Matcha Is More Than Lattes—Japanese Tea Experts Share How to Enjoy This Unique Tea

What is matcha, and why is it surfing such a wave of popularity? While America's love affair with Japanese foods and ingredients, from ramen and sushi to yuzu, has been an ongoing obsession, matcha is in a league of its own. This green tea phenomenon has become so widespread that demand can't always keep up with supply. We spoke with Japanese tea experts to learn how to drink and eat matcha, as well as to discover the differences between the various types of this special ingredient.

What Is Matcha?

Matcha is a super-fine green tea powder used to create drinks and multiple dishes.  It's made exclusively from Japanese green leaf tea called tencha, which is Camellia sinensis that's grown in the shade for about 20 days before harvest, explains Tomoko Honda, head of global operations for Ippodo Tea Co., a Japanese tea company that cultivates its teas in the mountains of Kyoto.

Tencha Production

Tencha is largely grown on tea farms in the southern regions of Japan, including Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Kyoto (encompassing the Uji area, where matcha originated).

Once the stems and veins are removed, the remaining leafy part is dried and stone-milled into a fine green powder. "Skilled artisans carefully manage factors like the mill's condition and the ideal grinding speed to produce the fine, vibrant powder characteristic of high-quality matcha," Honda says.

Types of Matcha

"The tea leaf is natural and organic, and it will vary in taste depending on the cultivation, and the seasons," explains Rona Tison, executive advisor and tea ambassador for Ito En (North America) Inc., a subsidiary of Ito En Ltd., a Tokyo-based green tea company whose brands also include Oi Ocha, Matcha Love, and Teas' Tea. Its terroir also impacts taste. "It's like wine, but different—tea is one plant, Camellia sinensis, while with wine, you have different varietals."

Tea Grades

There are different grades, different tea leaves, and different qualities, Tison says. "High-quality matcha tastes smooth and vibrant and incorporates sweet notes." Lesser-quality matcha can be bitter and dark.

Matcha is oftentimes categorized into ceremonial grade and culinary (or ingredient) grade, but some brands parse it further, offering premium and/or daily grade options. "There are no official standards for matcha grades like ceremonial, premium, culinary, or ingredient," Honda says. The categories, he notes, are determined by individual tea companies' marketing strategies.

Ceremonial grade: The finest high-quality matcha, ceremonial grade, costs the most, Tison says. Bright green, nutty, and delicate, it's made from the youngest leaves and has the most umami flavor. It's used for Japanese tea ceremonies, and it's eminently blendable, heightening matcha lattes, smoothies, and desserts.

Daily grade: Balanced, bold, and sweet, this matcha registers between ceremonial and culinary grades. It's delicious in lattes, hot chocolate, and cocktails.

Culinary grade: Stronger and more astringent, with a lighter green color and a rougher texture, it's crafted to complement other ingredients in baked goods, savory dishes, cocktails, and drinks.

Nutritional Benefits of Matcha

"Generally speaking, one gram of matcha powder contains about 32 milligrams of caffeine," Honda says. (One shot of espresso has between 60 and 80 milligrams of caffeine.) Thanks to its shade-growing process, matcha has the most L-theanine of all green teas; this amino acid has a calming, relaxing effect, Tison says. It's rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and it has vitamins K, A, B2, B3, and B6.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremonies nurture mindfulness through the preparation and serving of matcha. This ritualistic Zen Buddhist practice bonds hosts and guests, touching on four main principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

Ceremonial Matcha

To prepare ceremonial matcha, you need a tea bowl (chawan), a tea scoop (chashuku), and a bamboo whisk (chasen), Tison says.  She says it takes time to learn the technique of Japanese tea. Here are the basics:

1. Sift the matcha, then measure about 1 teaspoon into the chawan.
2. Boil the water and cool it to 165°F. 
3. Pour 2 ounces of water over the matcha. 
4. Using the traditional tea bowl and whisk, make a froth, "but you don't want big bubbles," says Tison.

Personal Rituals

Today, many people sidestep tradition, seeking a mind-body-spirit connection through personalized tea rituals, spurring demand for matcha. "Once upon a time, it was more formal, now there is a real appreciation for matcha's health benefits, the taste, that mindfulness, and the relaxation," Tison says.

How to Eat and Drink Matcha

Here are some ways to enjoy matcha's many pleasures beyond the traditional tea drink:

Matcha lattes: This beloved drink comes together in a heartbeat. Whisk matcha with hot water and simmered almond milk in a drinking cup, then add sweetener to taste. Voila! For iced lattes, add ice cubes and stir.

Smoothies: Matcha plays off acidic ingredients, like the pineapple in our (already) Green Smoothie, and enhances our Avocado-Banana Smoothie.

Cocktails: It's not your imagination—matcha cocktails are having a moment. Matcha-ify our Mojito or stir it into simple syrup for our Boozy Frozen Lemonade.

Chia pudding: Tison adds matcha to a chia pudding fortified with toasted nuts, berries, and bananas.  Dream up your special combo with our Vanilla Chia Pudding.

Cheesecake: Matcha is matchless with creamy desserts, try adding some to the filling of our Classic Cheesecake.

Energy balls: Our Banana Energy Bites are also matcha-perfect.

Salads: Tison notes that matcha lends delicious flavor to a watermelon, cucumber, and feta cheese salad. Try it added to the dressing for our Watermelon Feta Salad.

Sauces: Matcha bolsters savory sauces, too. Stir a smidgen into the sauce of our Spicy Grilled Shrimp.

Marinades: For an earthier meat marinade, whisk matcha into our Soy-and-Ginger Marinated Pork Chops or add it to dry rubs.