We don't know when or if this item will be available.
“Unfortunately we don’t have Trader Joes in Canada, but I was lucky enough to have a coworker in the US recently who was able to pick this up for me to try! I do wish the first time I was trying...” Read full tasting note
Located about 50 miles out from the Korean mainland’s southern coast, Jeju Island has an ancient nickname: “Samda-do,” or “Island of Three Abundances,” referring to Jeju’s prevalence of rocks, wind, and women. All three abundances were ultimately a consequence of the fact that Jeju is a relatively isolated volcanic island: the rocks a result of the dormant volcano at its center, the wind coming from the ocean on all sides, and the women an artifact of the island’s male-dominated seafaring economy creating a comparatively matriarchal society back on shore. While much has changed in the centuries since Jeju earned its nickname, its volcanic nature (and more importantly, fertile volcanic soil) certainly hasn’t, which is why it remains one of the best places in the world to grow green tea for matcha. And that’s precisely what you’ll find in our convenient new Trader Joe’s Instant Jeju Matcha Latte Packets.
Indeed, inside each packet, our supplier has placed rich and aromatic Matcha powder from Jeju, along with a mix that includes skim milk powder and sugar. That means that all you’ ll need to Instantly create a sweet, smooth, and flavorful Matcha Latte is a cup, eight ounces of hot or cold water, and the time to mix it, sip it, and savor it to your satisfaction—no whisk required. Since it can be enjoyed hot or cold, we find it’s suitable for all sorts of weather and all times of day, especially when paired with an Almond Croissant, a yogurt parfait, or a bowl of fresh strawberries.
Company description not available.
Unfortunately we don’t have Trader Joes in Canada, but I was lucky enough to have a coworker in the US recently who was able to pick this up for me to try!
I do wish the first time I was trying “Korean Matcha” was plain, but I wasn’t going to turn down the chance to try it even if it was in this instant format that’s been presweetened and has the milk powder already added. It does whisk up very easily, though not much in the way of the froth. To be honest the colour is unappealing. It’s a very pale, dull grey-green. Obviously some of that is because it’s diluted with other ingredients like milk, but even still isn’t a touch unfortunate. That said, my understanding is that a lot of the matcha/tea powder coming out of Korea isn’t actually shade grown and that process does contribute HEAVILY to the richer green colour that is associated with matcha…
Taste wise I thought the sweetness level was okay for a pre-mix like this one, but the overall flavour wasn’t fantastic. A bit too vegetal leaning in a way that made me think of green beans. There was also something just kind of off about the milky note, but hard to put my finger on what it was. It’s also tricky to say just how much of the less pleasant taste is solely from the tea itself and not all the additives. I hope I’ll get a chance in the future to try a Korean matcha plain.
And even though it wasn’t a personal favourite I am excited to see more origins on the market offered in transparent, accessible ways such as this one. I’ve spoken about it in the past, but I strongly believe that an openness to alternative matcha supply sources is going to be very important to the long-term growth of Japanese matcha during this ongoing shortage…
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRDcxN_EidZ/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpaTkiJXcsc
