Matcha Questions, Answered.
Everything from how matcha is made to how much caffeine is in your cup. Fact-checked, practical, and written for real answers.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves called tencha, which are grown specifically for grinding rather than brewing. Unlike regular green tea, where you steep and discard the leaves, matcha is fully dissolved in water, meaning you consume the whole leaf.
Good quality matcha has a naturally sweet, vegetal, umami-rich flavour with a smooth finish. Lower-grade or poorly stored matcha tends to taste bitter or grassy. Ceremonial grade is noticeably sweeter and less astringent than culinary grade.
With regular green tea you steep the leaves in water and then discard them. With matcha, the leaves are stone-ground into a powder that is whisked directly into water, so you consume the entire leaf. This means matcha delivers higher concentrations of caffeine, L-theanine, and antioxidants per serving than brewed green tea.
Matcha is green because of an elevated chlorophyll content caused by shade-growing. Tea plants destined for matcha are covered for approximately three to four weeks before harvest, blocking direct sunlight. This causes the plant to produce more chlorophyll to compensate, resulting in the vivid green colour.
Grades and Quality
Ceremonial grade is made from the youngest first-flush leaves with the highest L-theanine content, producing a naturally sweet, smooth flavour designed to be whisked with water and drunk straight. Culinary grade uses more mature leaves with a stronger, more robust flavour suited to recipes, lattes, and baking.
Three things indicate good quality matcha: a vivid, bright green colour rather than an olive or brownish-green; a smooth, slightly sweet aroma with no mustiness; and a fine, silky texture with no grittiness. Lower-grade or stale matcha typically looks dull, smells flat, and tastes bitter.
Stone-ground matcha is processed using traditional granite millstones that rotate slowly, preserving flavour compounds and nutrients by avoiding heat buildup. The process produces roughly 30–40 grams of matcha per hour per mill. Bead-milled matcha uses high-speed industrial equipment that is faster and cheaper but can degrade delicate aroma and flavour compounds.
Caffeine and How Matcha Feel
Laboratory analyses report approximately 19–44 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha powder. A typical serving of 1–2 grams (roughly half to one teaspoon) delivers around 38–88 mg of caffeine, depending on the grade, freshness, and preparation. A double serving of 4 grams can reach up to 176 mg.
Matcha contains both caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxed alertness and moderates the stimulant effect of caffeine. This combination tends to produce a calmer, more sustained energy compared to coffee, without the sharp spike and subsequent drop that many people experience with an espresso.
It depends on your sensitivity level. A small serving of matcha (1g, roughly a quarter teaspoon) contains approximately 19–44 mg of caffeine. For people who find coffee too stimulating, a smaller matcha serving often feels more manageable because L-theanine moderates the caffeine response. That said, matcha is not caffeine-free.
How to Make Matcha
For a traditional bowl: sift half of a teaspoon of ceremonial grade matcha into a bowl, add 70–80 ml of water heated to around 70–80 degrees Celsius (not boiling), and whisk briskly in a W or M motion with a bamboo chasen until frothy. For a matcha latte, whisk the matcha into a small amount of hot water first to form a smooth paste, then add your milk.
Matcha does not dissolve in water — the powder suspends in the liquid, which is why whisking technique matters. Clumping usually happens because the powder was added directly to hot water without sifting first, or because the water was too cold to allow proper suspension.
70–80 degrees Celsius is the recommended range for preparing matcha. Boiling water damages L-theanine and other delicate compounds, making the matcha taste more bitter. If you do not have a temperature-controlled kettle, letting boiled water sit for two to three minutes will bring it to roughly the right range.
Ordering, Shipping, and Products
A 60g bag typically provides 60 to 120 servings, depending on how much powder you use. A standard serving is around 0.5–1 gram (roughly a quarter to half teaspoon). If you prefer a stronger flavour or are making lattes, you might use 2 grams per serving, giving approximately 30 servings per bag.
Store matcha in a sealed container in a cool, dark place away from light, heat, and moisture. All Matcha Samurai bags are resealable. Refrigeration can extend freshness, but allow the bag to come to room temperature before opening to prevent condensation from affecting the powder.
Yes. Matcha Samurai ships internationally. International delivery times vary by destination and a tracking number is provided with every order.
Most of the Matcha Samurai range is JAS certified organic (Japan Agricultural Standard). The exception is the All Purpose Ceremonial Grade, which is a high-quality non-organic option offered at a more accessible price point. All product listings clearly indicate whether they are organic. JAS certification documentation is available on request.
Matcha Samurai offers a full refund on any 60g bag if you are not happy with your order. Contact info@matchasamurai.com and the team will sort it out. There is no complicated returns process.