Espresso & Matcha’s Twelfth Anniversary

Dear Readers, 

September 23 marks the twelfth anniversary of Espresso & Matcha. 

Twelve years is a long time. When I started this blog in 2014, I never imagined that it would still be here twelve years later. Yet somehow, despite all the changes that have taken place since then, I am still writing about food. 

Looking back, very little about my life is the same as it was when I started the blog. I've changed jobs many times, travelled extensively, moved through different stages of my life and watched the food scene around me change considerably. The blog itself has changed too. Perhaps the biggest change this year is a rather significant one. Next month, I will be getting married. 

It is interesting to consider how much can change over twelve years, and yet how some things remain remarkably consistent. One of the things I have come to appreciate more as I get older is that change is inevitable. Our circumstances change, our priorities change and, inevitably, we change with them. What is important is not necessarily remaining the same, but knowing which things are worth holding onto. 

For me, one of those things has always been integrity. I've written about this in previous anniversary posts, particularly about the importance of maintaining my independence and not compromising my opinions for the sake of popularity or commercial interests. Twelve years later, I still believe that this is what gives the blog its value. 

The way people discover and talk about food has changed considerably since 2014. Blogs have given way to Instagram, TikTok and other forms of social media, and the distinction between genuine opinion and promotion has become increasingly blurred. I have never wanted Espresso & Matcha to simply follow whatever happens to be popular. I still want it to be a place where I can write what I genuinely think, whether that opinion is positive or negative. That is something I intend to maintain. At the same time, I don't want the blog to remain frozen in 2014. 

This year I've given the website a significant revamp, and I am very pleased with how the new site has turned out. It feels like an appropriate new beginning for the blog as it enters its thirteenth year. The appearance may have changed, but the purpose hasn't. I still enjoy discovering new restaurants, trying new food and taking the time to think about what makes a meal memorable. More importantly, I still enjoy writing about it. 

I don't know what the next twelve years will bring. My life will undoubtedly continue to change, and there will inevitably be periods where other things take priority. But I don't see that as a reason to stop. If anything, reaching this milestone has made me realise how valuable it is to have something that has remained with me through so many different stages of my life. Espresso & Matcha has changed with me, but it has never really stopped being Espresso & Matcha. I hope that continues to be the case. 

Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting the blog over the past twelve years. Here's to another year of good food, honest opinions and, hopefully, many more years of Espresso & Matcha. 

 As always, thanks for reading. 

 -Hsiao Fu