You see, matcha has a unique balance of vegetal (think seaweed or edamame), bitter, and malty flavors. To appeal to the American palate — which hasn't acquired a taste for matcha's bitter, seaweed-y side — many cafés use sugar-laced matcha powder and steamed milk to make the trendy matcha latte, in addition to other treacly concoctions.
And not only are we masking its flavors and jacking it with sugar, we're also drinking matcha differently than it's traditionally enjoyed in the East, as I learned one recent afternoon over a bowl (not cup) of the algae-colored tea with Kathy YL Chan, my matcha teacher.
She taught me the basics and then referred me to several tea spots where I could continue my matcha exploration.