Matcha tea

Matcha is a Japanese green tea made from leaves that are shaded from the sun for several weeks before harvest. Shading boosts chlorophyll and amino acids, giving the leaves their vivid colour and savoury depth. After steaming and drying, the stems and veins are removed and the leaf (called tencha) is stone-ground into an ultra-fine powder. Because you whisk the powder into water and drink it, you consume the whole leaf rather than an infusion.

Matcha is commonly sold in two broad styles: ceremonial-style matcha, intended to be whisked with water and enjoyed straight, and culinary-style matcha, which is bolder and suited to lattes, smoothies and baking.

A well-made bowl of matcha is rich, creamy and savoury, with a pronounced umami, a sweet finish and only a light bitterness. Brighter, more vibrant green powders tend to be smoother and sweeter; duller, yellowish powders are usually more astringent and better suited to mixing with milk. In a latte, matcha becomes mellow and grassy-sweet. Browse our selection above to choose between whisking and mixing styles.

Matcha is whisked rather than steeped, so the ratios differ from loose leaf tea. Sift 1–2 g (about ½–1 teaspoon) into a bowl to break up clumps, add 60–80 ml of water at 70–80°C, and whisk briskly in a zig-zag "M" or "W" motion for 15–20 seconds until a fine foam forms. Never use boiling water, which makes matcha bitter.

For a latte, whisk 2 g of matcha with 30–40 ml of warm water into a smooth paste, then top with about 200 ml of steamed or cold milk. A bamboo whisk (chasen) gives the best foam, but a small electric frother works well for lattes.

Because you drink the whole leaf, matcha delivers more caffeine than steeped green tea — roughly 30–35 mg per gram of powder, so a typical 2 g serving lands somewhere around 60–70 mg. Matcha is also rich in L-theanine, and many drinkers describe its energy as calm and sustained rather than jittery.