Humans are naturally drawn to vibrant hues like bubblegum pink, amethyst purple, and super-duper lime green. But as appealing as those colors are to our eyes and the algorithm, Nguyen Le says they’re rarely natural.
For example, pure, unadulterated matcha gets its Kermit color from tea leaves (specifically, Camella sinensis leaves), which are then cultivated under shade to boost their chlorophyll and amino acids. Matcha tweaked for our maximum stimuli often include green dyes, or extracts from other leaves (suji, moringa), plus flavor enhancers. For pandan, it’s the same.
For the signature matcha latte at Prosperitea, Le’s pop-up tea service uses real pandan leaves to create a simple syrup and flavorless green chlorophyll to brighten it up. By avoiding artificial flavors and colors and using seasonal fruits to create different syrups, Le says they can highlight what should be the star of the show—the tea itself.
Le grew up casually drinking tea with meals, but found himself getting more and more into coffee during the pandemic in order to support local coffee shops. “My caffeine intake was getting out of control,” he laughs. He switched to loose leaf tea and eventually matcha, which contains less caffeine and releases it more slowly than coffee. But when he tried matcha in Japan, he realized there was an opportunity to bring its ceremonial-grade to San Diego.
Often used liberally, the term “ceremonial grade,” has no official meaning or criteria, Le explains. It’s an unregulated marketing term that anyone can use to suggest a level of quality (and isn’t used in Japan).
“I think the more accurate description of ‘ceremonial’ would be the first harvest of the tea,” he says. “There’s multiple harvests throughout the year, and the first harvest of the year will always yield the best flavor and color for matcha… typically that’s used for ceremonies for the tea schools.”
Propsperitea offers drinks like lattes and Americanos made with matcha or houjicha (a savory Japanese roasted green tea), milk teas, and cold brew teas infused with seasonal fruits. For fall, Le says they’re bringing on fig leaf, sweet corn, white peach, and maple, along with the signature pandan. For now, Propsperitea pops up every weekend at Relic Bageri’s commerce kitchen at 8585 Commerce Avenue in Miramar, but he hopes to increase the amount of pop-ups and private catering events and eventually find a brick-and-mortar space of its own.
“I would like to be able to do the whole tea ceremony for patrons that want to experience it, but that’s just not possible in the [pop-up] setting,” he says. “Really, drinking tea is meant to be slowed down, and you’re supposed to enjoy the process. But right now, in America, everything’s just like, go, go, go, and they want that instant gratification. I want to be able to share that experience of slowing down the process.”
Find Propsperitea most Saturdays and every Sunday at 8585 Commerce Avenue.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
- Of all the “Tastes Of” neighborhood food tours, Taste of North Park is one of the most jam-packed. Plus, you can choose your own adventure—try over 50 dishes with the “food-only” ticket, add 15 different drinks with the “food and sip” pass, or split the food and get two tasting cups with the “shareable sip” option. (Clever!) It’s going down on October 4, tickets here.
- The mission statement for National City nonprofit San Diego Kollective Foundation says it aims to provide opportunities for the small business community while supporting human causes that affect the San Diego community. To help support those goals, it’s throwing a rad-looking night market on Saturday, October 4 at Kujo Eats (3400 E 8th Street) in National City. The free event will have live music, local vendors, and “flavors from every corner of the city.”
- Everyone is feeling a bit of sticker shock in the restaurant world right now, and Caffè Calabria wants to help. Every Wednesday and Thursday starting at 11 a.m., you can grab one of its wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas for $13. It’s a pretty great deal for one of the best pies in town.
- Caffè Calabria isn’t the only spot trying to provide extra value for guests. This November, Elvira in Ocean Beach is launching Cucina di la Nonna, an immersive private dinner theater experience for up to eight people. It’s modeled after a “1970s Italian grandmother’s home,” which sounds both delicious and intense. I’m ready.
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