What is the Difference Between Matcha And Regular Green Tea?

September 8, 2021

Did you know all tea comes from the same tea plant Camellia Senesis?

However, the different growing methods and processes set all Teas apart from one another.

Matcha is no exception - it’s completely different to regular green tea and let's dive in and find out why!

The two key components that make Matcha different to regular green tea are:

THE WAY IT IS GROWN
THE WAY IT IS CONSUMED

Firstly...

1) THE WAY IT IS GROWN

Matcha has a different harvesting and processing method to regular Green Tea. In the weeks leading up to harvest, Matcha plants are covered with a mesh shade cloth to prevent direct sunlight. This method increases nutritional content & makes the leaves greener. You can see the mesh shade cloth in the image below.

(Tea field, Uji Japan)

The tea leaves for Matcha are then carefully picked and sent to a processing factory to be deveined and steamed dried to prevent fermentation and oxidation, retaining the bright green colour.

The leaves are then finally ground down into a fine powder by a stone mill which you can see in the video below. Originally it was done by hand but these days its done mostly by machine.

2) THE WAY IT IS DRUNK

When you drink Matcha, you consume the entire tea leaf, instead of brewing and discarding them like regular green tea. This means you are consuming ALL of the nutritional benefits of the tea leaves.

Freshly Picked Matcha Tencha Leaves Wazuka, Japan

(Freshly picked leaves, Wazuka, Japan)

To drink Matcha Powder you whisk or shake the powder up to become frothy and then drink all the antioxidant goodness of the leaves in. Matcha contains at least 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in regular Green Tea.

Now...let's delve a little into the:

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MATCHA VS GREEN TEA

Matcha contains more caffeine than regular green tea, but it is slowly released and absorbed into your blood stream, unlike coffee which delivers you the caffeine all in the one hit and could lead to negative side effects like jitters, palpitations, upset stomach, anxiety and so on.

Matcha's slow release caffeine will keep you more energised than regular Green Tea (so it makes for a great coffee swap!)

Matcha also contains the highest level of L-theanine, an amino acid that relaxes you as well as giving you focus. A single cup (200 ml) of brewed green tea has 7.9 milligrams of L-theanine in it. Matcha is said to have 5 times the amount of L-theanine present in regular green tea.

L-theanine and Caffeine

And...If you're looking to boost your immunity, Matcha contains 3 times the amount of ECGC (Epigallocatechin Gallate) than regular green tea, a plant based compound which protects your immune system. ECGC assists your body's production of T-Cells which reduce inflammation and fight pathogens.

Finally let's discuss the taste differences between Matcha and regular Green Tea.

TASTE

Good quality Matcha has a rich full bodied flavour, very different to often bland green tea bags. Matcha should have minimal bitterness and be smooth to drink. Regular Green Tea can sometimes taste too bitter for some if it's been brewed for too long.

If high quality Matcha is prepared and drunk straight away, you should enjoy a smooth silky flavour.

Often people think Green Tea tastes bitter but this is absolutely not the case with high grade Matcha.

Premium Matcha