What Is Matcha? From Leaf to Cup
From shade-grown tencha to powder whisked into water: where matcha comes from and how to taste it.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
Matcha is hard to miss these days: the green powder turns up on café menus and grocery shelves alike. But what are you actually drinking? Matcha is a Japanese green tea made by milling tencha, tea leaves grown in shade, steamed, and then dried (see how matcha is made). The powder is dispersed in water and stays in the cup.
So you drink the leaf itself. With brewed tea, the leaves are removed after steeping in water. Matcha has a denser texture and a vegetal flavor, sometimes with umami, a rounded taste that lingers after a sip. We suggest trying it with water first, so you can get to know the tea you've chosen before adding milk. If you'd rather start with a gentler drink, a latte offers another way in.
Where does the leaf used for matcha come from?
Tencha is the raw material for matcha. After shading, the leaves are steamed and dried before milling. This whisked tea is now closely associated with Japan, even though matcha’s origins lie in China.
The Japanese tea ceremony gives each movement a particular meaning, but you don't need a ritual to enjoy your first bowl.
How does a tea leaf become a fine powder?
The leaves are shaded before harvest. Next come steaming, drying without rolling, and preparing the leaves for milling. A fine powder disperses more easily and feels smoother in the mouth.
We look first at that fineness and the clarity of the taste, before any flattering wording on a tin. These clues matter most in a cup prepared with water. In a pastry, a more assertive tea may hold its own among the other ingredients better than a very delicate one.
How is matcha different from brewed green tea?
In a teapot, water comes into contact with the leaves, which are then removed. In a bowl of matcha, the powder remains suspended. You can feel it in the texture, which is why it needs to be dispersed thoroughly. Neither that difference in preparation nor the composition of matcha is enough on its own to claim an effect on health.
What should a cup of matcha taste like?
You may find vegetal notes, umami, and bitterness of varying intensity. The tea, its freshness, and the way you prepare it all shift the balance. Water that's too hot often makes the bitterness more noticeable; it's worth checking the water before giving up on the powder.
We like it when the vegetal note lingers beyond the bitterness. If you drink matcha on its own, that sensation tells you more than a color photographed in flattering light. With milk, you may instead want a tea with a more assertive character.
How should you drink matcha for the first time?
Usucha is a lighter matcha prepared with water; koicha makes a thicker, denser cup. Start with usucha: about 3/4 tsp (1.5 g) of powder with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water at about 176°F (80°C).
First sift the powder into a wide bowl, then mix it with a little water to make a smooth paste. Pour in the rest and whisk briskly with a chasen, a bamboo matcha whisk, tracing a W without crushing the tines against the bottom of the bowl. Slow down near the surface to refine the foam, then drink right away, without sugar the first time: it would mask the tea’s subtler notes. Without a chasen, a shaker with a lid works in a pinch, though the texture will be different.
For a latte, start with a more concentrated base: about 1 tsp (2 g) of matcha in about 1 1/3 fl oz (40 ml) of water, then add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of hot milk. To get your cup right the first time, without bitterness or lumps, turn to our matcha preparation guide.
How do you choose a matcha you will enjoy?
Color, aroma, and taste all offer clues. The label offers others if you can read terms like ichibancha (the first tea harvest of the season), Okumidori (a tea cultivar), and the many others in our Japanese tea glossary. How you plan to use the tea then determines the right profile: a delicate tea can taste lovely with water yet fade into a latte. We suggest tasting matcha before judging it by its green color alone. Careful preparation helps with that test; it doesn't predict how much you'll enjoy cooking with the powder.
When choosing between two tins, color and smell can help you tell good matcha from poor matcha.