Forget pumpkin spice and café lattes, Nairobians are now sipping on matcha, the bright green drink that has taken the city by storm. What began as a social media craze has grown into a full-blown movement, with many willingly parting with upwards of Sh600 per tumbler.
Hamdi Omer, 22, began drinking matcha a year ago after reuniting with her family in the US. At first, she disliked it, thinking it tasted like grass, but she eventually fell for the trend and its distinctive flavour.
"It has something you end up loving," she says, crediting her sisters for introducing her to it.
Most of her friends, however, think matcha is nasty and believe it tastes like grass. So, what flavour was your first?
"The very first matcha I had was a vanilla matcha and I ended up loving it mainly because it was very sugary and you could barely taste the matcha," she says.
Her first attempt at making matcha at home, she recalls, came from a TikTok tutorial.
"It turned out very good because I added a lot of sugar...I have a sweet tooth," she says, laughing.
While she keeps matcha powder at home, Hamdi says she only drinks it twice a week.
"My go to is matcha with iced vanilla matcha with ice cream on top. It tastes and looks like a milkshake...it is really thick."
Now, Hamdi has replaced coffee with matcha, a personal win she is proud of achieving.
Unlike Hamdi, Maureen Mburuga, 19, gave caramel matcha a try two weeks ago but felt it did not have a good aftertaste.
"At first it is sweet but the final taste is like miti shamba (herbal medicine) …but its better with some cream," she says.
Maureen admits she only tasted matcha after seeing her peers drinking it, yet she does not plan to do it again any time soon.
"It's not something that I'd go look for but if you have a hangout in matcha joints I would not mind it," she says.
We are here for the nyasi…
When Salma Ali of Karak & Go, opened her matcha shop in October 2024, she was catering mainly to Nairobi's trend-hungry youth who had turned matcha into a viral sensation on social media.
A variety of matcha beverages pictured at the Matcha Haven located along Westfield Mall in Nairobi on September 3, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
As the business grew, so did its appeal. Today, Salma says her customers cut across generations: corporate professionals grabbing a morning boost, busy mums on the school run, wellness enthusiasts, coffee avoiders and curious first-timers.
The idea for the shop came from Salma's own love of matcha. She had been drinking it for five years and felt Nairobi lacked quality options.
"The first few days we saw people come to give it a try and we thought, maybe Nairobi is ready for matcha."
What surprises her most is the humour and apprehension new customers bring. Some joke, "We're here to try the nyasi (grass)," while others approach their first sip with visible fear.
"Most of them say, hmm, this isn't what I thought it was going to be. Others are instantly fond of it and say, oh, it tastes really nice. And then there are the few who still insist, I don't like this. It tastes like grass. I'm tasting a bit of the green," she says.
To ease Nairobians into the flavour, Karak & Go launched with a vanilla matcha. Three months later, the team expanded the menu based on customer feedback and their own research: matcha max with a stronger matcha content, strawberry matcha, blue spirulina matcha for a limited time and now, an upcoming hojicha, a roasted Japanese tea.
These days, the shop stays busy all day long, with an even mix of regulars and first-timers. That is a significant change from the early days when most traffic came in the evenings or at weekends.
At Sh600 a tumbler
Some customer requests have been unusual. "Matcha with a shot of espresso inside," Salma says, smiling. More common customisations include extra syrup for those nervous about the taste, cold foams such as strawberry foam on vanilla matcha or vanilla foam on strawberry milk matcha, no syrup at all for those already used to the taste, or even more matcha than what is in our matcha max.
One challenge Salma has faced is educating the public about why matcha is worth the price and what makes it healthy. At Sh600 a tumbler, the cost reflects the ceremonial-grade matcha they import.
"Our matcha is harvested in April and May in Uji, Japan. Because of viralness of matcha now, it's in shortage. In order to get this powder, we really need to maintain our partnerships with these farmers," she explains.
Strawberry Matcha fruit fusion pictured at the Matcha Haven located along Westfield Mall in Nairobi on September 3, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
For Salma, Kenyan matcha drinkers embody boldness and creativity. "They are adventurous and willing to experiment," she says, adding that while senior citizens can be more skeptical, younger customers have embraced matcha with open minds and imaginative palates.
My matcha game-changer
In late November 2024, Arfi Idris, founder of Matcha Haven, spotted a gap in the market. There was no purely matcha-based business at the time, and she decided to launch her own.
On March 30, 2025, she opened her shop, serving seven different matchas including matcha bliss (a vanilla matcha), matcha buzz (half matcha, half coffee), fruit fusion (a puree of strawberry, blueberry and mango) and coconut matcha with coconut milk.
Arfi recalls: "When I started out, my demographic was purely Somali and Muslim aged between 16–29 years but around June 2, when I introduced mango coco tango matcha (mango and coconut milk infused together), it changed my demographic to the 30s to 50s."
She attributes this shift partly to location. With her shop positioned on the road, passers-by would stop to see what she was selling.
However, her everyday customers remain mainly men and women aged between 17 and 35 years. "The clientele changes throughout the day as well. In the morning up until 6pm, you'd find more women. But at night, it kind of changes to gents."
Unusual matcha request
Arfi has noticed her sales fluctuate with the weather. "When the weather is gloomier, it does affect the demand for colder drinks. So, we tend to sell hotter matcha. But when it's really hot, you find some customers who even come twice or three times a day."
Over the months, she has faced challenges including a shortage of matcha while waiting for stock, and convincing people that matcha does not taste like green grass. An unusual customer request she has received was adding chocolate syrup inside the matcha.
From left: Iced strawberry milk matcha latte, iced vanilla matcha latte with salted vanilla cold foam, iced vanilla matcha, and coconut cloud matcha at Karak & Go, Westlands, Nairobi, on August 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
"Older people enjoy matcha more with fruits while younger people enjoy it creamier and sweeter," Arfi shares.
"Matcha has a more calming effect and a longer one than coffee. It doesn't have the jittery feeling or the immediate caffeine rush."
Matcha or coffee?
Maryanne Wanza, a nutritionist, says that matcha stands out compared to other teas because it is naturally rich in antioxidants, mainly catechins like EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate).
"Antioxidants support the immune system by reducing risk of inflammation and chronic degenerating diseases like heart disease and cancer," she says.
Matcha also contains L-theanine, a non-protein amino acid that promotes relaxation, and more caffeine than most brewed green teas. When combined, these compounds promote alertness without the drowsiness or crash associated with caffeine.
For heavy coffee drinkers, Wanza says they could turn to matcha as its formulations deliver less caffeine.
"The presence of L-theanine may also promote alertness without the jitteriness often associated with caffeine intake. Some research on green tea has shown a positive association between its consumption and improved cholesterol, including reductions in low-density lipoproteins as well as mild reductions in diastolic blood pressure."
Matcha and libido
However, there is no direct correlation between matcha and libido. Wanza shares: "The calming effects of L-theanine and energy boost from caffeine may indirectly support sexual function by alleviating nervousness and increasing stamina, but these are not directly linked to physiological improvements in sexual function."
Mary Wairimu mixing matcha at the Karak&Go in Westlands, Nairobi on August 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
However, from a general antioxidant perspective, matcha can be consumed as part of a healthy diet, not as a form of prostate treatment.
Ms Wanza says that the primary regulating factor in matcha would be caffeine, with the Food and Drug Administration limiting caffeine daily intake to 400 mg for adults.
"On average, 1g of matcha contains 19mg–44mg of caffeine. A typical serving of matcha uses 2–4g of powder, equivalent to roughly 38mg–176mg of caffeine per cup. Therefore, limit intake to 1–2 prepared servings per day," she explains.
Wanza says that like other teas, matcha contains tannins that can bind to non-haem iron, making it harder for the body to absorb dietary iron.
"This may increase the risk of iron deficiency. But to reduce any negative effects, it is advisable to separate matcha intake from iron-rich meals or supplements by one to two hours."
Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and individuals with certain cardiovascular health concerns or sleep disorders should regulate their matcha consumption.
"You should also consult your doctor as the vitamin K in matcha may interfere with the action of vitamin K sensitive anti-coagulants," she concludes.
