I’ve come across matcha powder from Epic Spices at a few coffee shops in Chicago. And I’ve walked past the Epic Spices storefront on Chicago Ave a hundred times. So I finally stopped in.
Epic Spices is actually a lovely little shop for any of your spice needs. And Steven the owner is friendly and dedicated. Their matcha works well in lattes or for cooking. It has a very full flavor, rich, and a little sharper than most Uji matchas.
I asked Steven where their matcha was sourced from. He wasn’t sure, but went to great lengths to find out. He attempted to look it up on his computer, but when he wasn’t 100% confident he had accurate info, he spent time on the phone trying to find out. I really appreciated that he was curious to know for his own knowledge. He told the person on the other end of the phone, “I had a customer ask what region in Japan this matcha is from, and I realized that is information I should know for myself!” Turns out it is from Nishio, Japan.
As you may know, in the world of selling matcha, a lot of vendors are just looking to cash in on the matcha hype without actually delivering quality matcha. (We do have a few we recommend like Spirit Tea or Aura Matcha.) Steven willingly admitted that the quality of their matcha powder was not as high as an average ceremonial (and I would agree), but explained that he picked this particular matcha because the quality was much higher than average culinary matchas (and I would agree), especially considering the price. All in all, it’s an okay matcha, especially if you’re in a pinch.
Epic supplies matcha to a number of coffee shops, which are primarily using the product for lattes containing some milkfat or at least sugar, so I think the Epic quality is a good fit for those. It also keeps the price down for consumers while delivering a worthwhile latte (assuming the barista prepares it well). The bonus here is that if you visit the shop, you can buy their matcha per ounce. That makes it easy to just get a little if you want to try it.
