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Matcha On My Mind

2018-03-26 Sophie Steiner ShanghaiWOWeng

In a country known for its abundance of tea production and consumption, there is still nothing that can comes close to the soft, rich yet slightly grassy flavor of matcha. 


With usual tea, the leaves get infused into water and then discarded, but with matcha, you drink its finely milled powder made from the entire green tea leaves themselves. Matcha tea leaves get their stronger and better quality texture and flavor from the shading process they go through before being harvested. This also makes them richer in antioxidants compared to other green teas, and a better match for cooking and baking. 



While matcha pastries have been common in Japan for centuries, their growing popularity throughout the rest of Asia and the West is really starting to take off. Shanghai didn't waste any time jumping on the bandwagon, and you can now find matcha cakes, tarts, rolls, breads, ice cream, truffles, mochi, and lattes at every corner bakery and café in the city. We’ve done the legwork to find some of the tastiest and most matcha-forward treats Shanghai has to offer, so join us for a matcha tour of the city. 


Matcha Marzipan Cookie from Strictly Cookies



Address: Room 105, 1160 Yan’an Xi Lu

Tel: 137 8894 0337

Hours: Mon-Sun 9:30am-5:30pm


Strictly Cookies is regarded as the most inventive cookie shop in China, with nostalgic flavor combinations that bring back memories of your favorite childhood desserts as well as creative pairings that you would never think to mix. For spring, they are launching three new flavors, one of which is the Matcha Marzipan Cookie (RMB 18). This soft sugar cookie has a mild matcha flavor with luscious pockets of homemade almondy marzipan and white chocolate flecks sprinkled throughout for a pop of extra sweetness. This cookie is easily one of Strictly Cookies best seasonal cookies yet, so make sure to snag one during the next three months before it’s too late! 


Gourmet Hot (or Cold) Chocolate from Pâte 



Address: Room E107, SOHO Fuxing Plaza, 462 Hefei Lu

Tel: 1304 416 3913

Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-9pm


Pâte is one of Shanghai’s premier patisseries, and they’re changing the way we view matcha beverages, one drink at a time.  With an array of options, from Matcha Lemonade to Matcha OJ, Matcha Lattes and Matcha Hot Cocoa, there’s something for everyone, no matter the season. 



Who doesn’t love a decadent hot chocolate on a cold winter evening? But what about a cold chocolate for spring and summer? The Gourmet Hot (or Cold) Chocolate (RMB 48) uses a thick, homemade 70% dark Verona chocolate ganache as the base, combined with milk (and optional ice) to make the creamiest concoction. It’s then topped with a cumulonimbus-sized cloud of earthy green Uji matcha whipped cream and dusted with organic matcha powder imported directly from Kyoto. The marriage of the rich chocolate with the umami matcha is one to celebrate throughout the ages. For the non-matcha fans out there (do they of you actually exist?), it’s also available with raspberry. 


Kyoto Matcha Gelato from Pâte



Address: Room E107, SOHO Fuxing Plaza, 462 Hefei Lu, near Madang Lu

Tel: 1304 416 3913

Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-9pm



Before walking out the door of this celebrated café we had to taste some of Pâte’s famed gelato. Being the matcha fiends that we are, we couldn’t resist trying the Kyoto Matcha Gelato (RMB 25 per scoop), among a few other flavors. This gelato packs the most intense matcha punch out of any treat we’ve found in Shanghai, and is easily our favorite flavor on offer (although the Thai Milk Tea and Roasted Fig & Balsamic are both stellar choices.) The deep, earthy flavors made way for a lighter, sweeter aftertaste.  To some, it can taste almost vegetal with a strong aroma, but the creaminess from the gelato makes it hard to put the spoon down after each addicting bite. 


Matcha Croissant at Lillian’s Bakery



Address: Room 121, 169 Wujiang Lu (and 67 other locations around Shanghai)

Tel: 021 3353 6216

Hours: Mon-Sun 8am-10pm


The dirty bread (zang zang bao) craze has taken Shanghai bakeries by storm, and everyone seems to try to one-up each other by making their own version. Most commonly involving chocolate, dirty bread gets its name from the fact that it’s nearly impossible to eat one of these without getting drippy icing, sugary goodness, and flakey pastry all over your face and hands. 



Lillian’s Matcha Croissant (RMB 13.5) comes in the form of a buttery croissant topped with a thin layer of unctuous matcha frosting and a generous sprinkling of unsweetened matcha powder. Nestled between the matcha infused croissant layers is a sweet, velvety matcha custard. Our matcha craving was satisfied within the first bite, but, despite its large size, we didn’t hesitate to gobble it all up in a matter of seconds. 


Matcha Control from Honeyeast Bakery 



Address: 1/F, 189 Changshou Lu

Hours: Mon-Sun 9am-10pm


For a matcha treat without too much sweetness, look no further than the Matcha Control (RMB 26) from Honeyeast Bakery. Make sure to bring a friend to share this size-of-your-face fluffy bread knot topped with white chocolate icing and thick matcha powder and filled with ricotta-like unsweetened cheese.  The bread is baked fresh throughout the day, so you usually don’t have to worry about them running out if you want an after-dinner treat. 



Matcha Ice Cream from Nana’s Green Tea 


Photo Source: Dianping user


Address: Room 27, B1, Metro City, 111 Zhaojiabang Lu (and 3 other locations around Shanghai)

Tel: 021 6426 7778

Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-10pm


This Japanese-inspired matcha ice cream shop has four branches around Shanghai, all featuring heaps of matcha-inspired sweets, beverages, and ice cream treats. The classic Matcha Ice Cream (RMB 22) is smooth with a more concentrated, intense matcha flavor that is slightly bitter rather than sweet. If you want more than your average ice cream cone, splurge for the White Jade Snow Top Matcha Ice Cream (RMB 37) which comes with sweet mochi balls or the Matcha Lava Cake (RMB 30) with an oozing molten matcha center held together by a pillow soft cake. Unfortunately, the one in IAPM has the least variety with only matcha ice cream and beverages, but if you’re craving more matcha cakes, puffs, and pies, then checking out of the other locations will be worthwhile. 


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