Matcha Showdown

KQED Live’s popular Showdown Series returns, this time featuring one of the Bay Area’s most beloved ingredients: matcha.

At our showdowns, we center a single ingredient or item of food, explore its history and variety, and taste it! Each edition brings together local chefs to share their own interpretation of the featured ingredient, from its traditional roots to its most inventive contemporary expressions.

Matcha is deeply embedded in Bay Area food culture, whether consumed as a traditional beverage or enjoyed in more contemporary forms such as desserts and pastries. Local chefs will demonstrate how they incorporate matcha into their craft, including Matcha Mooncakes from Little Moon Bakehouse, Matcha Ice Cream from Uji Time Dessert and Matta Lattes from Caffeine Depot!

The event will also explore the rich history and cultural significance of matcha, address the ongoing matcha shortage, and examine the unique properties that make this ingredient so exceptional.