S05.E02: Spice and Dessert Week

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Eight bakers tackle “Spice Week” with the bakers challenged to create sweet and savory creations using spices. Then, on “Dessert Week” the bakers creating delicious delicacies like cakes and cookies, including one of Paul Hollywood’s toughest challenges yet.

Original air date 2019.12.19

[topanga]

Bianca is still getting a bad edit. The producers make her look like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. 
 

That’s all for now. They’re still baking their cinnamon rolls. 

[rhys]

Bummed about Sally leaving. Man these episodes are so fast! 

[BusyOctober]

It’s official. I hate the American version.  Haaaaaaaate. Compared to the British original:

The bakers are bland and unforgettable. Many are on the verge of unlikeable (I’m looking at you, dude with the dangling earring).

The level of talent is sorely subpar.

The bake assignments are pretty pedestrian.  And despite being simpler, the results are lackluster.

The emcees are annoying.  Spice Girl and football dude I do not know are not charming or endearing enough to pull off the intentionally cheesy, goofy banter.

Sherry is not jiving as a judge.  I know she has a deep resume and the credentials to be a judge, but camera presence is definitely not a strong suit. There is zero chemistry between her and Paul.

On the plus side...I like the Tent and the background music.

The producers of the American version managed to take a worldwide beloved show and turn it into something so antithetical to the original.  
 

 

 

[movingtargetgal]

This show needs Mary Berry!

[topanga]

The judges seemed to have already crowned Alex the winner. Any flaws in his baking are quickly dismissed, and they praise him like he’s the second coming of Julia Child. 

[MerBearHou]

I really, really like Sarita.  Tanya is super talented and should’ve won Star Baker in the 2nd episode tonight.  Marissa’s forgetfulness is a bit too frequent but she finds a way to pull together a final bake — she cries too much though.  Sorry to see Bianca and Sally go but that was the right call.  Paul is ice-cold — wow.  Sherry Yard is distractingly thinner now but kudos for losing weight, especially in her line of work!  Baby Spice and Football Spice don’t bug me — they’re pretty innocuous.  They don’t add much or detract much.  Some impressive gingerbread constructions tonight.  Some unimpressive cheesecakes — so runny.  I enjoy this show but I love anything in the tent that reminds me of GBBO.

Edited December 20, 2019 by MerBearHou

[EllenB]

I was so happy to see Sarita shopping in my favorite international grocery store!  Hubby and I were woo-hooing like mad over that, and of course, now she's our favorite.  But I like all the cooks (although Miss Headbands needs to rein in the occasional stink-eye), the hosts don't bug me too much, I like Sherry, and Paul is Paul, both good and annoying.  The show does feel a little dumbed down, noticeable in the gingerbread challenges, which were nowhere near as elaborate as what the British bakers have done.  And yes, Brother Whosits, they made stained glass windows.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

The judges seemed to have already crowned Alex the winner. Any flaws in his baking are quickly dismissed, and they praise him like he’s the second coming of Julia Child. 

He was in the bottom 2 in the second episode. I don't think his flaws are ignored.  It has always been the case that some mistakes are going to weigh more than others. 

I was ready to see Sally go. I was sad to see Bianca go, though.  I figured it'd happen since it felt like the pressure of the tent kept getting to her and caused her to make rookie mistakes.  As soon as she used the same basic cheesecake for her tower, I knew she was in trouble.  Being ambitious is usually going to triumph over essentially not doing the challenge unless that not doing the challenge is perfect.

I was impressed with how Melissa(?) recovered in the Madeleine challenge.

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

Some unimpressive cheesecakes — so runny. 

Right.  I thought the gingerbread bakes were fun to look at.  I was excited about cheesecake because I love cheesecake but they all sounded kind of boring. 

[GaT]

What a shame, I thought Sally was going to make it to the end. On the other hand, Bianca made it longer than I thought she would.

Still hate Baby Spice & the football guy as hosts.

[dubbel zout]

9 hours ago, topanga said:

Bianca is still getting a bad edit. The producers make her look like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. 

Paul noted she had time-management problems, and she admitted she did. I think that's what ultimately led to her leaving the tent after these eps. I'm a bit surprised she lasted as long as she did, but there was someone who'd botched things worse than she did. 

And it wasn't surprising that Sally was given the heave-ho after her gingerbread house collapsed. It's too bad things can hinge on one bad bake, but when the number of bakers decreases, each bake becomes more important.

9 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The bake assignments are pretty pedestrian.  And despite being simpler, the results are lackluster.

I agree. The cheesecake challenge was especially disappointing, though the winner deserved to win.

I think the time the bakers get isn't quite enough. I thought this about the British version, too. It seems they get enough time only if everything goes exactly right, which I guess fair enough, but given that nearly everything is dinged for being underbaked, maybe it's not all the bakers' fault, huh, Show? Give them 15 more minutes.

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

 Tanya is super talented and should’ve won Star Baker in the 2nd episode tonight.  

 

I thought so too.  Tanya has really grown on me. She is from my home state! 

Edited December 20, 2019 by libgirl2

[leighdear]

Ok, Cinnamon rolls are a no-brainer.  Why did so many try to throw in stupid, competing flavors?  Classics are that way for a reason.  No banana, chocolate, saffron or lime.  Seriously!

Ugh!  Alex and his smarmy, "Can't win 'em all" makes him even more annoying.  He's got an incredibly punchable face.  And I'd love to yank that stupid earring out of his lobe.  I'm glad his cheesecakes were terrible.  

Bianca admits she doesn't know how to do about half of the techniques & components....She's never made a jam?  She's made one decent custard, but is seriously unskilled.   Substandard across the board.  I'm glad she was dumped.  

Did Marissa forget something in EVERY recipe?  She's such a Debbie Downer.  Zero personality or confidence.  And constant negativity.  I do NOT understand her getting star baker. 

Sarita, Marissa and Bianca should never have been there to begin with.  So Sarita made ONE decent cookie challenge?  Her over-reactions, alternated with her "don't give a crap" attitude is just ridiculous.  And her making faces was just so juvenile and over the top.  

Can brother Andrew make anything without lime?  And yeah, pride is a sin.  You talked about how proud you & your brothers were of you, and your cheesecake was a disaster, even if they liked the taste!

I'm still rooting for Dana & Tanya..  

[rhys]

I'm baffled about towers of cheesecake. That just seems to be screaming for trouble. Maybe it's because the cheesecake I prefer is the dense one using multiple blocks of Philly cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, etc.In  my memory they probably weigh a couple of pounds. So imagine my surprise/horror when the brief was to stack those lovelies!

[libgirl2]

16 minutes ago, leighdear said:

Ugh!  Alex and his smarmy, "Can't win 'em all" makes him even more annoying.  He's got an incredibly punchable face.  And I'd love to yank that stupid earring out of his lobe.  I'm glad his cheesecakes were terrible.  

 

I think he is wearing thin on the contestants too. I noticed a few snarky faces when he did poorly in his showstopper, but the guy has been up to that point fairly consistent. 

As a side note, he reminds me of my high school crush..... who I just found out is gay this month! After 35 years! 

Edited December 20, 2019 by libgirl2

[Rammchick]

11 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I enjoy this show but I love anything in the tent that reminds me of GBBO.

I think what makes GBBO so enjoyable -- and this somewhat less so -- is the gentle British sense of humor.  The double entendres are not much in evidence either, aside from the occasional "soggy bottom", etc.  But I do see some nice camaraderie among the bakers, which is always lovely.  I wonder if this format also does it a disservice -- two episodes every time gives us a lot of two hosts we're not crazy about.  The Canadian version of this show also has hosts who aren't that great, but the two judges are very warm and make up for it.

[CrazyDog]

Guess I'll be a party of one and say I really like Alex and I'm a little surprised so many find him annoying. He, Dana and Tanya are my favorites. I'm sure the others are annoyed that he keeps winning but he seems very talented.

I liked Bianca and wanted to root for a Seattleite but she didn't get a bad edit she just kept struggling. And wow, Sally lost it. She did well previously.

I'm ready for Marissa and Brother Andrew to go next.

The decorating on those houses was not great, but Dana's beach scene was cute.

I don't even notice the hosts, really so they don't annoy too much.

[libgirl2]

5 minutes ago, CrazyDog said:

Guess I'll be a party of one and say I really like Alex and I'm a little surprised so many find him annoying. He, Dana and Tanya are my favorites. I'm sure the others are annoyed that he keeps winning but he seems very talented.

I liked Bianca and wanted to root for a Seattleite but she didn't get a bad edit she just kept struggling. And wow, Sally lost it. She did well previously.

I'm ready for Marissa and Brother Andrew to go next.

The decorating on those houses was not great, but Dana's beach scene was cute.

I don't even notice the hosts, really so they don't annoy too much.

i had high hopes for Sally, even when the house collapsed but when it didn't taste good, I knew she was done for. 

[iMonrey]

When two other contestants stepped in to help Brother Andrew I was reminded how much I enjoy and appreciate this show. Unlike other reality shows, there is camaraderie among the contestants and the show doesn't stoop to negativity and nastiness.

For awhile there it looked like it was Alex's season to lose. He majored in Chemistry, at Harvard (!), where much like in baking, precision is everything. But then he really dropped down the ladder with his desserts, so I guess it's still anyone's game. Still, the fault was with his flavors rather than his bakes. He also has a flair for design so he really just needs to watch his flavors.

I felt so bad for Sally when her gingerbread house just fell apart! She was the right choice to go but she seemed so nice and was so gracious about it. 

The thing that really bugs me about the showstoppers is how they make these elaborate and sometimes breathtaking creations only to have the judges immediately destroy them. I wish there were some way to preserve them better and still be able to taste them. I cringe when Paul just slices down an entire construction.

[dubbel zout]

1 minute ago, iMonrey said:

I cringe when Paul just slices down an entire construction.

He takes such an infantile pleasure in doing it, which makes him such an asshole. At least look like you're sorry to ruin five hours of work.

[dleighg]

Did Sherry really question a baker about the (non)flavor of isomalt for he windows in the gingerbread? Does she intend to eat it? It seemed like a lot of the other bakers simply painted windows on or left holes. How much flavor do the holes have, Sherry?

But speaking of which, I thought the use of almonds for Brother Andrew's church was clever.

[dleighg]

So for the Queen of Puddings, there was an apple included in the ingredients. Was that how they got the jam to set? 

[dubbel zout]

14 minutes ago, dleighg said:

So for the Queen of Puddings, there was an apple included in the ingredients. Was that how they got the jam to set? 

Probably. Apples naturally have a ton of pectin. But you also have to cook the jam to the right temperature and then let it cool properly. 

[PBnJay]

I thought everyone's Queen of Puddings looked like failures once the slice was removed and all turned into some pile of random stuff instead of a slice. Maybe Q of P isn't suppose to stand up.

I laughed when all of the bakers were sent outside to sit in the rain, shivering and wrapped in blankets, while the judges conferred. It was like they were being punished for being crummy bakers.

Are contestants given a list of things they will make before they come to the show? How did all the brothers know to make a three-tiered stand to send with Brother Andrew. Funny none of them, including Bro. Andrew, thought about the peg holes being covered up once the cheese cake was put on the circle.

It was nice for others to help put B. Andrew's cheesecakes together, but where was the help when Sally's gingerbread roof kept falling off. No one bothered to tell her to use carmel?

The gingerbread creations were fun to look at. I still wonder if bakers were not tipped off they would be doing a gingerbread "house" so they could be ready to make one.

The madeline flavors all left me not interested in eating any of them, except the green ones with the chocolate companions. The ones that failed biggest with the judges! 

[dubbel zout]

16 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

Are contestants given a list of things they will make before they come to the show?

Yes, they know all the bakes except the technical. 

[rhys]

I'm hoping Sally will be interviewed again soon for the local newspaper. If she is & if she says anything that's funny or enlightening, I'll post it. I was sooo hoping she would go farther (further?)

[PrincessPurrsALot]

One of the biggest differences I see and one reason I believe the bakes tend to be less challenging is the UK bakers go home between weekends and focus on the upcoming bakes.  We've had contestants say that they practiced something every day during the week.  The US bakers know the non-technical bakes in advance but do not get as much time to prepare and to then adjust to the judge's feedback.  Also, they can't do a "I brought eggs from my hens" or "I foraged this in the woods near my house." 

[libgirl2]

57 minutes ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

One of the biggest differences I see and one reason I believe the bakes tend to be less challenging is the UK bakers go home between weekends and focus on the upcoming bakes.  We've had contestants say that they practiced something every day during the week.  The US bakers know the non-technical bakes in advance but do not get as much time to prepare and to then adjust to the judge's feedback.  Also, they can't do a "I brought eggs from my hens" or "I foraged this in the woods near my house." 

I didn't think of that, but you are right. 

[zibnchy]

18 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The bakers are bland and unforgettable. Many are on the verge of unlikeable (I’m looking at you, dude with the dangling earring).

The level of talent is sorely subpar.

I mostly like everyone ok but dangly earring guy is a bit of a special smug bastard, isn't he.

Regarding the level of talent, I've found the same to be true of American Masterchef VS the British Masterchef. Much lower quality. Much simpler bakes. Much reduced expectations. Also there was an American on Australian Bake off this year and she was unimpressive. I'm certain they only kept her as long as they did because she was one of only two women left.

I can't possibly be the only one tired to death of the Gingerbread Scene Showstopper. It is everywhere.

18 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

Sherry is not jiving as a judge.  I know she has a deep resume and the credentials to be a judge, but camera presence is definitely not a strong suit. There is zero chemistry between her and Paul

I feel certain that the main reason Sherry got the job is precisely because she and Paul have zero chemistry. I actually like her a lot more than Prue.

[mjc570]

I'm a huge fan of the GBBO, but this version is becoming unwatchable.  I really dislike the hosts (and FF whenever they're on screen) as well as the exaggerated facial reactions of some of the contestants (here's not looking at you, Sarita).  I don't expect the bakes to be as good or as elaborate as the British version since they can't practice during the week, but the dumbing down, especially  for the technicals, is getting ridiculous. Cinnamon buns?   Cheesecake?  Come on.  Maybe they should have been given Instant Pots to make #17 cheesecake.

There isn't one contestant that I especially like (although Dana and Tanya seem ok) nor has there been any bake that I'd want to do.   The flavor combos are either weird or just so common (chocolate and orange, chocolate and banana).  And matcha never seems to work.

I was disappointed in this week - I love spices and desserts, but really hoped for something different.  I really don't want to see another gingerbread house unless it is spectacular, which I don't think is every going to be possible in this format.  Speaking of spices - did everyone have to use cinnamon?  There are lots of other spices in the world, I would have liked to see some middle eastern baked goods. 

[rhys]

I'm tired of gingerbread, too. I guess it's default cuz it's somewhat sturdy but we see so many fails so I wish the task was something else.

I read somewhere that this go round was 2 days filming 1 day off for about 5 weeks.  That's a busy, slamming schedule.

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, mjc570 said:

And matcha never seems to work.

WHY do they keep doing it on these shows. Personally I HATE matcha. Tastes like grass clippings to me. And apparently a LOT of people agree with me. So regardless of whether YOU (as a baker) like it, you should be aware that it is not a particularly popular flavor. And I think that a lot of them choose it because it's "trendy" and it's "green."

 

[dubbel zout]

I'd make a terrible judge, because most of the flavors don't appeal to me. That's often true of the British version, too.

[rhys]

I think about being a judge a lot when I'm watching Masterchef professionals & they are describing a dish made with cilantro. I'm thinking: "great, it will taste like soap." 

and I have a friend who does not eat any kind of seafood & another who cannot stand mushrooms of any sort. So the 3 of us would be terrible judges.

[mertensia]

I enjoy this a lot. The camaraderie is there. 

I knew Bianca would probably go soon; she has terrible time-management issues. 

Not adding a note about toasting the hazelnuts for the Linzer cookie was mean. And clever.

[Spunkygal]

Cannot stand Alex and his smugness. Go home and shop for matching earrings, darling! I’ll give you a gift card.

Loving Tanya, Dana (and Brother Andrew may be a dark horse.) Overall, I am a baking competition “ho” but this show is terrible. I’ll stick with it and will watch future seasons (I’m a masochist) but someone needs to re-cast hosts. I love Noel and Sandi on GBBO although I know a lot of people don’t. But crap! The spice twins are the bottom of the barrel. I know PTA moms who are so freaking funny and more entertaining than these idiots.  I can’t believe this is the best they can do for host talent. 

[Writing Wrongs]

I laugh at the editing on the show:

"Bakers, you have 2 hours left."

Two minutes later.

"Bakers, you have 2 minutes left."

I always kind of hate the showstopper part. The bakers rarely deliver what they promise. I enjoy the technical because it's a level playing field with the same ingredients and blind judging.

[PBnJay]

17 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I enjoy the technical because it's a level playing field with the same ingredients and blind judging.

I feel the same way, I like the blind judging. Although I would not be surprised if judges were not tipped off as to which baker did what. It's funny when a showstopper falls apart into a pile on the plate yet "tastes great" so scores higher than someone else's bake.

I don't find any of the contestants irritating so don't care who ends up winning. But because of comments here, I am paying attention to how Spice stands and walks. Her legs and feet didn't get a lot of camera time this week, which was disappointing. Maybe next time.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Finally got a chance to finish watching the episode.  I realized that many of these challenges were done in the UK version - gingerbread scene (although never with a theme limitation), madeleines, cheesecake stack, queen of puddings.  The cinnamon buns were to me a variation of when they've done Chelsea Buns.  Unfortunately cinnamon rolls don't leave as many options for variations.  When you use that much cinnamon, there are only so many flavors that will complement it. 

The queen of puddings seems gag worthy to me.  I cannot find it appealing.  It seems so sweet.

I also do not understand stacking cheesecakes.  They must not have been allowed to use purchased stacked cake stands, so they either used doweling or straws and put them right on top of each other or Brother Andrew's failed homemade stand.  Without a stand, given the texture of cheesecakes, why stack them?  This was a challenge in which the bakers would have been smart to go smaller so they would have enough time to bake them through and cool them.    

[Irlandesa]

On 12/20/2019 at 5:28 PM, rhys said:

I'm tired of gingerbread, too. I guess it's default cuz it's somewhat sturdy but we see so many fails so I wish the task was something else.

It's sturdy which lends itself to being very visual.  But I've seen some good work using sugar cookies on the Christmas Cookie Challenge so it would be nice to shake it up.

13 minutes ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

The cinnamon buns were to me a variation of when they've done Chelsea Buns.  Unfortunately cinnamon rolls don't leave as many options for variations.  When you use that much cinnamon, there are only so many flavors that will complement it. 

Right but there still are quite a few flavors that go well with cinnamon.  Lime did not strike me as one of those flavors which is why I was glad Sherry and Paul confirmed that no, it is not a good combo. 

I think they should have done something like morning buns as opposed to cinnamon.  That would open things up to cinnamon rolls but other variations as well.

[mertensia]

The thing I like is Brother Andrew's cheesecake fell, Paul commented, Brother Andrew admitted and that was that. No lecture, no marking him down. Simple acknowledgement that yep, sometimes accidents happen. Just imagine the Master chef judges in that situation.

[SoCal Mema]

On 12/19/2019 at 8:10 PM, BusyOctober said:

It’s official. I hate the American version.  Haaaaaaaate. Compared to the British original:

The bakers are bland and unforgettable. Many are on the verge of unlikeable (I’m looking at you, dude with the dangling earring).

The level of talent is sorely subpar.

The bake assignments are pretty pedestrian.  And despite being simpler, the results are lackluster.

The emcees are annoying.  Spice Girl and football dude I do not know are not charming or endearing enough to pull off the intentionally cheesy, goofy banter.

Sherry is not jiving as a judge.  I know she has a deep resume and the credentials to be a judge, but camera presence is definitely not a strong suit. There is zero chemistry between her and Paul.

On the plus side...I like the Tent and the background music.

The producers of the American version managed to take a worldwide beloved show and turn it into something so antithetical to the original.  
 

 

 

Also, I loathe the way Sherry chews and eats.  She sort of chomps and keeps her mouth open.  Blech.  She definitely is not jiving like mentioned above.

[Ruprecht]

On 12/20/2019 at 10:25 AM, leighdear said:

Ok, Cinnamon rolls are a no-brainer.  Why did so many try to throw in stupid, competing flavors?  Classics are that way for a reason.  No banana, chocolate, saffron or lime.  Seriously!

I was wondering if a tropical version would have worked (maybe chopped macadamia nuts and some kind of mango). 

On 12/20/2019 at 2:30 PM, PBnJay said:

It was nice for others to help put B. Andrew's cheesecakes together, but where was the help when Sally's gingerbread roof kept falling off. No one bothered to tell her to use carmel?

Using caramel was news to me. But when Paul mentioned it, I realized it made complete sense. It's a pain, but she could have used white chocolate and compressed air, too. 

Overall, I'm enjoying this show although it's very rushed. I find the hosts to be forgettable, just as I do on the BGGO. And I do prefer Sherry's critiques to Pru's.

I was rooting for Tanya to get star baker. She had a rough start in the first episode, gathered herself and has been doing great work in the weeks that followed. I am also rooting for Dana. 

[rhys]

1 hour ago, Ruprecht said:

 

Using caramel was news to me. But when Paul mentioned it, I realized it made complete sense. It's a pain, but she could have used white chocolate and compressed air, too. 

 

Can you explain compressed air? TIA

[leighdear]

10 minutes ago, rhys said:

Can you explain compressed air? TIA

It's used to make melted white or dark chocolate set almost instantly when "constructing" with food items.  The air comes out of the can at around 30-35 degrees.  

(I'm not Ruprecht, but I knew this one! :-))

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 7:07 PM, rhys said:

I think about being a judge a lot when I'm watching Masterchef professionals & they are describing a dish made with cilantro. I'm thinking: "great, it will taste like soap." 

and I have a friend who does not eat any kind of seafood & another who cannot stand mushrooms of any sort. So the 3 of us would be terrible judges.

I love cilantro but hate mushrooms and seafood, too.  I also think I'd have a terrible time as a judge on a show like this.

 

[Inscrutable1]

On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 11:29 AM, leighdear said:

It's used to make melted white or dark chocolate set almost instantly when "constructing" with food items.  The air comes out of the can at around 30-35 degrees.  

(I'm not Ruprecht, but I knew this one! :-))

Compressed air is great for chilling a glass of wine. Sometimes I need one while watching this version. :)

[iMonrey]

I enjoy watching people bake things on this show but the weird thing about this competition is that it's judged on something completely irrelevant to baking. This isn't really a contest to see who is the best baker, it's a contest to see which baker can do the best job in a prescribed time. And time and speed aren't really criteria for good baking. You don't walk into a bakery, order a specialty cake and then demand it be perfect and ready in 2 and half hours. The baker will tell you how long it will take them to make and you order accordingly in advance. By the same token, if your grandma is making cookies, you don't tell her that if they're not done in two hours you won't eat them. 

The technical challenge is definitely the most pointless. In what universe would you give a baker a vague description and outline of something they'd never heard of then judge them on how well they made it in a ridiculously short time? That says nothing about their baking skills. 

I guess an actual baking contest would be boring if every baker was given the opportunity to perfect their creation in as much time as they needed and you just judged them on how they looked and tasted rather than how they looked and tasted after you gave them a ridiculously short amount of time to do them in. All that tells us is who does the best job being fast while still producing something decent.

[mlp]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

The technical challenge is definitely the most pointless. In what universe would you give a baker a vague description and outline of something they'd never heard of then judge them on how well they made it in a ridiculously short time? That says nothing about their baking skills. 

I can't agree with that.  I think the Technical tests baking knowledge in addition to skills.  On the British show, the first step was often something like "Make a genoise."  The bakers had to know the fundamentals then execute them.  

I do agree that expecting perfection in limited time often causes flawed results.

Overall, it seems to me that the British bakers have more in-depth knowledge than the Americans.  (And I'm American.)

[TexasTiffany]

On 12/20/2019 at 5:30 PM, dleighg said:

WHY do they keep doing it on these shows. Personally I HATE matcha. Tastes like grass clippings to me. And apparently a LOT of people agree with me. So regardless of whether YOU (as a baker) like it, you should be aware that it is not a particularly popular flavor. And I think that a lot of them choose it because it's "trendy" and it's "green."

 

Trendy! I'm so tired of matcha. It was interesting for 5 seconds, but can now go away! Every time a baker says they are making matcha flavored anything, I cringe and want to yell at the TV! Don't pick matcha! Pick something you know is going to be delicious!