Though it's gained popularity in recent years, you may still be wondering, "what exactly is matcha?" We’ve got you covered.

Matcha is a high-quality green tea that is finely grounded in powdered form. When prepared, matcha powder is whisked with hot water (instead of steeped in boiling water) to form a frothy, vibrant green tea packed with unique health benefits. 

How is matcha made?

Matcha is a variety of green tea made by harvesting young green tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant (tea bush) and milling them into a superfine, vibrant green powder. 

There are several ways matcha green tea is cultivated and processed differently than any other tea that gives it its unique coloring, flavor, and concentration of health benefits.

Matcha is shade-grown: 

All matcha is ground into powder form from shade-ground tea leaves. Shade growing green tea leaves to produce matcha is a labor-intensive process where tea bushes are protected from the sunlight. And by controlling sub exposure to the tea leaves, tea producers can significantly alter and improve the flavor and compounds found in their matcha teas. The shading heightens the green tea’s chlorophyll production, giving matcha its brighter, green coloring and altering the naturally occurring levels of antioxidants, l-theanine, caffeine, flavanols, and sugars. (1)

Matcha has the shortest season of growth and production of any tea: 

Only the best and brightest of young shade-grown green tea leaves are hand-picked and plucked into matcha tea production. So when you compare matcha with other green tea varieties and other teas in general, there is a much shorter window in the season where matcha can be grown and harvested. (1)

Matcha is steamed, giving it a sweeter taste: 

Once the young green tea leaves are picked, the leaves are given a steaming treatment within hours of being plucked. This is done to halt the oxidation process and bring out more of the vibrant, emerald green coloring of the shade-grown tea leaves. The steaming process is also known to give matcha its unique flavor profile, often described as sweet and grassy flavor as well as an umami aftertaste. (1)

Matcha is dried, de-stemmed, and stone-ground into powder: 

Once steamed, matcha tea leaves are laid flat to dry until they become what is considered ‘tencha’ leaves, i.e., the leaves from which matcha tea is made. After drying, the leaves are de-stemmed and deveined, with the remaining leaf material then stone-ground in traditional Japanese slow-turning stone mills, producing a velveting and superfine matcha powder. (1)

When preparing matcha, you combine the powder in hot water (you do not steep it):

Unlike traditional green tea, which is often bagged and steeped in hot water to extract the flavor and nutritional properties, matcha powder is directly combined whisked in with hot water. With matcha, the whole tea leaf material (minus the stems and veins, of course) is savored with every sip.

What does matcha look like?

High-quality matcha should visually be bright green and silky smooth to the touch. A more average to lower quality matcha will appear more yellow in coloring and maybe grainer to the touch – as older, more rigid leaves were likely used from the tea bush to make the tea. (1)

What does matcha taste like? 

The quality and age of the green tea leaves used to make matcha and the actual production process and then preparation of making a cup of matcha has a considerable impact on its taste. Good, high-quality matcha has no bitter taste but a slightly sweet and vegetal flavor. Keep in mind that if you combine your matcha powder with too hot water (i.e., boiling), it can burn your matcha and create a bitter, less inviting taste. (1)

There are many elements that impact the quality of matcha you may be drinking. At Matcha.com, we categorize our matcha based on color, aroma, and taste. 

Where should I buy matcha?

We carry a wide range of matcha powders, from the highest-quality culinary grade matcha to ceremonial grade matcha. Not sure which matcha powder is suitable for you?

If you're interested in preparing matcha at home, we also have all the essential accessories you need to whisk up a traditional Japanese-style bowl of matcha.

The bottom line - matcha is undoubtedly a powerful type of green tea.

So what is matcha? Matcha is a super-fine powder ground from uniquely grown and processed green tea leaves that have been consumed and enjoyed for centuries in Japan and other parts of East Asia. Preparing matcha tea is very meditative, with its roots coming from being used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. 

Matcha is superior to green tea in many ways from a nutritional standpoint, with notably higher levels of chlorophyll, caffeine, antioxidants, and l-theanine.

Still, it is always worth comparing the specific differences – and knowing it doesn’t have to be a choice between one or the other.  

For example, some pregnant women prefer to drink bagged green tea instead of matcha due to its lower caffeine content. 

You can check out our article on matcha vs. green tea, where we break down exactly how matcha is different from traditional green tea.

References:

1) Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085