- Tea variety
- 抹茶
Matcha
The whole leaf, whisked to a foam.
Flavor profile
The strengths are editorial judgments on a scale within the family, not measurements. They can be compared across the green tea varieties, not directly against another family.
Matcha is shade-grown green tea ground into a very fine powder that is whisked into water, so the whole leaf is drunk. The shading drives up umami and sweetness, the grinding gives the creamy texture, and since nothing is strained out, both flavor and caffeine are more concentrated than in brewed tea.
Sensory analysis
Pyramid and character
Aroma
dry leaf and freshly brewed
- green
- sweet
- creamy
Cup
mid-sip
- dense umami
- creamy body
Finish
what lingers
- long
- sweet
- building
Character 0-100 per axis, set relative to the other entries in the same family. An editorial judgment of a typical serving, not measurements.
Background
Facts
- Processing
- shade-grown leaves (tencha) are stripped of stems and veins, then stone-ground into powder
- Shading
- several weeks before harvest
- Caffeine
- high, the whole leaf is consumed
- Use
- ceremonial tea, lattes, baking and dessert
In the cup
Brewing
- Temperature
- 70-80°C
- Time
- whisked for about 15-30 seconds into a foam, no steeping time
- Note
- traditionally with a bamboo whisk (chasen) in a bowl (chawan); a shaker does the job on ordinary days
Shop and journal
At Nekko
- Kakurecha Sencha-pulver - japanskt grönt te i pulverform (30 g)
- Nekko Matcha-shaker - vispen som får plats i vardagen
- Matcha för nybörjare: startkit och tillbehör
- Matcha latte recept: varm och iskall, steg för steg
- Sencha vs matcha: skillnad och användning
- Grönt te-pulver: matcha, sencha och hojicha
Nekko deliberately sells no matcha. Our everyday alternative is sencha powder: whole sencha leaves ground into a fine powder, with a similar character but a rounder profile and a lower price. The differences are described honestly in the articles above.
Evidence
Sources
- Matcha (Wikipedia) (retrieved 2026-08-08)
- Nekko Journal: Matcha för nybörjare (retrieved 2026-08-08)