Pique Tea Review (Matcha Green Tea Crystals, Vitamin C, & More)

My general approach to low-tox living is avoidance first. Yes, there are supplements we can take and other things we can do to help our body’s natural detoxification processes work optimally, but I don’t usually recommend doing a “detox” or a “cleanse” as the first or only strategy to combat environmental toxins. (There are a few reasons for this, but we won’t get into those right now.)

BUT all that being said, there are a lot of environmental toxicants we just can’t avoid. The reality is that we live in a polluted environment and everyone is going to ingest a certain amount of toxicants every day. We can’t live in a bubble… and that would be no fun anyway.

One thing we can do to combatting the potential negative effects of unavoidable toxins is to consume foods and drinks that are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your cells against free radicals, which play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases that are linked with environmental toxins.

This is one of the reasons why I like matcha tea. In addition to things like beans and berries, matcha and other types of green tea are very high in antioxidants. Some days it can be difficult to get enough antioxidants through food, but drinking a cup of matcha is an easy way to get a daily dose of powerful phytonutrients.

I’ve been drinking Pique tea crystals for years now and it’s my favorite brand for matcha tea. In this article, I’m telling you all the reasons why so that you can decide if you want to try it for yourself.

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. As always, all recommendations are honest.

The Pique Brand

If you’re not already familiar with what Pique has to offer, here are the basics:

• Pique was founded in 2014 by Simon Cheng, who spent his childhood in Hong Kong where there is more of a ‘tea-forward’ culture compared to what we have here in the States. As a young adult, Cheng experienced a variety of health problems, which led him a self-healing journey and eventually to the founding of Pique Tea.
• Originally called Pique Tea, it’s since transitioned to just being called Pique, as the brand has introduced supplements in addition to their teas.
• Pique is unique from other tea brands in that they offer easily dissolvable “tea crystals” instead of tea bags or loose leaf tea. (More about the tea crystals below!)
• Pique is perhaps best known for their matcha, but they offer a wide variety of teas, including herbal, black, white, oolong, green, and even mushroom.
• They are serious about sourcing and quality. All of their teas are at least triple-screened for heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic mold. (Some of them are even quadruple-screened!) With a few exceptions, they are all certified USDA Organic. They’re also gluten-free, vegan, keto, and free of common allergens. (Although they may be processed in a facility that handles certain allergens). You can learn more about where Pique teas are sourced here.

What’s the Deal With Tea Crystals? (And Are They Better Than Tea Bags?)

Pique calls their tea “crystals,” which is basically just a very fine powder. Unlike tea bags or loose leaf tea, the crystals can dissolve in hot or cold water, so it can be more convenient for traveling or when you’re on-the-go. You can think of it as “instant tea.”

Pique also says its crystals are more concentrated than other kinds of brewed teas. They use a method called “Cold Brew Crystallization,” which “preserves up to 12x the nutrient content compared to other teas.”

The Pique tea crystals come in individual sachets, which are super easy to take on the go. The Sun Goddess Matcha is the only variety that is currently available in a tin, which I prefer because it’s lower waste. I usually use matcha from the tin when I’m at home and then I take the individual sachets when I travel.

The Matcha Green Tea Crystals

Pique’s matcha tea is definitely their most well-known product, and it’s also my favorite. It was the first Pique product I tried. One of the things that sold me was the fact that it’s not only 100% certified organic, ceremonial-grade, but it’s also quadruple-screened for pesticides, heavy metals, toxic mold, and radioactive isotopes. I started drinking Pique when I was still pretty sick from toxic mold exposure, so this was important to me.

Matcha is one of those things where you can really tell the difference in quality from brand to brand. Lower quality matcha tends to have a dingier color to it, as well as a less-fine texture. You can usually tell the difference in taste also, with high-quality matcha being more sweet compared to the more bitter taste that lower-quality matcha tends to have.

Alright, now let’s get to some of the main pros and cons to the Pique Sun Goddess Matcha:

The PROS of Pique Matcha Tea

1. Jitter-Free Caffeine

Matcha has about 1/2 to 2/3 the amount of caffeine that coffee does. It also has L-theanine, which promotes calmness and balance. Not only that, but the caffeine in tea also contains catechins, which essentially causes the caffeine to be released slower.

This all makes for a source of caffeine that gives you energy but without the jitters or heightened anxiety.

2. Lots of Antioxidants

As previously mentioned, matcha can help counteract the carcinogenic chemicals we come into contact with throughout our days and support an overall healthy immune system.

Coffee, regular green tea, and matcha all contain cancer-fighting antioxidants, but matcha contains the most out of the three. This includes things like EGCG, catechins, and CGA, which can help neutralize free radical damage and assist with the body’s innate detoxification processes.

There are other benefits to tea drinking for overall health as well. For example, it may reduce LDL cholesterol and support heart health. 

3. Easy to prepare

Making a cup of organic tea literally could not get any easier with Pique’s single serve sachets. (In fact, Pique’s founder has said that one of his motivations for creating the brand was that he wanted to make ceremonial tea more accessible to everyday people.)

There’s no brewing required—simply open the packet, dump the crystals into your water, and stir or shake. It’s one of the best ways to drink tea on the go! 

4. Lower acidity than coffee

If coffee gives you acid reflux or upsets your stomach, you might want to try matcha instead since it’s much less acidic.

5. Promotes healthy skin

Green tea contains things like chlorophyll and EGCG, which can help promote skin brightness, firmness, and clarity.

6. Can help curb sugar cravings

If you’re prone to premenstrual or stress-related sugar cravings, if you follow a ketogenic or intermittent fasting regimen, or if you’re just generally trying to reduce your sugar intake, then you may want to consider introducing matcha into your routine. The combination of caffeine and catechins supports lipid metabolism and helps curb sugar and hunger cravings. The spearmint in the Matcha Fasting Green Tea takes it a step even further by increasing satiety.

7. No Microplastics

A lot of teabags on the market these days (especially those pyramid-shaped ones) are actually made of plastic, and they release microplastics into your tea as it steeps. No, thanks.

Potential CONS of Pique’s Matcha Tea

1. The Taste

Some people don’t like the taste of matcha by itself (it’s kind of “earthy”), so you may want to mix it with something else or make a latte. I actually drink it both ways, and I’ve included my easy at-home latte recipe below.

2. You May Not Be Able to Drink It On An Empty Stomach

Many people experience nausea if they drink matcha on an empty stomach. If you eat breakfast, this won’t be a problem for you. But if you fast, you may want to try out Pique’s Fasting Matcha tea. They’ve added a couple of extra ingredients, such as ginger to prevent nausea and spearmint to support satiety. Pique developed this formula with Dr. Jason Fung, a medical doctor and expert in intermittent fasting. 

The Matcha Fasting Tea also has a “lighter” taste to it, so it could also be a good option for you to try if the regular Sun Goddess Matcha is too earthy for you.

I’ve also noticed that when I make my matcha latte (recipe below) with the regular Sun Goddess Matcha, I don’t have any nausea. Of course, this is technically breaking my fast, but I don’t have to eat a full breakfast either.

Pique also has other fasting teas as well, including mint green, black, and herbal ones.

3. Price

High-quality matcha can definitely be more expensive than organic coffee. The Pique Sun Goddess Matcha is about $1.75 per 12-oz serving if you order the tin at the Subscribe & Save rate. (The sachets are about $1.86 per serving.) In contrast, a $13 12-oz bag of organic coffee will equal out to about $1.22 per 12-oz cup of coffee (depending on how strong you like it, of course!). If you’re curious, you can read more about why Pique is more expensive than other brands here.

This is one of the reasons why I personally rotate between drinking coffee and matcha in the mornings.

4. Matcha Settles at the Bottom of the Mug or Glass

If you don’t drink it very fast, some of the matcha powder will settle down at the bottom of whatever vessel you’re drinking it out of. It personally doesn’t bother me to stir or shake it back up a little; it’s just something to be aware of.

Pros & Cons in a Nutshell:

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How I Drink My Pique Matcha Tea

I actually don’t drink my matcha the same way every single time. If I’m having it with food or drinking the Fasting Tea, I will sometimes drink it plain.

But I’m not a big breakfast person, so I’ll often drink the regular Sun Goddess Matcha as a latte.

I don’t always make my matcha lattes the exact same way, but here’s the general gist:

• 1 sachet (or 1 scoop from the tin) of Pique matcha
• 1 scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
• 1 scoop of Laird Superfood Creamer (Either Original or Unsweeted, depending on what I’m in the mood for. You can even add more if you like a sweeter or creamer latte. Or you can use whatever milk or creamer you like!)
• Vanilla extract (I only add this sometimes because of cost)
• A drop of my AG1 Vitamin D + K2
• You can also add some Stevia if you want it sweeter.
• Whisk it all together with a hand-held frother like this one.

I love it both hot and iced. An iced matcha latte is really nice on a summer day or for an afternoon pick-me-up.

If you drink it hot, make sure you keep the temperature to ~150°F. Avoid boiling water so as to not burn the tea (which can change the taste and destroy some of the health-promoting aspects of the tea).

More Kinds of Pique Tea

Even though Pique’s matcha tea is definitely my favorite, they actually have a lot of other kinds great tea that you’ll want to try out as well, especially if you’re a big tea drinker.

They make it easy to sort according to health benefits (immune support, skin, digestion, energy, or fasting), by type of tea (herbal, black, oolong, white, fasting, green, or mushroom), or by routine (morning, afternoon, or evening).

If you like to avoid caffeine, they have a variety of caffeine-free herbal teas, including a ginger one that can help with digestion, fermented green teas that can help with gut health, and a calming spearmint herbal tea that I like for after dinner.

Pique has also recently started offering a few supplements as well: a vitamin C packet and an electrolyte drink. I’ve tried these as well and here are some of my thoughts.

(As always, make sure you check with your doctor before starting or changing your supplement regimen!)

The Daily Radiance Elderberry Liposomal Vitamin C Packets

Like most people, I’ve been paying more attention to my vitamin C intake and overall immune health over the past few years.

These Daily Radiance packets include a shot of elderberry and vitamin C, which can not only help with daily immune system support, but also skin health, healthy aging, and defense against sun damage. The sodium ascorbate form of vitamin C is gentle on the stomach and is encapsulated in liposomes for increase absorption.

And since it comes in a syrup-y shot, it’s a really great option for people who can’t or don’t prefer to swallow pills.

The taste is pretty good, with a mix of tart and sweet. It might be strong for some people at first, especially if you haven’t taken elderberry that doesn’t have a bunch of artificial added sweeteners in it before. But I think most people will probably get used to the taste pretty quickly, and come to like it. 

The Vitamin C packets may be good for kids too, but definitely check with your pediatrician before giving it to children.

The B•T Fountain Beauty Electrolyte Drink

The goal of the B•T Fountain Beauty Electrolyte Drink mix is to aid in skin health from the inside out. It contains natural ceramides, which have been shown to improve skin elasticity and reduce fine lines, as well as hyaluronic acid to increase the skin’s moisture content.

It’s also got electrolytes like sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium to keep you hydrated. (That’s why I like to take mine before hot yoga.) Those who are trying to reduce sodium because of high blood pressure or a heart condition should definitely talk to their doctor before taking this.

I will say that I did notice a difference in my skin after drinking this for a few weeks, however, I was also trying out some new skincare products at the same time, so it’s tough to say what did it (oops!). Lots of other reviewers on Pique’s website say they’ve noticed their skin as brighter, tighter, and softer.

The taste is “Yuzu Berry,” which is kind of like raspberry. It’s really refreshing, in my opinion! 

Both of these supplements are formulated with very few ingredients and are free from things like added sugar and artificial flavorings.

Like the tea sachets, both of these products come in individual packets, so they’re not the best option from a zero-waste perspective. Hopefully in the future Pique will introduce a home-compostable sachet and/or more bulk-packaged options.

All things considered, I think both of these supplements are worth a try for most people!

Where to Buy Pique Tea

The best place to get Pique tea is right from their website. (That link will get you 5% off your order, or you can save money by signing up for the Subscribe & Save option and/or buying multiple cartons at once.)

There are only two retail stores (Erewhon and Goop) that stock Pique’s teas, and those only carry one or two varieties. It is not currently available at nationwide stores like Whole Foods, but you can order it on Amazon.

So there you have it: my Pique tea review. Give Pique tea crystals and supplements a try and see what you think for yourself.

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