Matcha popularity sees competition brewing among Japanese producers

Taste the same. Then you put the cinnamon and black pepper, it's much better.

Well, I do study tea ceremony (ya know, how matcha is supposed to be used) and enjoy the immense variation in flavours and taste various producers offer. Really expensive, high quality matcha is not exactly bitter, it almost resembles dark chocolate, especially when had after eating a traditional Japanese sweet (which is mostly sugar).

Mixing the el-cheapo powder in cream and making a cake out of it is just bad taste...

Already asked my wife whether she can bake a matcha cake for my upcoming birthday (that I'll wash down with a matcha latte)

Love the taste of matcha in drinks and food!

When Ifirst came to Japan I did the tea ceremony thing, for the culture rather than the taste. Decided I didn’t like the taste, tend to avoid it now.

Already asked my wife whether she can bake a matcha cake for my upcoming birthday 

You could try baking your own?

In Kyoto this past week and the matcha products are amazing