Your Guide to Matcha
Matcha is green tea ground into a fine powder. With steeped tea you throw the leaves away, but with matcha you drink the whole leaf, and that one difference shapes nearly everything about it: the taste, the color, and what ends up in your cup.
What you’ll find here
- The basics: read how matcha and green tea differ before you buy anything.
- Making it: try a homemade matcha latte, or stir it into matcha yogurt.
- Buying with care: learn what tests show about lead in matcha and how to read a lab report.
- The numbers: see how matcha compares in EGCG, a key green tea compound.
Before you buy
Because you consume the whole leaf, it’s worth paying attention to what’s in it. Look for a seller that shares batch test results, and keep servings sensible. Matcha also contains caffeine, so see our caffeine guide if you’re watching your intake. If you’re new to green tea generally, the types of green tea guide is a good place to look around.
Start here
What's the Difference Between Matcha and Green Tea?Matcha is green tea that's shaded, powdered and drunk whole. See how it differs from steeped green tea in taste, caffeine and the evidence on benefits.
Does Matcha Contain Lead?Matcha can contain traces of lead because you consume the whole leaf. See published test results, what a lab report tells you and why lead free is rare.
How to Make a Starbucks-Style Matcha Green Tea LatteA homemade copycat of the Starbucks matcha latte, with simple steps, what sets the sugar and caffeine in your cup, and what the evidence shows.All guides
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Other topics
Blends & add-insFruit, herbs, honey and milk: what pairs well, how to make it, and what it really does.CaffeineHow much caffeine is in your cup, how decaf works, and how the brands compare.Health questionsWhat the evidence actually supports, and where the claims run ahead of it.Brewing & storageWater, timing, amounts and storage, so your tea tastes good and stays fresh.Types & originsSencha, gyokuro, jasmine and teas from across Asia, and how green tea compares with others.Brands & bottled teasWhat is really in the green teas you find in stores and cafés.Recipes & other usesFood, baths, plants and other things people do with green tea.