8 Matcha-Flavored Snacks You Need to Try

With matcha-flavored snacks and candies popping up seemingly everywhere, it feels like we’re in peak matcha craze (and have been for the past few years). So it may surprise you to know that matcha—the finely ground green tea leaves that bring a creamy, full-bodied flavor to whatever they’re added to—has been around for centuries and is an important component of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. But with its sweet, earthy taste and undeniable health benefits, the ground-up green tea has become a staple flavor in all sorts of desserts and snack foods that all Japanophiles must try.

If you haven’t tried this staple flavor in food form, we welcome you to give it a try with a few of the selections below, many of which are available right here at Bokksu, either on our Market or in our subscription box!

1. Matcha Bake Chocolate

Morinaga’s Bake Chocolate is known throughout Japan for its crunchy texture and smooth, rich flavor. The limited edition matcha chocolate variety, which features adorable Hello Kitty packaging, brings a profound bitterness using matcha from Uji, Kyoto (a major matcha hotspot).

2. Matcha Mochi

One of the most classic ways to use matcha powder outside of the traditional tea preparation is in mochi. The rice balls are only made better when they’re green! You’ll probably find a few matcha-flavored mochi options in the freezer aisle at your local supermarket, and Whole Foods’ self-serve mochi ice cream bar has become an unexpected favorite among American mochi-lovers.

3. Matcha Azuki Beans

In Japan, the reddish-brown azuki bean is typically boiled down with sugar to make red bean paste, which is a staple in Japanese cooking and baking. So it only makes sense that when they’re dipped in white chocolate and Uji matcha powder, they become a huge hit! Try our Matcha Chocolate-Covered Azuki Beans to experience this unique flavor combo first-hand.

4. Matcha Soba Noodles

Soba are Japanese buckwheat noodles that can be served chilled with sauce on the side or in hot broths as soup. The vegetal taste of matcha powder gives the soba a fresh, earthy flavor. Often, matcha noodles are paired with an umami-rich dipping sauce or spicy toppings to counter the mellow matcha flavor. Try this when you want to bring matcha to the dinner table.

5. Matcha Ice Cream

Matcha ice cream was one of the first and most popular ways this yummy light green powder hooked Americans by the millions, with trendy creameries offering soft-serve options all over the country. Try it at the Instagram-famous Taiyaki NYC (where green tea ice cream is served in a tai fish-shaped waffle cone featuring red bean paste filling) or Uji Time Dessert in San Francisco.

6. Matcha Latte

Matcha is made to be sipped, which is why Hoshino Matcha Latte is such a crowd-pleaser. The creamy richness of a latte, coupled with the smooth sweetness of matcha, is a real matcha made in heaven, and you’ll be hooked after a single sip. It can be enjoyed hot or cold for an anytime pick-me-up.

7. Matcha Kit Kat

We all know that Japan has a serious preoccupation with Kit Kat, and we’re ever-ever grateful since it brought us the borderline-addicting matcha variety. The mint-green matcha chocolate wafers come in many variations, from Matcha Double Berry and Almond to the more classic Matcha Leaves Kit Kat that has a stronger, more bitter flavor due to the higher concentration of polyphenols.

8. Matcha Pocky

Like Kit Kat, Glico Pocky comes in hundreds of distinct editions, including, of course, many featuring Japan’s favorite green powder. The Matcha Green Tea Pocky is made by blending finely powdered matcha into a creamy green tea, creating a delicately flavored Pocky option. There have also been several special and limited-edition Pocky flavors featuring matcha, including Sakura Matcha and a few chocolate versions.

Trying Matcha Snacks and Candies

Whether you’re trying this delightful flavor for the first time or are sick of the same old stuff available nearby, Bokksu is here to help you broaden your green tea horizons. Explore our complete selection of must-try Japanese candies and snacks in the Bokksu Boutique to get an authentic taste of Japan without leaving home!