Sweet Matcha Latte: Not Just Coffee, Charlotte NC

Gustatory: sweet

While in Charlotte, NC, I stopped by Not Just Coffee located in the 7th St. Public Market. The set-up of the coffee/tea bar is sleek and simple. They have a good selection of coffee (brewed in various ways), and lots of loose-leaf tea. With my copy of Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor was Divine (a poignant exploration of Japanese-American relations through a plurality of narrative voices) in hand, I went for the matcha latte.

This matcha powder comes premixed with cane sugar, so there’s no way of getting it unsweetened. The result is very sweet, where the presence of matcha tea becomes apparent nearly only as an aftertaste – and in the color of the drink, though too, which is a nice on-the-lighter-side green. There’s no risk of the latte being bitter – between the sugar and the load of really nicely frothed almond milk floating on top. A little bit too sugary for me, but then again, I was warned about the sweetness – it is called “Sweet Matcha Latte” after all.

How sweet do you like your matcha?

#matchalatte #CharlotteNC #sweet #JulieOtsuka #WhentheEmperorwasDivine