Our take on matcha
We have been thrilled by the reception to matcha at HomageMakes! Tonight we wanted to talk a little bit about our take on matcha. Hopefully, this post helps you decide whether or not our matcha offerings are the right fit for you.
We want to showcase how delicious matcha can be.
A cup of coffee or bowl of tea is like a symphony. Farmers and processors and labourers had to work together across time and distance to produce coffee beans and tea leaves, ground or whole.
At HomageMakes, we are the last step in that long journey. The coffees and teas arrive at our table; we must carefully brew. Our job: to bring out the most memorable, enjoyable flavours that resulted from everyone's hard work.
This is why we don't serve our lattes (matcha or coffee) with added sweeteners, except by request.
If you believed that coffee and tea are purely "high-utility" drinks, or that they are boring or bitter or bland, we hope that you'll think differently after visiting our place. Together, let's celebrate how delicious coffee and tea can be.
We use less than 5 grams of matcha in every serving.
Some have expressed worries about the caffeine content in matcha. There have also been posts on social media talking about how people have been hospitalized from MATCHA OVERCONSUMPTION.
To this we say: Well... if a person eats seblak three times a day for two weeks, they may find themselves in the hospital too, side-by-side with the matcha maniac.
Now for the science: one popular study reports that there is about 18.9 to 44.4mg of caffeine in 1 gram of matcha powder.
Each serving of matcha at Homage uses 3-4 grams (or in some cases, slightly less). That's about 56.7 to 133.2 mg of caffeine in 1 serving.
For reference, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "recommends that people consume no more than about five milligrams of caffeine per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight daily".
50kg = 250mg of caffeine
65kg = 325mg of caffeine
80kg = 400mg of caffeine
Furthermore, studies on the effects of caffeine in humans have indicated that daily consumption of <400mg of caffeine is... fine. It's even acceptable for pregnant women to consume ≤300 mg caffeine/day and for youth (under 18 years old) to consume ≤2.5 mg caffeine /kg per day.
If you are huffing >10 grams of matcha a day, then... yes, it may be time to cut back. But in most cases, please relax! You don't have to feel guilty or scared about enjoying your usucha and/or lattes throughout the day.
Matcha can be enjoyed by everyone.
No matter your personal preferences or budget, we are confident that there is a tea or coffee that you'll enjoy. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of adventuring!
We opened our doors with the intention of facilitating that adventure for guests. It's why we put a lot of effort into ensuring that all of our menu items are tasty — not just the ultra-expensive stuff.
Currently, we have three tiers of matcha latte prices.
35K: A simple, no fuss matcha latte. Maybe not the best matcha you've had in your life, but it's still authentic Japanese matcha.
45/55K: A balanced and interesting matcha latte. For most people, this is the preferred tier.
65/75K: A delightful matcha latte with a complex, memorable taste experience.
Meanwhile, our usucha (thin tea) offerings currently range from 60K to 120K. In the future, we will begin serving koicha (thick tea) for guests who want to explore even further.
Our promise to you: We don't use "green tea powder". All of our matcha, whether for latte or usucha, comes from Japanese farmers, producers, and/or factories. If you want to ask more about our sourcing and about our opinion on so-called "grades" of matcha, please don't hesitate to pay us a visit.
Matcha is a way to connect.
In Japan, matcha is/was a way to pay respects and connect with the person/people across the table. We aren't trained in Urasenke or Omotesenke or any other orthodox school of tea. Instead, we are heartened by Sen Soshitsu XV's ap
Through HomageMakes, we hope to build a safe kind of "room" for sharing and contemplation. Our focus is less on "wrong" vs "right" and more about uncovering what is good and true.
When we brew a bowl of matcha or a cup of coffee for guests, we do it with gratitude and care. We find joy and contentment from the acts of brewing and drinking; hopefully, you will too.
Thank you, and we hope to see you at Jl. Kartini 5A.