By Amelia Lipcsei
I really don’t like coffee. And when I say that, I don’t mean that I just don’t like coffee—I truly, from the bottom of my heart, hate coffee. Even the smell of the caffeinated beverage repulses me. Yet, everytime I go out to get Starbuck with my friends, I always find myself trying their drinks, and telling myself that maybe eventually the flavor will grow on me; however, the chances of that happening seem to grow slimmer day by day. Something about the bitter taste always leaves me scrunching my face in disgust. Unfortunately, on mornings when rolling out of bed seems impossible, I often feel obligated to have caffeine for my own sanity. This leaves me in a disastrous situation. Either I face the horrific taste of coffee and manage to stay awake for the rest of the day, or I struggle to keep my eyes open because I avoided destroying my taste buds. It’s a lose-lose scenario either way.
Then, I discovered matcha lattes. Changing my life for the better, matcha has effects lasting longer than most coffee, while also providing a more uniform boost of energy in the morning. Affirmed by Eric Gower, author, private chef, and tea entrepreneur, who states that “matcha has less caffeine, but the caffeine lasts longer,” the matcha drink is a better alternative to coffee for people who want to avoid the excessive consumption of caffeine. Even better, these lattes lack the bitter flavor of coffee, allowing me to actually enjoy drinking them. Although the majority of my friends seem to despise the so-called “disgusting” beverage, which according to junior Isabel Kikoshima “tastes like dirt,” I personally think that matcha lattes bring a nice twist to the majority of caffeinated beverages. Now, whenever my friends want to go to a coffee shop, I know exactly what to order: my beloved matcha latte.