What Does Matcha Tea Taste Like?

If you're on social media, you've definitely seen the matcha hype—it’s everywhere—and we've seen an 80% increase in matcha sales in our cafés and coffee shops. People love it for its energising boost of antioxidants and naturally-occurring caffeine, but what does it actually taste like?

Let's start with what matcha actually is, then we'll get into the different flavour notes of matcha, factors that affect its taste, and our top tips on how to store your matcha so that it stays fresh and at its best. 

What Is Matcha? 

Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder made from green tea leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant. This is the same plant that green tea comes from, but matcha is grown and processed differently to regular green tea: to make matcha, farmers cover and grow the plants in the shade for 3-4 weeks before harvesting, steaming, drying, and then finally grinding the leaves into a fine powder. 

Growing the leaves in the shade increases their chlorophyll content, not only making the leaves a vibrant green but adding nutrients and flavours that you won't find in standard green tea. 

Where Does Matcha Come From? 

The Camellia Sinensis plant is native to Southeast Asia. The first matcha green tea seeds are said to have been introduced to Japan in 1191, and the resulting green tea powder gave rise to the Japanese tea ceremony. 

There are centuries of tradition and rituals centred on matcha. Its production requires artistry and skill. 

Is Matcha Green Tea? 

Matcha is a type of green tea, yes. It's made from the powdered leaves of the same plant, but the way it is grown and prepared is what differentiates it from the green tea bags you buy in your local supermarket. Good quality matcha has a more unique and umami-rich flavour profile than green tea. 

What Does Matcha Taste Like? 

Matcha is known for its bright, earthy, and vegetal taste, which is refreshingly balanced by a natural sweetness and strong umami flavour. It can be enjoyed on its own as a traditional tea, or you can add it to lattes, smoothies, milkshakes, and more. 

High-quality matcha (like Grind Matcha) tends to have a smoother, rounder taste than lower-grade matcha, which will be more bitter. Pure ceremonial-grade matcha is fresh, earthy, and full-bodied, with a natural nuttiness and delicate sweetness. 

Matcha Tasting Notes

One of the most prominent tasting notes in ceremonial-grade matcha is a grassy, vegetal flavour. The steaming process that the green tea leaves undergo results in an earthy bitterness that complements the other tasting notes found in a good quality matcha tea. 

Another famous quality of matcha is a pronounced umami flavour. Umami is a Japanese term that describes the rich, savoury flavour you find in foods like matcha, miso, seaweed, and mushrooms.

These sharper notes are balanced by a subtle sweetness and a buttery smoothness that you'll find in high-grade matcha powders. When prepared properly, your matcha should have a frothy and smooth mouthfeel. 

What Factors Affect the Taste of Matcha? 

Quality of the Matcha

The quality of the matcha you're using will have the biggest impact on taste: ceremonial-grade matcha is the most premium form of matcha, made using the finest, youngest, and smallest shade-grown leaves to ensure a complex flavour profile that can be enjoyed on its own. 

Culinary-grade matcha is designed to add to smoothies or baked goods, but will result in a more bitter drink as you'll lose that natural smooth sweetness. 

Preparation Method

Preparing your matcha carefully is another crucial factor to preserving all of its unique flavours. Our top tips are to always use filtered water, like you should for your coffees, and to use HOT not boiling water—boiling water will burn the matcha, giving it a bitter, sour taste.

Make sure you whisk your matcha until a consistent paste forms so that it ends up frothy and creamy rather than thin and clumpy. You can buy the same matcha tea kit that we use in all of our cafés here. 

Additives and Pairings

The taste of your matcha drink will also depend on how you drink it. If you're new to matcha, adding a tiny bit of sugar or sweetener can soften the bitterness. You can also add it to hot or cold milk to make a creamy matcha latte. One of our most popular café orders is a Vanilla Matcha Latte, so we'd recommend testing out a little drop of your favourite flavour in there, too. 

How to Store Matcha Tea Powder

The best way to store matcha to maintain its freshness is in an airtight container in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Exposure to light and air can degrade its flavour and quality. We recommend popping it in the fridge once opened. 

If you want everyone to know that you have great taste, you should probably get your hands on our new Grind Matcha Tin. 

Health Benefits of Matcha

Rich in Antioxidants

Matcha is packed with catechins (a type of antioxidant), especially EGCG, which support overall health and protect cells from free radicals.

Natural Energy Boost

Matcha has just a ⅓ of the caffeine in coffee, but its chemical composition means it provides a sustained boost of energy, without a caffeine crash or jitters. 

Supports Relaxation and Focus

Matcha is high in L-theanine, an amino acid known for its calming effects. It also improves cognitive function and focus, boosting alertness without the jitteriness you get from coffee. 

Get Started with Matcha Tea from Grind

Hopefully, we've convinced you that matcha is a wellness powerhouse that tastes good and does good. 

We take matcha as seriously as we take coffee (which is very, very seriously), and we created our premium at-home range after spending years mastering matcha in our cafés. Our ceremonial-grade matcha is sourced from Uji, Japan, where it’s hand-picked and stone-ground to bring you a smooth taste, full body, and bright flavour. 

If you want to whisk  up some café-worthy matcha at home, we’d recommend our Matcha Powder and Matcha Tea Set, which has everything you need to make authentic matcha from your kitchen. 

For the on-the-go drinkers tired of café queues, we have our ready-to-drink Iced Oat Matcha Latte. And this all tastes better when you're wearing our On a Matcha Run Baseball Cap, obviously. 

Or browse our full matcha collection.