Matcha – Frequently Asked Questions

What is matcha powder?

Matcha is basically green tea in the form of very fine powder with particle size typically less than 20 microns. However, matcha is not just any green tea ground into a fine powder. Matcha tea plants are grown in shade, at least for the last 20 days before harvesting. This increases the chlorophyll content in the leaves and they become rich and dense in color. The leave also naturally increases in nutrients, particularly l-theaine, which is a type of amino acid. The leaves are then plucked, immediately steamed and dried. This prevents the leaves from getting oxidized, losing taste and nutrients. The leaves in this state are known as ‘Tencha‘. Tencha is then ground into a very fine powder, which is known as Matcha. Note that there is a specific method from plantation to harvesting to manufacturing for production of matcha, which is different than just general powdered form of any green tea.

What does matcha taste like?

The taste of matcha is generally described as subtle and smooth, earthy and grassy, with a hint of bitterness, depending on the cultivar and prefecture of matcha. The gentle and earthy taste of matcha is also called umami flavor, which is a term coined in 1900s, to describe a unique fifth taste (the four common tastes are – sweet, salty, sour, bitter) of natural food. The umami taste comes from higher concentration of amino acid compound called l-theanine in matcha. Ceremonial matcha green tea has a subtle flavor and almost no bitterness because it is made from young and supple leaves of usually the first harvest of the year and contains no veins and stems. Ceremonial Matcha is perfect as green tea or matcha latte. Culinary matcha powder may have slight bitterness because it is usually made from second or later harvest of tea plantation with more mature leaves, and stems and veins may not be removed. Hence it is more suitable to used as a condiment in cooking, baking, desserts and more commonly in smoothies, shakes, cakes, etc.

What makes some matcha powders better quality and more expensive than others?

There are several factors that determine the quality of Matcha and hence its price. Some of these are listed below:

Number of days the trees are kept in shade, which is what gives matcha it’s bright color and density of nutrients.

Organic or normal i.e. use of natural fertilizers versus chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers typically make the plant grow quicker for harvesting than natural growth process. Organic Matcha is more expensive.

Use of pesticides – This is important because matcha powder is made from ground leaves and consumed as a whole. Hence it is important that there is no use of pesticides. Pesticide free and matcha tested for hazardous substances (HACCP certified) is more expensive.

Manufacturing process – At various stages, the use of machinery and artificial processes versus handcrafted and manual processes, make the difference in price as well. E.g., artificially drying steamed leaves versus air drying, manual harvesting versus machine harvesting, stone ground versus heavy machine ground, etc.

Pure matcha powder versus matcha blends – Many matcha products come mixed with many other ingredients (especially sugar) to either enhance flavor or create blended products. 100% pure matcha is obviously more expensive.

Country of origin – Typically, Japanese matcha is most expensive, followed by Korean Matcha and then Chinese Matcha. Japan has high standards governed by JAS (Japan Agricultural Society) and other government regulations. While matcha is originally from China, Japan was the first country to develop, identify and certify a specific matcha cultivar (Yabukita) as well as standardize on the ceremonial matcha production and consumption process.

Other factors like prefectures and cultivars of matcha also influence quality and costs.