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Matcha 101
A matcha guide, leaf to bowl.
A matcha guide for beginners: what it is, where it came from, how to choose a grade and make a good bowl.
What is matcha
Matcha is green tea, shaded, steamed, dried and stone-ground into a fine powder that you whisk and drink, whole leaf and all.
Most green tea is steeped: you soak the leaves, then throw them away. With matcha you drink the leaf itself, ground so fine it stays suspended when whisked. That’s where its color, body and depth of flavor come from.
To learn about matcha, start in the field. Weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered to shade the plants. After picking, the leaves are steamed, dried and sorted into tencha, the leaf matcha is ground from.
History
A thousand years in a bowl.
Powdered tea began in China and found its home in Japan, where it shaped a whole culture of tea.
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Powdered tea in China
Through the Tang and Song dynasties, tea was steamed, dried and pressed; by the Song era, powdered tea was whisked in bowls.
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Tea comes to Japan
The monk Eisai returns from China with tea seeds and the practice of whisking powdered tea.
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In the temples
Matcha becomes part of daily life in Zen monasteries, and tea gatherings spread among samurai and nobility.
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The way of tea
Tea master Sen no Rikyū shapes chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, around simplicity and respect.
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Shade growing
Uji growers begin shading their tea fields, deepening matcha’s jade color and its savory, layered flavor.
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Around the world
Matcha goes global, whisked in an heirloom bowl, poured over ice or folded into dessert.
Where to start
Find your matcha.
Start with Organic Superior for bowls and lattes, go decaf any time of day, or take single-serve sticks on the go.
Shop all matcha
Organic Superior Matcha
Our recommended starting point. Certified-organic matcha from Kagoshima, Japan: floral, bright and lightly sweet, equally good whisked in a bowl or in your morning latte.
In stock · Ready to ship
"Matcha on the Go" Organic Ceremonial Stick Packs
Organic matcha measured into single-serve sticks. Shake with cold water or whisk with hot, wherever your day goes: no whisk, no measuring. 24 sticks.
In stock · Ready to ship
Organic Decaf Matcha
Looking for decaf matcha? Certified-organic Japanese matcha with most of the caffeine removed by a chemical-free process. Creamy and earthy, for evenings and lattes.
In stock · Ready to ship
Make it
A traditional bowl in 3 steps.
You’ll need a bowl, a bamboo whisk and water just off the boil.
How to make a matcha latte-
1 g of matcha
Sift about half a teaspoon (1 g) into a bowl so it whisks smooth, without lumps.
Sieve · bowl
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70 ml at 80 °C
Pour in about 70 ml (2.5 oz) of water at 80 °C / 175 °F. Boiling water makes it bitter.
Steaming never boiling
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15–20 seconds
Whisk briskly in a W or M shape until a fine foam forms, then drink it straight from the bowl.
Bamboo whisk (chasen)
Compared
Matcha, green tea and coffee.
How a bowl of matcha differs from a cup of steeped green tea or coffee.
| Matcha | Steeped green tea | Coffee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you drink | The whole leaf, ground and whisked | An infusion; the leaves are discarded | An infusion of roasted, ground beans |
| How it’s grown | Shaded for weeks before harvest | Usually grown in full sun | Coffee cherries, dried and roasted |
| Caffeine per serving | About 35 mg per 1 g serving* | About 30 mg per cup† | About 95 mg per cup† |
| Preparation | Whisked into water at 80 °C, about 30 seconds | Steeped for 1–3 minutes | Brewed for 4–5 minutes, or pulled as a shot |
| Taste | Grassy, sweet and savory, with body | Light and grassy | Roasted, often bitter |
| Color | Vivid green | Pale yellow-green | Dark brown |
*From our lab results: about 37.5 mg of caffeine per gram. †Typical averages; actual amounts vary by brew and serving size.
Glossary
Words worth knowing.
Tea runs deep in Japanese life. These words show how, from field to tea room.
- Tencha碾茶
- Shade-grown tea leaves, steamed and dried. Ground in a stone mill, tencha becomes matcha.
- Chasen茶筅
- A whisk carved from a single piece of bamboo, used to whisk matcha into a smooth foam.
- Chawan茶碗
- A wide bowl with room to whisk. You drink matcha straight from it.
- Chashaku茶杓
- A slender bamboo scoop. One to two scoops make a bowl.
- Usucha薄茶
- The everyday way to drink matcha: about 1 g whisked into around 70 ml of water.
- Koicha濃茶
- A rich, thick preparation with about twice the matcha and half the water, kneaded rather than whisked.
- Ichibancha一番茶
- The first harvest of the year, picked in spring.
- Ōishita覆下
- Growing tea under shade before harvest, the step that makes matcha possible.
- Aracha荒茶
- Freshly steamed and dried leaf, before it is sorted and refined. For matcha, it becomes tencha.
- Chanoyu茶の湯
- The Japanese tea ceremony, the art of preparing and serving matcha with grace and intention.
- Chadō茶道
- The practice and philosophy behind the tea ceremony, studied over a lifetime.
- Ichigo ichie一期一会
- Treasure each gathering, because it will never happen the same way twice.
- Wa kei sei jaku和敬清寂
- Harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, the spirit at the heart of the tea ceremony.
- Natsume棗
- A small lidded caddy, often lacquered, that holds matcha for thin tea.
- Furui篩
- A fine sieve that breaks up clumps, so matcha whisks smooth.
- Wagashi和菓子
- Seasonal sweets served before matcha to balance its deep, savory flavor.
- Gyokuro玉露
- A shade-grown leaf tea, steeped rather than whisked, prized for rich umami.
- Gougumi合組
- The craft of blending tea from different farms and cultivars for depth and consistency.
- Chashi茶師
- A master taster who selects and blends tea to keep its flavor true, season after season.
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Questions
Good to know.
Is matcha the same as green tea?
Matcha is a green tea, but it’s grown and drunk differently. The plants are shaded before harvest, the leaves are ground into a powder, and you whisk and drink the whole leaf instead of steeping it and throwing it away.
How much caffeine is in matcha?
About 37 mg in a 1 g serving, based on our lab results. It varies a little by grade and by how much you use.
Is there decaf matcha?
Yes. Our Organic Decaf Matcha is made for when you’d rather skip the caffeine.
What’s the difference between ceremonial and culinary grades?
Ceremonial grades are made for drinking on their own, whisked with water. Culinary grades are bolder, made to stand up to milk, baking and cooking. See our grades for which is which.
How much matcha should I use?
About 1 g (half a teaspoon, or one to two bamboo scoops) for a bowl of usucha, the everyday thin tea. For a latte, use 2 g (1 tsp): our matcha latte guide has the full method.
How should I store matcha?
Keep it sealed, cool and dark. Once opened, close the tin tightly, keep it in the fridge and enjoy it within a month or two for the best color and flavor.
Where is your matcha grown?
In Japan. All our USDA organic matcha is grown in Kagoshima.
