Matcha (抹茶) is a finely ground powder of green tea specially processed from shade-grown tea leaves. Shade growing gives matcha its characteristic bright green color and strong umami flavor. Matcha is typically consumed suspended in hot water.
Matcha is strictly defined by ISO 20715:2023 and Japan's food labeling standards. Both require it to be:
The Japanese standard adds that the tea must be shaded for 2–3 weeks using materials like cheesecloth or yoshizu, and only tea leaves (not buds or shoots) can be used—these are called tencha after initial processing. In contrast, ISO allows tender leaves, buds, or shoots.
Cheaper green tea powder (hunmatsucha), made from unshaded tea, is often falsely labeled as matcha and used mainly for flavoring or coloring foods.
Matcha's bright green color comes from increased chloroplasts in shade-grown tea leaves. Its rich umami flavor—stronger than other green teas—comes from high levels of amino acids like theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid, and theogallin. The unique "ooikou" aroma is due to dimethyl sulfide. Shade-growing not only preserves theanine but also boosts caffeine and amino acids while reducing catechins. Matcha is also rich in polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid.