach and the creamy oat milk makes you wonder how something so healthy can taste so good.

For Emmons, getting matcha into your diet can be as simple as adding it to your chia seed pudding for lunch, or going a step forward by whipping up some vegan ice cream with frozen bananas, oat milk, cinnamon, your favorite fruit, and a pinch of matcha.

“I love making my morning matcha at home using the customary chawan and chasen […] as a way to slow down and really focus my energy on setting good intentions for the day,” Emmons said.

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The idea of focusing energy and setting good intentions dates back to the origins of the tea. Originally, it was used in important rituals to represent tranquility, purity, respect, and harmony, Emmons explained.

“Drinking matcha has been life-changing for me,” she said. “From my morning ritual enhancing my mental state, to physical changes in hair, skin, and nails—thanks chlorophyll!—to detoxifying and strengthening my immune system. I had no idea this tea would become such an integral part of my life.”

And by hair, skin, and nails, she means that literally. Potion Matcha offers a matcha-based face and body mask which helps hydrate skin as well as clear and shrink pores. If you don’t think matcha-based shampoo exists, you have some googling to do.

When it comes to scoring some matcha for yourself, Emmons recommends caution from sources overselling the benefits of it. She notes to recognize the difference between conventional matcha which might be cut with sugar or low-grade green dye to create that iconic color. There’s also loose leaf matcha which is similar, but used for diffrent applications. If you’re looking for the powder version, Potion Matcha offers it in 2-ounce bags on its website. As for a brick-and- mortar location, a rm date isn’t set yet, but plans are in the works for a Downtown/Olde Towne East location.

Potion Matcha also has a special whisk for creating your concoctions, and beyond just looking cool, the bamboo whisk is perfect for proper blending. Plus, we’ll admit it, it’s just cool.

“A bamboo whisk is crucial in making sure you’re getting rid of clumps, creating a homogenous mixture and forming a nice foam on top. Plus it’s really fun!”

For all future dates of Potion Matcha pop-ups, check out @PotionMatchaBar on Instagram.

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