Ceremonial-grade matcha soy latte powder: Garu Seonsaeng Jeju Matcha

Anyone else out there who loves matcha like me?? I often crave real, proper matcha latte — not the mostly-sweet green tea lattes cafés usually sell — but buying one every time costs ₩5,000 at Twosome... a bit much to drink guilt-free.

And going out to a café every single time was a hassle too, so this time I found out there's a matcha fresh soy milk made with ceremonial-grade matcha!!

What is Garu Seonsaeng Jeju Matcha Fresh Soy Milk?

This is Garu Seonsaeng Jeju Matcha Fresh Soy Milk — turns out Garu Seonsaeng is originally known for fresh soy milk! Simply mix the powder with water and you can make just the amount you need at home, whenever you need it. Super convenient ٩꒰｡•◡•｡꒱۶

I picked this one because I love matcha's distinctive bitterness, but they also sell matcha / black sesame / chocolate / mugwort / injeolmi (sweet rice cake) flavors, plus an unsweetened fresh soy milk version!

I usually try to get protein in through soy milk. And since I like soy milk, I even swap the milk for soy milk when I get a matcha latte at Twosome — basically a matcha soy milk latte. Being able to make that at home was exactly what I was looking for.

Catechins and L-theanine in matcha

Quick note on matcha's benefits — it contains catechins and L-theanine!

Catechins have strong antioxidant power, helping remove free radicals in the body and prevent cell damage. On top of that, they're said to help break down body fat and boost metabolism!

L-theanine relaxes and eases stress, and it slows the rapid absorption of caffeine, so you get calm, clear focus without caffeine side effects like a racing heart.

And honestly, matcha's bitterness is just so delicious to me — I really love it .. 🫶🏻

Just 4 ingredients: Jeju matcha, Korean soybeans, sea salt, unrefined sugar

It doesn't even have unnecessary synthetic additives or artificial sweeteners — it's made purely from natural ingredients, which passed my standards since I care about checking ingredient lists 👍🏻👍🏻

Jeju matcha, Korean soybeans, sea salt, and unrefined raw sugar — just these 4 ingredients go into Garu Seonsaeng's matcha fresh soy milk 💚💚💚

When it actually arrived, the ingredient label was really clean ✨ Having zero synthetic flavorings or artificial sweeteners mattered most to me 👍🏻 The reason the ratios don't add up to 100% is that, under food labeling law, you don't have to list the exact proportion of every ingredient — they're just listed in order of quantity from most to least.

What ceremonial-grade matcha means here

I liked that the soybeans are 100% Korean and Non-GMO, but honestly the fact that it's ceremonial-grade Jeju matcha was the surprising part..! Matcha has grades, and ceremonial grade is the highest. I checked a famous matcha brand — ceremonial grade runs ₩34,000 for 40g, while culinary grade is ₩21,000 for 100g, so the per-gram price differs by about 4 times.

Ceremonial-grade matcha is normally recommended for whisked tea, the highest-quality use case, but whisking it yourself is genuinely a whole ordeal.. buying a whisk set is a whole thing, and whisking it every single time is even more of a thing ,,, that was a bit of a barrier for me, so being able to enjoy ceremonial-grade matcha this easily is amazing..!

6.3g of protein isn't a huge amount, honestly. But think of it as a snack or light meal that also lets you get some protein in.

2 scoops in 180ml water: a hot matcha latte in 3 minutes

It comes in a zip-top pouch like this, with a measuring spoon included.

That day I prepared it with slightly warm baby-formula-grade water (around 40°C / 104°F) to try.

The instructions said 2 scoops (30g) of matcha fresh soy milk into 180ml water, so I made it exactly per the recipe.

Right after adding the powder it looked like this, but a few stirs and it dissolved quickly! The cup just looked big — the actual amount was reasonable, about the same as a regular carton of soy milk, so it was easy to drink without feeling like too much 🫶🏻

That day I had a light lunch, so I had a cup of matcha soy milk along with a mini sweet pumpkin and scrambled eggs 🫶🏻

Does the powder dissolve in cold water with ice?

I tried the same recipe with cold water plus ice, and oh, it dissolved well again this time haha. With 10g of sugar in it I worried the sweetness might overpower the bitterness I love, but I barely noticed the sweetness at all!! Matcha's bitterness, soy milk's nuttiness, and just a touch of sweetness — perfect match for my taste .. 💖

That said, it's not exactly the taste of straight, unsweetened matcha, so if you don't want even a hint of sweetness at all,

I'd recommend this one instead! It's Jeju matcha powder made into sticks, so you can mix it into whatever liquid you like — water, soy milk, whatever — or use it in yogurt or other recipes.

A Twosome Place matcha latte vs Garu Seonsaeng matcha soy milk

I got curious and looked into comparing Twosome's matcha latte with Garu Seonsaeng's matcha soy milk! Twosome's matcha latte is exactly my taste! Plus you can swap the milk for soy milk there, so I compared them directly 🫶🏻

1. Price per cup

• A Twosome Place matcha latte, regular (414ml): ₩5,000
• Garu Seonsaeng matcha soy milk (about 200ml): about ₩894

Per 100ml, Twosome's matcha latte comes to about ₩1,208 and Garu Seonsaeng's matcha soy milk to about ₩447 — roughly 2.7 times cheaper than Twosome. And you get to enjoy a matcha soy milk latte easily at home.

2. Caffeine

• A Twosome Place matcha latte, regular (414ml): 107mg
• Garu Seonsaeng matcha soy milk, 1 cup (about 200ml): 57mg

Calculated at the same 400ml, the total caffeine is similar, but at 57mg per serving it's less than half an americano, so it's easier on the system. Plus, you can adjust the amount of powder to control your own caffeine intake.

3. Protein

• A Twosome Place matcha latte, regular (414ml): 6g
• Garu Seonsaeng matcha soy milk, 1 cup (about 200ml): 6.3g

The volume is a bit less than half, but the protein content is higher. Two cups of Garu Seonsaeng's matcha soy milk is close to the volume of one regular Twosome matcha latte, and in that case you'd get roughly double the protein.

4. Taste

Taste-wise, Twosome's matcha latte is a bit more bitter and the distinct matcha flavor comes through more clearly, but considering you can enjoy ceremonial-grade matcha at home, easily and at a great price, this is still a really good option.

Is Garu Seonsaeng Jeju Matcha worth it?

No worries about additives, easy and affordable matcha lattes at home, being able to adjust the amount of powder to make your own personal recipe, and being in powder form so you can also use it in yogurt or desserts — these are the strengths of this product 👍🏻