I’m so happy you did this bc I got the Costco one and only had it like twice bc it was bitter tasting. This just validated that I’m not crazy and it is bitter!!!
Maybe Sencha is great for making mochi..Not for drinking as it leave some powder substance at the bottom of a cup..I kind of regret buying it..Should've use that $15 on a bag of coffee beans..😭
Thanks, I enjoyed your video. Thing with TJ Matcha, you are paying a premium price, around $8 for less than 1 oz. I get mine from Sprouts farmers market (CA). They carry Three brands, all 4 oz and arount $20 and all product of Japan. You know you are getting quality matcha if its from Japan. Always check the country of orgin at the back.
Hello Ms. Ming. I am very glad I found your show, as I also LOVE Traders and Costco..and always on a search for the best bargins of good quality. I am curious though, if there are the grocery stores, Aldi, by you? If so, do you shop? They are in my area in Florida. Great place for bargins-but they sell out quickly. I am just curious. In meantime, you seem to have same likes for products I shop and have wondered about. The only problem I have for these 2 stores, is the crowds! But, I just take my time and smile. Thank you again and enjoy your day.
Thank you for watching! So I live in southern Texas~ where I live there’s no Aldi, but we have H-E-B which is rated as the best grocery store haha! But heb is not as healthy as TJ and not as good value as Costco. So I alternate between the 3~ we also have Walmart but I rarely go there haha! Sometimes I go to wholefoods but it’s too expensive! I only go every 2-3 months to see what’s new and fancy haha
You're the first person I've seen that drink matcha plain (hot water only) instead of latte, so kudos for that! The matcha packet from Costco will degrade faster because matcha is not only sensitive to oxygen exposure, but to heat, light and moisture (in the air). Given that it's been already sitting on the shelf (unprotected from heat/light) already, it's not surprising to hear your preference to TJ's. This is also why matcha is traditionally sold in smaller quantities--so people can enjoy it while it's still fresh. Good quality matcha is a must for me, for people who complain about its price/quantity don't realize the stringent, diligent efforts the Japanese farmers make to produce high quality teas. In my experience, organic matcha usually does not taste as great as regular matcha. The color tends to be less vibrant due to type of/lack of fertilizers that can be used in organic farming, use of pesticides, as well as the shading process. The shading process, anywhere from 2-4 weeks, also affect the taste. Longer shading durations yields to darker green, more vibrant, sweeter tea leaves. However, the organic tea plants are more impacted from the lack of sunlight due to limitations of the types of fertilizers that can be used, plus pesticide restrictions, consequently results in less vibrant color, sweetness, and umami. Though most US buyers are concerned with pesticides/chemicals, it may be helpful to know that pesticide use in Japanese agriculture and laws are more rigorous than the USDA's standards.
Hey that’s good to know!! Thanks so much for sharing your extensive knowledge! Honestly I’ve never heard of sweet tea (except for the bottled beverage ones) until I came to America~ I remember loving the bitter sweet taste of as a child from green tea, oolong, and jasmine tea~ I love green tea latte too! But I don’t put sugar just milk. Sugar ruins tea and coffee for me. It adds that acidic tastes to tea and coffee and made them taste bad for me….
I also drink matcha STRAIGHT, as creamers are said to compromise the benefits. While ceremonial is usually best for drinking straight, an experienced chef shared with me a helpful hack that drinking culinary grade matcha ICED is a great way to mask the extra bitterness & astringency! It worked!
@@taylora8845 I also drink cold brew matcha but mainly in warmer climates. Where I live it’s usually cold 3/4 of the year so I mainly drink it Americano style. Cold brew from Breakaway Matcha is my fave, I’ll probably start drinking that in a few weeks
It is refreshing to see others out there drink matcha straight! (It is often said that creamers hinder some of the benefits.) While ceremonial grade is often best for drinking straight, it also adds to the cost making it hard to incorporate daily. However, a chef who practiced in Japan for many years shared a helpful hack, that drinking culinary grade matcha ICED masks the extra bitterness/astringency. It works!. 😎
Yessss! I realized that this year! I think it is very hard to get good quality matcha in America to drink it without milk. But when I drank it iced, it didnt taste as bad!!! It is honestly super refreshing! But I would say iced matcha also mask the umami taste.
@@MsMinglifestyle 100%! And maybe it's just me, but it seems like the L-Theanine "hit" isn't as pronounced either when it's cold. (As a guy who struggles with anxiety/OCD, I crave those "calming" properties.) 😎
And you are so right about not adding sugar! Matcha on its own contains such rewarding flavors, from dark chocolate, vanilla, to floral notes reminiscent of a high mountain Taiwanese oolong. Having a few squares of dark chocolate, (like Chocolove 77% or Moser Roth 85%,) with a plain matcha tea is legendary! (BTW, speaking of Sencha Naturals, they have an amazing ceremonial option called "Emperor's Matcha!") 😎
Did you try the sencha naturals ceremonial option? I wish our costco switch to that one. I hate adding sugar in tea cuz it adds acidity to my matcha or any tea. Honestly I think it ruins it lol! This is very unpopular opinion in America. But my grandparents were very particular when we got good tea in the past so we dont "waste" it by drinking it wrong lol
@@MsMinglifestyle Sugar is certainly big here in the U.S. lol. (Even Asian donut shops like Mr. Donut use much less.) Kudos to your grandparents for preserving the natural goodness of tea! Oh, & to answer your question, I actually had some Sencha Naturals "Emperor's" ceremonial matcha earlier. I highly recommend it! It's very vibrant green and has so much depth of flavor! With my corded milk frother I don't even need to sift. It's fairly reasonable too, with a 75 g bag for $28 at IHERB. (I'm not paid to say that btw lol.)
Excellent review! I never know how to choose matcha. I have the Costco one so I'll try that first then buy TJ's. I can't wait. CAN I ASK YOU WHAT MILK FROTHER YOU USE IN THIS VIDEO? Awesome results like a real coffee shop "barista"!
A matcha I like even better is Ito En unsweetened matcha. It doesn't have the spinach tones of the Costco, but it has a wonderful sweet umami flavor that I like better than Trader Joe's. TJ tastes "clean", and the Ito En is more yummy. Though maybe that's because I use more than what's in the tiny TJ packet.
haha true. I noticed that everytime I make it from a bigger pack, I put more of the matcha~ I've been trying different amazon ones and they taste pretty good too~
@@MsMinglifestyle I hope you try other matcha powders, because there is so much more than the TJ's that you've tried. High quality matcha will definitely cost you a lot more, but you will definitely taste the difference too.
![VICTOR Denmark Open 2024 | An Se Young (KOR) [1] vs. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) [5] | SF](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y3QEyCih85s/mqdefault.jpg)
I’m so happy you did this bc I got the Costco one and only had it like twice bc it was bitter tasting. This just validated that I’m not crazy and it is bitter!!!
I know! It tastes so dry and bitter. But it says it’s a combo of first and second harvast so it makes sense it’s not the best quality.
@@MsMinglifestyle♥️♥️♥️
Maybe Sencha is great for making mochi..Not for drinking as it leave some powder substance at the bottom of a cup..I kind of regret buying it..Should've use that $15 on a bag of coffee beans..😭
Thanks, I enjoyed your video. Thing with TJ Matcha, you are paying a premium price, around $8 for less than 1 oz. I get mine from Sprouts farmers market (CA). They carry Three brands, all 4 oz and arount $20 and all product of Japan. You know you are getting quality matcha if its from Japan. Always check the country of orgin at the back.
Oh nice! my friend just recommended another brand from Amazon I am gonna try and report later~
@MsMinglifestyle.. Wow, Just learning about matcha, great review, I hope you do some others! First vid, new sub, Thank you!
Hello Ms. Ming. I am very glad I found your show, as I also LOVE Traders and Costco..and always on a search for the best bargins of good quality. I am curious though, if there are the grocery stores, Aldi, by you? If so, do you shop? They are in my area in Florida. Great place for bargins-but they sell out quickly. I am just curious. In meantime, you seem to have same likes for products I shop and have wondered about. The only problem I have for these 2 stores, is the crowds! But, I just take my time and smile. Thank you again and enjoy your day.
Thank you for watching! So I live in southern Texas~ where I live there’s no Aldi, but we have H-E-B which is rated as the best grocery store haha! But heb is not as healthy as TJ and not as good value as Costco. So I alternate between the 3~ we also have Walmart but I rarely go there haha! Sometimes I go to wholefoods but it’s too expensive! I only go every 2-3 months to see what’s new and fancy haha
You're the first person I've seen that drink matcha plain (hot water only) instead of latte, so kudos for that! The matcha packet from Costco will degrade faster because matcha is not only sensitive to oxygen exposure, but to heat, light and moisture (in the air). Given that it's been already sitting on the shelf (unprotected from heat/light) already, it's not surprising to hear your preference to TJ's. This is also why matcha is traditionally sold in smaller quantities--so people can enjoy it while it's still fresh. Good quality matcha is a must for me, for people who complain about its price/quantity don't realize the stringent, diligent efforts the Japanese farmers make to produce high quality teas.
In my experience, organic matcha usually does not taste as great as regular matcha. The color tends to be less vibrant due to type of/lack of fertilizers that can be used in organic farming, use of pesticides, as well as the shading process. The shading process, anywhere from 2-4 weeks, also affect the taste. Longer shading durations yields to darker green, more vibrant, sweeter tea leaves. However, the organic tea plants are more impacted from the lack of sunlight due to limitations of the types of fertilizers that can be used, plus pesticide restrictions, consequently results in less vibrant color, sweetness, and umami. Though most US buyers are concerned with pesticides/chemicals, it may be helpful to know that pesticide use in Japanese agriculture and laws are more rigorous than the USDA's standards.
Hey that’s good to know!! Thanks so much for sharing your extensive knowledge! Honestly I’ve never heard of sweet tea (except for the bottled beverage ones) until I came to America~ I remember loving the bitter sweet taste of as a child from green tea, oolong, and jasmine tea~ I love green tea latte too! But I don’t put sugar just milk. Sugar ruins tea and coffee for me. It adds that acidic tastes to tea and coffee and made them taste bad for me….
I also drink matcha STRAIGHT, as creamers are said to compromise the benefits. While ceremonial is usually best for drinking straight, an experienced chef shared with me a helpful hack that drinking culinary grade matcha ICED is a great way to mask the extra bitterness & astringency! It worked!
@@taylora8845 I also drink cold brew matcha but mainly in warmer climates. Where I live it’s usually cold 3/4 of the year so I mainly drink it Americano style. Cold brew from Breakaway Matcha is my fave, I’ll probably start drinking that in a few weeks
It is refreshing to see others out there drink matcha straight! (It is often said that creamers hinder some of the benefits.) While ceremonial grade is often best for drinking straight, it also adds to the cost making it hard to incorporate daily. However, a chef who practiced in Japan for many years shared a helpful hack, that drinking culinary grade matcha ICED masks the extra bitterness/astringency. It works!. 😎
Yessss! I realized that this year! I think it is very hard to get good quality matcha in America to drink it without milk. But when I drank it iced, it didnt taste as bad!!! It is honestly super refreshing! But I would say iced matcha also mask the umami taste.
@@MsMinglifestyle 100%! And maybe it's just me, but it seems like the L-Theanine "hit" isn't as pronounced either when it's cold. (As a guy who struggles with anxiety/OCD, I crave those "calming" properties.) 😎
And you are so right about not adding sugar! Matcha on its own contains such rewarding flavors, from dark chocolate, vanilla, to floral notes reminiscent of a high mountain Taiwanese oolong. Having a few squares of dark chocolate, (like Chocolove 77% or Moser Roth 85%,) with a plain matcha tea is legendary! (BTW, speaking of Sencha Naturals, they have an amazing ceremonial option called "Emperor's Matcha!") 😎
Did you try the sencha naturals ceremonial option? I wish our costco switch to that one. I hate adding sugar in tea cuz it adds acidity to my matcha or any tea. Honestly I think it ruins it lol! This is very unpopular opinion in America. But my grandparents were very particular when we got good tea in the past so we dont "waste" it by drinking it wrong lol
@@MsMinglifestyle Sugar is certainly big here in the U.S. lol. (Even Asian donut shops like Mr. Donut use much less.) Kudos to your grandparents for preserving the natural goodness of tea! Oh, & to answer your question, I actually had some Sencha Naturals "Emperor's" ceremonial matcha earlier. I highly recommend it! It's very vibrant green and has so much depth of flavor! With my corded milk frother I don't even need to sift. It's fairly reasonable too, with a 75 g bag for $28 at IHERB. (I'm not paid to say that btw lol.)
Excellent review! I never know how to choose matcha. I have the Costco one so I'll try that first then buy TJ's. I can't wait. CAN I ASK YOU WHAT MILK FROTHER YOU USE IN THIS VIDEO? Awesome results like a real coffee shop "barista"!
haha Thank you! I think it is something like this one:
amzn.to/4dRYGZD
Between TJ and Costco I prefer the TJ one and The TJ one is convenient to bring to work. Costco is better price but bitter.
Yess!!!
Love this review!! Was about the purchase the Costco 😅 Have you ever tried the Pique Sun Goddess Matcha?
Crapă on every other matcha but stupid expensive. Worth it though
I previously tried this one from amazon and it was pretty good: amzn.to/3wZy2y2
♥️♥️♥️this comparison content. Thank You Ms.Ming💐❄️🧸I will definitely stick to the TJ 🍵
Thanks so much for watching!!🥰
I like Costcos but haven’t had Trader Joe’s. But when I drink this I could drink almost 6 cups
Haha I feel like TJ’s is stronger!
Thank you for this. I wasn't sure which one to choose. The other brand I brought was too bitter.
Thanks for watching! Glad it’s helpful~
Thank you for this review. You just sold me on TJ’s matcha
Hope you like it!
A matcha I like even better is Ito En unsweetened matcha. It doesn't have the spinach tones of the Costco, but it has a wonderful sweet umami flavor that I like better than Trader Joe's. TJ tastes "clean", and the Ito En is more yummy. Though maybe that's because I use more than what's in the tiny TJ packet.
haha true. I noticed that everytime I make it from a bigger pack, I put more of the matcha~ I've been trying different amazon ones and they taste pretty good too~
TRADER JOES MUSHROOM POWDER is better too.
Great you used the frother.
Haha it is easier this way~
Organic
please do another trader joes haul
I was gonna go today but they closed down major highways in our city for entire weekend… we literally trapped at home 😔
@@MsMinglifestyle wow that's crazy please do one soon then when it isn't
Is Trader Joe’s matcha organic?
I don’t think so. But so far it’s the best tasting I’ve had in America!
@@MsMinglifestyle I hope you try other matcha powders, because there is so much more than the TJ's that you've tried. High quality matcha will definitely cost you a lot more, but you will definitely taste the difference too.
@@nicn4873can you share the ones math a brand you would recommend regardless of the price?
How about reviewing the McDonald’s spicy chicken sandwich . I think it sucks
Freeze the Costco Matcha
Really?