Product Information:
MatchaBooster is a ready-to-use matcha-based powder. It mixes easily in your favorite drink and can used as a cooking ingredient.
Boost up your lifestyle with Maeda-en MatchaBooster♪
Where to Buy: Maeda-en
Description:
Yuzu is a tart yellow citrus fruit that goes surprisingly well with matcha. Try the combination yourself and see!
Learn more about this MatchaBooster here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This is good. Just as I enjoyed the other MatchaBooster varieties from Maeda-En, I find myself enjoying this Yuzu flavored MatchaBooster.
For the purposes of this review, I first prepared it using 8 ounces of cold water and adding 1 level tablespoon of MatchaBooster powder. I poured the water into a glass and then added the MatchaBooster and gave it a vigorous stir. (I seem to have lost my favorite water bottle and haven’t had a chance to replace it!) There was no froth to speak of with this particular preparation.
While I do find this to be a tasty drink, it is quite sweet. If I were to change one thing about that, that’s what I’d change, I’d either want it to go lighter on the sugar or to cut the sugar all together and just have the Matcha, Maltodextrin and Yuzu Citrus Powder.
That said and trying to allow myself to see past the sweetness of this, I find this to be very tasty. The citrus flavor is strong, and it tastes a lot like orange to me. Maybe a slightly tarter orange, perhaps orange with a hint of lemon. The sugar does cut through some of the tarter notes, though, I’m sure!
Because it is very sweet, it’s difficult to taste much of the Matcha, and this tastes a lot to me like they’re trying to ‘mask’ the flavor of the Matcha for the people who don’t like Matcha but want the health benefits of it.
Personally, I like the flavor of Matcha and I find myself missing it. So for my next preparation (read: experiment), I used 16 ounces of water and used 1 tablespoon of this Yuzu MatchaBooster and 1/2 teaspoon of the Unflavored MatchaBooster.
Now, this is more my speed. With the sugar cut in half, I can taste the Matcha. The Yuzu is obviously a softer flavor too, but it still comes through nicely. I really prefer this product prepared this way.
Another great way to prepare it would be with 16 ounces of coconut water, 1 tablespoon of Yuzu MatchaBooster and 1/2 teaspoon of Unflavored MatchaBooster. The coconut and Yuzu taste so good together!
Product Review: Unsweetened MatchaBooster from Maeda-en
Product Information:
MatchaBooster is a ready-to-use matcha-based powder. It mixes easily in your favorite drink and can used as a cooking ingredient.
Boost up your lifestyle with Maeda-en MatchaBooster♪
Where to Buy: Maeda-en
Description:
Green tea’s smooth and fresh green flavor. Enjoy traditional Japanese green tea!
Learn more about this MatchaBooster here.
Taster’s Review:
I was very excited to receive my shipment of MatchaBooster products from Maeda-en. I have all four “flavors” – Sweetened, Yuzu, GenMai and this Unsweetened – and I figured that I’d start off with the basic Unsweetened variety and go from there.
This is a very versatile product! Unlike traditional Matcha, it requires no sifting. Just add it to whatever you want to boost with Matcha!
For the purposes of this review, I started out simply. I made it in my favorite water bottle that holds 16.9 ounces of water.
It was very easy to prepare. To promote your humble bottle of water to a bottle of Matcha on-the-go, just add 1/2 teaspoon to each 8 ounces of water. So, for the typical 16.9 ounce bottle of water, I took a swig of the water – it leaves enough “mixing” room that way – and then I add 1 teaspoon of this unsweetened MatchaBooster to the bottle and gave it a vigorous shake. It mixes quickly and easily. Instantly even! There are no lumps and no sediment at the bottom.
It tastes a lot like I added Matcha to my water bottle. Only I didn’t have to sift it, and when I add Matcha to my water bottle, inevitably … there are lumps. Little ones, but still, there are lumps and/or sediment at the bottom of the bottle. (Exception: when I’m using a Matcha product like this that’s intended for cold water bottle mixing – no lumps! That’s what makes this product great!)
It’s a little “lighter” in flavor than a traditional bowl of Matcha. It doesn’t have quite as much of that thick, creamy texture that you’d experience with a chawan of Matcha. It isn’t as dense or rich as that traditional Matcha would be. Instead, this is light and very pleasantly sweet. It’s a natural sweetness and unlike some Matcha, this isn’t “bittersweet”. There is no bitterness at all. It has a pleasant smoothness. It has a light vegetal flavor. It … well, it tastes like Matcha, except that it tastes and feels a little lighter, an extra thin Matcha.
It certainly makes that boring bottle of water taste a lot better!
So I decided to try this product in something else. I grabbed a bottle of pomegranate juice and I took a drink of the juice (again, to make room for the powder and the shake) and then I added 1/2 teaspoon of MatchaBooster to the bottle and shook vigorously. My thoughts: I could taste the Matcha but it wasn’t a strong presence. The flavor of the juice was strong and I could taste hints of the vegetal quality of the MatchaBooster. If you want more Matcha flavor, you would want to add a little more than 1/2 teaspoon.
That said, I certainly felt the energizing quality of the Matcha in the juice! I really felt invigorated after drinking the juice.
And from there, you can let your imagination be your guide. Want to give your orange juice a boost? Add 1/2 teaspoon or more of MatchaBooster powder to eight ounces of juice and stir. Or add some to your coconut water. Or your almond milk. Or your breakfast smoothie.
There are some intriguing recipes on the Maeda-en website. Already, I’m thinking that this would be really good in my tomato soup! Or try stirring a scoop of it into your favorite hummus! This is a great way to add the goodness of Matcha to your favorite foods.