Flavor a good match for China's increasingly sophisticated taste

Not-too-sweet, energy-boosting matcha gaining popularity in desserts and drinks

There's a growing niche in China for matcha and related greenish desserts and drinks, such as matcha-flavored layered cake, ice cream and lattes.

As an indication of just how much the flavor has triggered the appetite of appearance-and quality-conscious Chinese consumers, a search of the word "matcha" through Dazhongdianping, a Chinese customer review app that is similar to Yelp, results in about 5,000 specialty stores in Beijing alone. And most reviews from consumers said they like the taste.