Matcha vs. Green Tea: The Difference Between the Two Teas

Matcha is a green tea powder made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis plants, mostly grown and processed in Japan. After destemming and deveining, the leaves are steamed to prevent oxidation, which is crucial in maintaining matcha’s color and nutritional benefits. The prepared leaves are then stone-ground into a fine powder, which easily emulsifies in a liquid.

Higher quality “ceremonial grade” matcha is reserved for drinking (referring to the Japanese tea ceremonies introduced by Buddhist monks in the early 1100s), while “culinary grade” matcha powder is used to flavor many dishes in Japanese cuisine, from cha soba noodles to wagashi confections like dango, mochi, and ice cream. While no official regulations denote the grade requirements, culinary grade matcha is typically less expensive.

You can prepare a cup of matcha by frothing matcha powder and hot water in a bowl using a bamboo whisk called a chasen. Alternatively, you can make a contemporary matcha latte by frothing the green tea powder with a milk product (or a dairy alternative like coconut milk) and sweetener.

Green tea is a general term reserved for the loose-leaf tea made from the leaves and buds of Camellia sinensis plants, produced predominantly in China and consumed worldwide.

Once harvested, green tea leaves are allowed to wither before being steamed, hand-rolled, dried, or roasted in various methods, from sun-drying to basket-firing. This multi-step process rids the leaves of bitterness and enhances their natural flavors. Popular green teas, like sencha, feature steamed, hand-rolled leaves.

Though they come from the same family of tea plants, matcha and green tea have a few notable differences:

• Color: Matcha leaves spend the last few weeks before harvest in the shade, which increases its chlorophyll (and caffeine) levels. The leaves are steamed quickly after harvesting to maintain the coloring and halt oxidation (fermentation), which gives the finished powder its signature vibrant green color. In contrast, green tea leaves lose much of their color during the drying and oxidation process.
• Texture: The green tea leaves used for matcha are stone-ground into a fine powder, while green tea leaves are dried first before being sold as loose leaves or in tea bags. Matcha powder is whisked into a velvety froth with a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel. Green tea leaves are steeped in just-below boiling water and strained before serving for a more delicate result.
• Flavors: While matcha and green tea share many grassy, earthy undertones, the final flavor profiles differ quite a bit. Matcha has a signature umami flavor found in many “shade” teas, along with a rich, earthy, bittersweetness. Green tea features a much more comprehensive range of flavors depending on the variety, from floral and grassy to smoky and toasty.
  
• Caffeine content: Since the matcha production process keeps much of the antioxidants and amino acids in the leaves intact, it contains much more caffeine than green tea: about 80mg per cup to green tea’s 35mg—comparable to a cup of coffee.

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