Rating Melbourne’s Favourite Café Drinks Through a Chinese Medicine Lens

What Your Daily Order Really Does For Your Body

Melbourne café culture is practically a religion, and if you’re anything like the women we see at Meraki, your morning drink is a non-negotiable ritual. But here’s the thing: the drink you choose is not just a vibe. It’s a message to your organs, hormones and nervous system every single day.

So let’s break down your favourite café orders from a Chinese Medicine perspective…with honesty, sass and a little bit of “I love you, but stop doing that to your Spleen”.

MATCHA: The Calm, Collected Queen

Matcha is the friend who has her life together. She journals. She hydrates. She does Pilates. She doesn’t scream at red lights.

And it shows.

From a TCM perspective: Matcha is slightly cooling, which means it’s brilliant for calming internal Heat, soothing irritability, reducing inflammation and helping the Liver Qi flow more freely. If you’re prone to anxiety, hot flushes, hormonal flare-ups or stress-induced tension, matcha steps in like,“Breathe babe. We’re fine.”

It also sharpens focus without blasting your adrenals into next week. The combination of gentle caffeine + L-theanine gives you clarity without chaos.

Who she’s good for: Women who feel hot, wired, anxious, inflamed, or overstimulated.

Who she’s not ideal for: Very cold, depleted, easily fatigued girlies (add ginger, problem solved).

Rating: 9/10.She’s the girl you want to marry.

TURMERIC LATTE: The Anti-Inflammatory Hype Girl

The turmeric latte walks into a room like,“I’m healing your inflammation whether you asked for it or not.”

From a TCM perspective: Turmeric warms the Spleen (your digestive powerhouse), moves Blood (great for circulation, period pain and sluggish flow), and reduces internal Dampness + inflammation when used appropriately.

But she’s also hot. As in, energetically heating. So if you already run warm, get PMS rage, experience acne, night sweats or irritability… a daily turmeric latte may tip you over the edge.

Who she’s good for:Cold hands and feet, slow digestion, achey joints, winter bodies.

Who she’s not ideal for:Inflamed, stressed, hot-tempered, acne-prone, peri-menopausal heat types.

Rating: 7/10.Amazing in winter. A bit much in summer.

BLACK SESAME LATTE: The Nourishing Goddess

If matcha is the queen, black sesame is the high priestess.

This drink is pure Yin nourishment. She is soft, feminine, restorative and quietly powerful.

From a TCM perspective: Black sesame replenishes Kidney Jing, the deep life-force energy related to fertility, hair health, hormones and long-term vitality. It also nourishes Yin and Blood, helping with dryness, depleted reserves, burnout, anxiety, insomnia and hormonal imbalance.

This latte is basically,“Your ovaries called. They love me.”

Who she’s good for: Women wanting hormone support, stronger cycles, better skin, thicker hair, fertility nourishment, and long-term vitality.

Who she’s not ideal for: Those with very weak digestion (mix with warm cinnamon or ginger).

Rating: 10/10.If your body could choose, it would choose her.

COFFEE: The Toxic Situationship

Look… we need to talk.

Coffee is fun. Coffee is exciting. Coffee gives you that “I can run the world” feeling.

But coffee also gives you anxiety, palpitations, energy crashes and emotional breakdowns at 2pm. It’s the guy you know isn’t good for you but you keep going back because the first 10 minutes feel amazing.

From a TCM perspective: Coffee moves Qi quickly (great!) but also dries fluids, agitates the Shen (your spirit), and drains Yin over time. Translation: It gives you energy while robbing your future energy. It’s like borrowing money from your adrenals at 30% interest.

If you’re burnt out, wired-but-tired, anxious or not sleeping well, coffee tends to expose all those cracks.

Who she’s good for: Sluggish, cold, low-motivation types (in moderation).

Who she’s not ideal for: Anyone with anxiety, burnout, hormonal issues, hot flushes or insomnia.

Rating: 5/10.Fun, but not marriage material.

CACAO: The Heart-Opening Lover

Cacao is like a warm, poetic embrace. She’s the lover who asks, “How do you feel today?”Morning cacao girlies are soft, intuitive, expressive and led by heart.

From a TCM perspective: Cacao warms and moves Blood, which is wonderful for circulation, mood, PMS, and emotional flow. It gently opens the Heart, softens the Shen, and lifts your mood without overstimulating the system.

But cacao is still warming, so if you run hot, fast, anxious or fiery, a daily cacao may feel like your emotions are doing too much before 9am.

Who she’s good for: Cold bodies, low mood, creative souls, women needing grounding + emotional support.

Who she’s not ideal for: Hot, anxious, overstimulated, easily emotional types.

Rating: 8/10. Beautiful in ceremony, lovely sometimes, not always an everyday drink for hot types.

CHAI: The Spicy Warm Hug

Chai is the friend who turns up at your house with soup when you’re sick.Warm. Comforting. Reliable.

From a TCM perspective: Chai spices warm the Spleen, support digestion, reduce bloating and help with cold stomachs and sluggish mornings. Perfect for women with weak digestion, cold hands/feet, or bloating after cold foods.

But and this is a big but most café chai blends are drowned in sugar, which creates Damp, bloating, mucus, puffiness and hormonal congestion.

The chai is great. The syrup is the problem.

Who she’s good for: Cold tummies, weak digestion, bloating, fatigue, winter blues.

Who she’s not ideal for: Anyone choosing the syrupy version.

Rating:

Homemade chai: 9/10

Café syrup chai: 4/10 Choose wisely, angel.

THE TAKEAWAY

Your daily drink is not just a taste preference. It’s a reflection of what your body needs and what it’s asking you to reconsider.

When you understand your tendencies (hot vs cold, anxious vs grounded, bloated vs depleted), your drink becomes a therapeutic tool, not just a habit.

Your body is always communicating with you. And when you choose a drink that supports your hormones, digestion and nervous system, everything starts to move with more ease.

If you want a personalised drink recommendation for your constitution, cycle or fertility journey, our practitioners at Meraki would love to guide you.