What Does Matcha Powder Contain?
Figures for 3.5 oz (100 g) of powder, but a much smaller serving in the bowl: learn to read matcha composition without inferring a health effect.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
You read "rich in vitamins" on a matcha powder and wonder what's really in your bowl. The composition published for 3.5 oz (100 g) describes the ground tea leaf, including protein, fiber, and vitamins. It describes neither your serving nor any effect on your health.
To read those numbers without exaggerating them, begin with the amount of powder you use.
What does matcha powder contain?
The Japanese matcha database gives these values for 3.5 oz (100 g) of edible material. This is a reference food. The table doesn't measure any Kura-ge powder. The last column brings these values down to about 1 tsp (2 g), the amount for a latte, by simple calculation.
| Component | Value per 3.5 oz (100 g) of powder | How to read it | For about 1 tsp (2 g), calculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 237 kcal | A basis for comparison, not a served cup | 4.7 kcal |
| Protein | 1.04 oz (29.6 g) | Value for the whole powder | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 0.19 oz (5.3 g) | Value for the whole powder | 0.1 g |
| Dietary fiber | 1.36 oz (38.5 g) | Value for the whole powder | 0.8 g |
| Vitamin K | 2,900 µg | A different unit from grams | 58 µg |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg | A reference value, without a clinical conclusion | 1.2 mg |
A value per 3.5 oz (100 g) can seem striking next to a usual serving. We calculate the calories in your matcha bowl from the dose actually used, then from the recipe. Milk or sugar brings its own components; this table can't calculate the nutrients in the whole drink.
This table doesn't quantify caffeine or catechins, though both are present in the powder. Caffeine is the same molecule as in coffee. Catechins are tea polyphenols, and EGCG is the most studied of them. Their amounts vary from one matcha to another and with the dose. We count caffeine in a cup of matcha from published measurements, and the amounts reported for EGCG in matcha are given per gram of powder.
Before applying these figures to your pouch, read its ingredient list. A pure powder lists only powdered green tea. If sugar, milk powder or a flavoring appears, it's no longer a pure powder, and the table above no longer describes what you're buying.
What can we say about amino acids and chlorophyll?
Proteins are made of amino acids. Theanine belongs to that family and appears in the description of shading. The composition table above doesn't give its amount in your cup.
Chlorophyll contributes to the green color of leaves, but the table doesn't quantify it. We like to look at the color, then smell and taste a powder prepared with water. An intense green alone measures neither chlorophyll nor nutritional value. Your eyes help you choose a cup; they don't replace an analysis.
Does this composition prove health benefits?
No. Finding a vitamin or amino acid in a table demonstrates no health effect. You must also distinguish the reference powder, the portion consumed, and the other ingredients.
We prefer to describe what's measured and leave promises aside. That makes a number useful without asking it to say more than it does.
Does composition vary between powders?
The leaf, its cultivation, and its processing, from shading to milling, can vary.
To compare two powders, we'd prepare them the same way before judging their taste. Even then, a difference you notice reveals no quantity of vitamins or amino acids. That would require an analysis of the particular batch.