Hosts Ryan and Zongjun interview matcha product developer and food scientist, Patrick Penny. The scope of this wide-ranging interview covers matcha as a specialty product, the perception of matcha by Japanese consumers, and the importance of freshness.

In his book “Crossing the Chasm”, Geoffrey A. Moore lays out a framework whereby mainstream consumers adopt new technologies. He segments buyers into “visionaries” and “pragmatists”, between which resides “the chasm” of adoption that all products must cross before fully entering the mainstream.

Matcha visionaries went out of their way to source and prepare matcha. They tolerated inconveniences and lack of transparency, and paid the price for what is now considered an inferior quality product, after innovation in the mainstream worked its magic to make matcha better, cheaper, and easier to source and prepare.

Matcha pragmatists come in many flavors. They’re everyday consumers who don’t like the taste of coffee and want another caffeinated beverage option. They’re people who are more sensitive to the crash or jitters of caffeine and are looking for the functional benefits matcha offers. They’re people who are looking to introduce better-for-you products. They’re people that are really into tea.

Ryan and Zongjun discuss techniques for tasting matcha, tea competitions, and the terminology used to describe different flavor profiles.