What Is Matcha? The Shaded Leaf, Whole and Whisked

For a few weeks before the harvest, the tea gardens are dressed in shade. Stretched canopies soften the light, and the leaves, reaching for what little sun is left to them, grow tender and deep green, sweet where they might have turned sharp. Those shaded leaves, steamed, dried and stone-ground to a fine powder, are matcha.

Matcha is everywhere now, whisked into lattes and poured over ice, and along the way it has gathered as many promises as admirers. This is the honest version: what matcha actually is, what it tastes like, what the science does and does not show, how to whisk a good bowl, and where ours comes from.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a powdered green tea, made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis¹, the same plant behind every black, green and white tea. What sets it apart is the shading. For around three weeks before picking, the plants are covered, which raises the leaf's chlorophyll and amino acids and softens its bitterness². The shaded leaves are steamed, gently dried, and stripped of their stems and veins, leaving only the silken leaf. That leaf is then ground slowly between stone wheels into a bright, fine powder. With most teas you steep the leaf and pour it away. With matcha you whisk the whole leaf into water and drink it, all of it.

What does matcha taste like?

Good matcha tastes savoury and green, with a roundness people call umami, a fresh grassy note, and a natural sweetness that lingers. A fine ceremonial grade like ours is smooth and creamy rather than sharp. Bitterness usually comes not from the matcha but from the making: water too hot, or too much powder for the water. Kept gentle, the cup is soft, vivid and a little sweet. One of the kindest things a customer said of ours was simply, "lovely creamy quality".

Is matcha good for you?

Matcha is a whole-leaf green tea. Because you drink the leaf rather than steeping and discarding it, you take in more of what the leaf holds: caffeine, the amino acid L-theanine, and plant compounds called catechins. It is a drink to enjoy as part of a varied, balanced way of living, not a medicine and not a cure for anything. The honest, useful detail is in the two sections below: what the research on matcha's gentle lift actually shows, and who should take a little care with it.

Does matcha really give a calmer energy than coffee?

This is the question matcha is best loved for, so it deserves an honest answer rather than a slogan. Matcha naturally contains both caffeine and L-theanine. In controlled studies, the combination of L-theanine and caffeine has been associated with improvements in certain measures of attention and subjective alertness³, though the findings vary between studies and depend on the dose: some trials saw a benefit, others saw it only on particular tasks⁴, and at least one well-run study found no behavioural effect at all⁵. So the truthful picture is a gentle and mixed one, not a guarantee. What we can say plainly is that many people reach for matcha as a softer alternative to coffee, for the feeling the tea ceremony has long valued: alert yet unhurried, present without the jangle. Whether it does that for you is best discovered a bowl at a time.

Why is everyone drinking matcha?

Part of it is simply how it looks and feels: the vivid green, the small ritual of whisking, a moment of pause that photographs beautifully and tastes of something older than a trend. Part of it is the gentler-than-coffee reputation above. And part of it is heritage, a tradition more than eight centuries old finding its way into modern kitchens. It has become, for many, a daily ritual rather than just a drink, which is rather the point of it.

Does matcha affect hormones or progesterone?

A lot of recent chatter online asks this, so we will be straight with you: there is no good-quality human evidence that matcha meaningfully affects hormones, progesterone or fertility, and we would not claim that it does. The pages making those promises are mostly selling something. Matcha is a green tea, enjoyed as a drink. If you have questions about your hormones or fertility, those belong with a doctor, not a tea caddy.

How do you make matcha?

A good bowl asks for a little care and rewards it. The one rule that matters most: never use boiling water, which scalds the powder and turns it bitter. Aim for around 70 to 80 degrees.

• Warm your bowl or cup with hot water, then tip it away.
• Sift in a small amount of matcha, about 1 to 2 grams, to break up any clumps.
• Add a splash of the cooled water and mix to a smooth paste.
• Add the rest of the water and whisk briskly, a bamboo chasen in an "M" or zig-zag motion, then a circular one, until a fine froth sits on top like the crema on a good coffee.

For a delicate thin tea, use about 1g of matcha to 75ml of water; for a richer cup, up to 3.5g to 40ml. No bamboo whisk? A small handheld milk frother does a fine job. Many people enjoy it as a latte too, whisked first with a little water and then lengthened with warm oat or other milk.

Who should take care with matcha?

Matcha is a much-loved everyday drink, but it does contain caffeine, so a few people should keep an eye on it.

• In pregnancy: the NHS advises no more than 200mg of caffeine a day, and a mug of tea can carry around 75mg⁶. Matcha is whole leaf, so count it within your daily limit, and speak to your midwife if you are unsure.
• If you are sensitive to caffeine: matcha has a real caffeine content, so you may prefer it earlier in the day rather than the evening.
• With meals and medicines: tea taken with food can lessen the absorption of iron from that meal, and caffeine can interact with some medicines. If you take medication or are watching your iron, a word with your GP or pharmacist is wise.

As ever, if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or managing a health condition, please check with a qualified professional before making matcha a daily habit.

Where does our matcha come from?

Most matcha is Japanese, and the tea ceremony that gave it meaning is Japanese to its heart. Ours took a longer road. Our search began in Japan but led us home to the plant itself: the semi-wild, high-altitude gardens of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in China, the original homeland of Camellia sinensis. More than 800 years ago, tea seeds from this very region travelled to Japan with the Zen priest Eisai and became the roots of Japanese tea culture and the matcha ceremony. Finding our matcha here carried that story full circle.

It is a ceremonial grade, picked from the tender top leaves of the first spring harvest, shaded for over twenty days, then stone-milled slowly so the friction never heats and dulls the leaf. It is single-source, organically grown and free from pesticides, with nothing added. You can read more about our sourcing policy.

Common questions about matcha

Is matcha just green tea?

It is green tea, but a particular kind. The plants are shaded before harvest, and instead of steeping the leaf you grind it whole and drink it, powder and all. That is why a bowl of matcha is so much more vivid and full than a cup of steeped green tea.

What is the difference between ceremonial and culinary grade?

Ceremonial grade is made from the youngest, finest spring leaves and is best whisked simply with water, the way ours is intended. Culinary grade is bolder and a little more bitter, made to hold its own in lattes, smoothies and baking. The two grades also differ in their make-up, with the finer grades carrying more of the amino acids that bring sweetness and less bitterness⁷.

Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee?

Because you drink the whole leaf, a serving of matcha carries more caffeine than a cup of steeped green tea, though usually less than a typical coffee. The exact amount depends on how much powder you use. If you are watching your caffeine, treat a bowl of matcha as you would a cup of tea.

Can you drink matcha every day?

Many people do, as part of a morning ritual. As with any drink that contains caffeine, balance and moderation are the thing. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or managing a health condition, please speak to a professional first.

How should I store matcha?

Matcha is sensitive to light, air, heat and moisture, all of which dull its colour and aroma. Keep it sealed in a cool, dark place, and use it within a few weeks of opening while it is at its brightest and best.

A bowl worth whisking

Matcha rewards a little slowness. The warming of the bowl, the sifting, the soft sound of the whisk, all of it is a small daily ceremony that asks only a few minutes and gives back a moment of stillness. Made gently, with good leaf and water that is not too hot, it is one of the loveliest ways there is to begin a day. The four principles of the tea ceremony, harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, are a fine thing to whisk into a morning.

Explore our matcha, stone-milled from the first spring harvest:

• Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha, single-source and shade-grown, for whisking simply with water.

References

1. Plants of the World Online. Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. powo.science.kew.org
2. Kochman J, Jakubczyk K, Antoniewicz J, Mruk H, Janda K (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: a Review. Molecules 26(1):85. doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085
3. Haskell CF, Kennedy DO, Milne AL, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB (2008). The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. Biological Psychology 77(2):113-122. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.09.008
4. Einother SJL, Martens VEG, Rycroft JA, De Bruin EA (2010). L-Theanine and caffeine improve task switching but not intersensory attention or subjective alertness. Appetite 54(3):498-503. doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.01.003
5. Dodd FL, Kennedy DO, Riby LM, Haskell-Ramsay CF (2015). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. Psychopharmacology 232(14):2563-2576. doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-3895-0
6. NHS. Foods to avoid in pregnancy: caffeine. National Health Service. nhs.uk
7. Meyer BR, White HM, McCormack JD, Niemeyer ED (2023). Catechin Composition, Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Properties of Commercially-Available Bagged, Gunpowder, and Matcha Green Teas. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 78(4):662-669. doi.org/10.1007/s11130-023-01121-2

Written by Ellie May, a researcher and writer who studies traditional plant, fungi and mineral knowledge, and a guest writer for Na'vi Organics. She writes longer guides on medicinal mushrooms, tonic herbs and Ayurvedic traditions, drawing on both scientific research and folklore. Ellie is a researcher and writer, not a medical practitioner, and nothing here is medical advice. Published 4 March 2026.