Matcha is a type of green tea; it's somewhat bitter once brewed.
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You're supposed to eat something sweet before you drink matcha, so that the sweetness can fill your mouth before it is washed away by the bitterness of the tea. Not everyone does it this way, though. My grandmother likes the candy and the matcha together, so that the tea is always just a little sweet. I prefer the subtle bitterness of the tea by itself. After a while, though, when there is just a bit of tea left in my cup, I have something sweet anyways. Before the last sip of matcha, I wait as a tiny Japanese candy melts in my mouth, filling it with sweetness. For this last sip, I will drink tea as my grandmother does. Though we are separated by seventy years, a world war, and a lifetime of hardships, this one thing we can share.
My last sip of tea is bittersweet.
