Matcha has infiltrated every café in South Florida, and at this point, the ancient Japanese green tea powder needs no introduction. Just ask Valentina Mussi, a Sunny Isles Beach resident who spent this past winter in Japan, working with a farm in Shizuoka, near Mount Fuji, to produce her new matcha brand, Valentine’s Matcha.
You might recognize the pastry chef from her popular recipe-driven Instagram account, @sweetportfolio, or her cookbook, The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook, but she’s been a matcha lover for nearly a decade. Her road to creating an organic matcha brand began with a simple question: “Why is it so hard to find matcha that’s exceptional and transparent?”
For Mussi, it’s less about the Instagram-worthy cup after Pilates and more about what happens when a versatile ingredient finally gets used like one. After all, matcha is multifaceted, with a flavor profile that is equal parts umami, earthy, and herbaceous.
This curiosity set Mussi on a yearlong process of cooking, testing, and traveling to build her brand in partnership with biomedical engineer Pablo Rodríguez García. The brand’s name is an ode to a personal nickname and her Italian roots, celebrating her onomastico (feast day) on Valentine’s Day.
What sets Valentine’s Matcha apart from what you’ll find on most store shelves is how it’s sourced. “If you think matcha tastes just like grass, you’re most likely drinking lower quality matcha,” Mussi notes.
After months of testing, she landed on a single-origin, organic matcha made from the Yabukita single cultivar, commonly referred to as ceremonial grade, known for its vibrant green color and smooth, non-bitter finish. The leaves are shade-grown, then carefully steamed, dried, and stone-milled into a fine powder.
This summer, try Mussi’s matcha over ice with fresh strawberry syrup or follow her lead in rethinking how to use matcha in various ways, from swirling it into Greek yogurt bowls, folding it into tiramisu, or even experimenting with savory dishes like gyozas and soba noodles. “It’s not about making a complicated recipe,” Mussi says. “It’s just about upgrading what you’re already eating.”
Valentine’s Matcha is available individually as a ceremonial sipping matcha, a baking/everyday blend, or part of a set with a bamboo whisk. Next, Mussi plans to roll out a matcha kit, complete with custom bowls to make the ritual feel more approachable at home. The brand also gives back, donating 1 percent of its revenue to Second Harvest Japan. “Since we have that level of cultural appreciation, it’s important for us to also give back to the community that is providing us with this,” she says.
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