Let's take an in-depth look at matcha vs. green tea. Yes, technically, matcha is stone-ground powdered green tea. But we cannot take the green tea leaves we have sitting in our cupboard and grind those up. Matcha tea processing is a complex tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Even the tea leaves farmers use to prepare the powder require special growing conditions. So let's discuss what makes both matcha powder and Japanese green tea so unique in their own way.
Is Matcha a Green Tea?
Absolutely! Matcha is a type of green tea. It comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, and it is processed to halt oxidation. The difference is in how matcha is grown (shaded for several weeks before harvest to boost chlorophyll and L-theanine), processed (steamed, dried, de-stemmed, and stone-ground into a fine powder), and consumed (the entire leaf is ingested, not steeped and discarded). This is also why matcha has higher concentrations of certain compounds per gram than steeped green tea.
Brief History of Tea In Japan
Tea was first brought to Japan by Japanese Buddhist monks in the 9th century, first by Saicho (805 AD) and shortly after by Kukai (806 AD), although it didn't really catch on until the late 1100s. (Read more about the history of tea in Japan)
During the Tang Dynasty in China, people primarily consumed tea in powdered form. Loose-leaf green tea, typically sencha, didn't make its way into Japanese tea culture until the 17th century, when people were looking for a simple way of drinking tea instead of partaking in chanoyu, which was generally available only to the elite.
Nowadays, matcha is not nearly as common as tea in Japan. The majority of people drink sencha, whether it's at home, as a complimentary tea at a restaurant or eatery, or even bottled sencha iced tea from a convenience store.
Sencha is the champion for tea-drinking trends in Japan. 70% of all teas that farmers produce in Japan are sencha green tea.
Matcha has gained its popularity in the form of a nice creamy matcha latte and various baked good. Thus, people rarely practice traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremonies (chanoyu).
Matcha Tea Processing Compared To Green Tea Processing
Farmers shade tea gardens that grow leaves for matcha for several weeks before harvest. This is what gives matcha that characteristic deep green color. Farmers only pick the top leaves, which are the sweetest and richest in nutrients. Not to mention, they have higher caffeine content. Consequently, matcha contains more caffeine than green tea, like sencha.
After harvesting the tea leaves for matcha production, farmers dry, carefully de-vein, and de-stem them by hand. Only then will the long and slow stone-grinding process begin.
On the other hand, farmers grow Sencha in the sunlight. Then they harvest the new shoots, leaves, and stems. After harvest, they briefly steam sencha to preserve its potent green color and fresh vegetal taste.
Matcha Benefits vs Green Tea Benefits
When it comes to nutrient concentration, matcha has an advantage over steeped green tea because you consume the whole leaf rather than just what dissolves into the water. Matcha is richer in L-theanine (shading boosts L-theanine significantly), EGCG, and other catechins per cup than most steeped green teas. Studies suggest matcha delivers meaningfully more antioxidants per serving than steeped sencha, though the exact multiplier varies by study and depends heavily on which green tea you're comparing to.
For this reason, it is essential to always pay extra attention to the source of your matcha powder, and it's better to buy organic when possible.
Matcha vs Green Tea Caffeine
Does matcha have caffeine? Yes! Since matcha is a type of green tea, it naturally has some caffeine. In fact, since the whole tea leaf is used for matcha preparation, matcha caffeine content is actually higher than any other green tea caffeine content. While in general a loose leaf green tea might contain about 10-15% caffeine of a cup of coffee, matcha can contain anywhere up to half. Read more.
Comparing The Price
When comparing on a cent-to-cent basis, Sencha is cheaper. However, the preparation method is often overlooked when comparing the two types of green tea.
For one serving of sencha, we use a few grams of tea leaves, while for a serving of matcha, we use only 1-2 grams. For most, having one serving of matcha per day is enough. Read more.
