Matcha
High caffeine
Flavor: umami-sweet, stone-ground whole leaf
Tier: ceremonial & culinary grades
Best for: daily whisk, lattes, ceremonial ritual
The Matcha Lexicon
One with Tea · Last reviewed September 2026
What is here: matcha in practice. Grades, caffeine, price, brewing, and the tools that go with them.
Looking for the language of tea? Processing, trade and ceremony vocabulary, including the 1935 trade terms and where their meanings have drifted, live in the Tea Lexicon.
The Matcha Lexicon is One with Tea's plain-language reference to matcha and Japanese tea. It defines the words, answers the common questions, and gathers the current numbers in one place. Every figure here is sourced, and every answer leads with the answer.
Four small tools sit alongside the writing. Search the glossary when a word like tencha or koicha stops you. Set matcha's caffeine next to coffee by the serving. Filter eight Japanese teas by the mood you are in, and check any matcha's price per gram against the current market. Between them, the FAQ answers the common questions, and the deeper guides link out where a topic deserves its own page.
Matcha at a glance
- What it is
- Finely stone-ground powder made from shade-grown Japanese green tea leaves (tencha), whisked into water rather than steeped and strained.
- Caffeine
- Roughly 38 to 88 mg in a 2 g serving (matcha carries about 19 to 44 mg per gram), more than an 8 oz cup of steeped green tea (25 to 45 mg) and usually less than an 8 oz brewed coffee (95 to 200 mg).
- Grades
- Ceremonial (first-flush, whisked with water), premium or latte (everyday), and culinary (baking and blending). Grade is an industry guide, not a legal standard.
- 2026 price
- US median about $0.39 per gram, Japan-origin median about $0.42 per gram, from our index of 84 matcha powders (snapshot 14 July 2026).
- Why prices rose
- Kyoto's first tencha auction of 2025 averaged ¥8,235/kg, about 1.7 times the year before and a record, as tencha supply tightened while global demand surged (Global Japanese Tea Association).
- How to make it
- Sift 1-2 g, add about 60 ml water near 80 C, and whisk in a light W or M motion until frothy.
Reviewed September 2026. Figures describe 2024-2025 conditions and the early-2026 trend.
Matcha glossary: the terms, defined Interactive
In short: matcha is tencha leaf, shade-grown, steamed, dried and stone-ground, then whisked whole into water. Usucha is the thin everyday bowl, koicha the thick ceremonial one, and a grade label is a guide, not a legal standard.
Search 30 terms
Thirty words that cover most of what you will meet in a tea shop, a recipe, or a tin label. Search by term or meaning, or filter by group.
- Matcha(mah-chah)Tea types
- Finely stone-ground powder of shade-grown Japanese green tea, whisked whole into water rather than steeped and strained. Browse our organic Japanese matcha.
- Tencha(ten-chah)Grades & leaf
- The leaf state before grinding: shade-grown leaves that are steamed, dried, and stripped of stems and veins, ready for the mill.
- Usucha (thin tea)(oo-soo-chah)Concepts
- The everyday preparation, whisked to a light foam with about 2 grams of matcha and 60 ml of hot water.
- Koicha (thick tea)(koy-chah)Concepts
- A concentrated preparation kneaded rather than foamed, using about 4 grams of matcha to 30 ml of water.
- Chasen(chah-sen)Prep tools
- The bamboo whisk carved from a single node, used to break up clumps and lift matcha into a fine foam.
- Chawan(chah-wahn)Prep tools
- The wide tea bowl that gives the whisk room to move; its shape shifts with the season.
- Chashaku(chah-shah-koo)Prep tools
- The slender bamboo scoop that measures matcha, roughly one to two scoops per bowl. Shop our handcrafted bamboo chashaku.
- Ceremonial gradeGrades & leaf
- Matcha from the youngest first-flush leaves, smooth and sweet enough to drink whisked with only water. Try our organic ceremonial matcha.
- Culinary gradeGrades & leaf
- Matcha from later, bolder leaves, made to hold its color and flavor through milk, baking, and blending.
- First flush (ichibancha)Grades & leaf
- The season's first spring harvest, prized for sweetness and fine texture; later flushes taste stronger.
- Shade-grownConcepts
- Tea covered for two to three weeks before harvest, which raises the chlorophyll and amino acids in the leaf.
- Stone-groundConcepts
- Milled slowly between granite wheels in cool rooms so the powder stays fine and does not scorch.
- Umami(oo-mah-mee)Concepts
- The savory, brothy taste, the fifth basic taste, that defines a well-made ceremonial matcha.
- L-theanineConcepts
- An amino acid concentrated in shade-grown tea, associated in research with matcha's smooth character alongside its caffeine.
- CatechinsConcepts
- Natural plant compounds in green tea, including EGCG, that contribute to its color and its slightly astringent edge.
- Sencha(sen-chah)Tea types
- Japan's everyday steeped green tea, made from leaves grown in full sun rather than shaded like matcha. Try our organic first-flush sencha.
- Gyokuro(gyoh-koo-roh)Tea types
- A premium shaded loose-leaf green tea that shares matcha's shading step but is steeped as whole leaves.
- Hojicha(hoh-jee-chah)Tea types
- Roasted green tea with a toasty flavor and very little caffeine, the gentler cup next to matcha. Try our organic hojicha powder.
- Genmaicha(gen-my-chah)Tea types
- Green tea blended with roasted brown rice, giving a warm, nutty, low-intensity cup. Try our organic genmaicha.
- ChlorophyllConcepts
- The green pigment that shading concentrates, giving fine matcha its vivid jade color.
- Uji(oo-jee)Regions
- A historic tea region near Kyoto known for high-grade tencha and some of the priciest auction lots.
- Kabusecha(kah-boo-seh-chah)Tea types
- Tea shaded for a shorter window than gyokuro or tencha, sitting between sencha and the fully shaded teas.
- Aracha (crude tea)(ah-rah-chah)Grades & leaf
- The unrefined leaf straight from processing, before sorting and final refinement.
- Furui (sifting)(foo-roo-ee)Concepts
- Passing matcha through a fine sieve before whisking, which breaks clumps and prevents a lumpy bowl.
- Mizudashi (cold brew)(mee-zoo-dah-shee)Concepts
- Steeping leaf or whisking matcha with cold water for a sweeter cup with less astringency.
- TerroirConcepts
- The soil, climate, and region that shape a tea's flavor, the reason single-origin matcha tastes of its place.
- Single-originConcepts
- Matcha traceable to one farm or region rather than blended from many, tied to named growers and lab data.
- SteamingConcepts
- The first processing step that halts oxidation, locking in the green color and fresh aroma.
- Amino acidsConcepts
- The building blocks, led by L-theanine, that shading multiplies to create matcha's sweetness and umami.
- Whisking motionConcepts
- The brisk W or M stroke, led from the wrist rather than the arm, that lifts matcha into an even foam.
- Nishio(nee-shee-oh)Regions
- A tea town in Aichi Prefecture and one of Japan's main matcha centers, where tencha has been grown and stone-milled for generations. Nishio matcha held Japanese Geographical Indication status from 2017 until its growers withdrew it in 2020, and it remains a regional collective trademark.
- Shizuoka(shee-zoo-oh-kah)Regions
- Japan's best-known tea prefecture, spread across the foothills of Mt. Fuji and famous above all for sencha.
- Kagoshima(kah-goh-shee-mah)Regions
- The major tea prefecture at the southern tip of Kyushu. A warm climate brings the earliest harvests in mainland Japan, and broad, level fields suit machine picking.
- Yame(yah-meh)Regions
- A tea district in Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu, known above all for rich, deeply shaded gyokuro.
- JAS organicGrades & leaf
- Japan's organic standard. Tea sold as organic in Japan must be certified under the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and carry the organic JAS mark. Under the US-Japan organic equivalence arrangement, JAS-certified organic products can also be sold as organic in the US, and USDA organic products in Japan.
Terms and definitions from One with Tea's Matcha Lexicon, compiled and reviewed by founder Christian Mauerer. Educational reference only, published 2026-08-05, updated 2026-09-21.
What the research explores
Matcha carries two compounds researchers study most: L-theanine, the amino acid concentrated by shading, and catechins such as EGCG. L-theanine alongside caffeine is often associated in studies with a steadier, focused kind of alertness, which is the calm-energy character many drinkers describe. Catechins are polyphenols that green tea has long been studied for. We share this as context, not health advice, and we keep to what the research describes.
Matcha FAQ: quick, sourced answers
In short: matcha has caffeine (roughly 38 to 88 mg per 2 g serving), is made from stone-ground tencha that a kitchen blender cannot replicate, and is best whisked with 60 ml of water near 80 C.
Does a matcha latte have caffeine, and roughly how much?
Yes. A matcha latte contains caffeine because it is made with real green tea powder, not a caffeine-free flavoring. Matcha carries about 19 to 44 mg of caffeine per gram, so a 2 g serving (about a teaspoon) holds roughly 38 to 88 mg, close to a small cup of coffee (Kochman et al., 2020). Cafe lattes built with two scoops of powder run higher than a home bowl.
Is matcha tea caffeine-free?
No, matcha is not caffeine-free. It is whisked whole green tea leaf, so you drink the caffeine that a steeped-and-strained tea would leave behind in the cup. A 2 g serving holds roughly 38 to 88 mg of caffeine (Kochman et al., 2020). For a near caffeine-free cup, roasted hojicha is the gentler choice.
Does matcha have a lot of caffeine?
Matcha sits in the moderate range, higher than a cup of steeped green tea and usually below brewed coffee. A 2 g serving delivers roughly 38 to 88 mg, while an 8 oz cup of steeped green tea holds about 25 to 45 mg (roughly 28 mg in USDA FoodData Central) and an 8 oz brewed coffee about 95 mg, more in stronger brews (USDA FoodData Central, brewed coffee). The exact amount depends on grade, serving size, and how much powder you whisk in.
Can you make matcha powder at home?
Not in a way that matches real matcha. Authentic matcha starts with shade-grown leaves that are steamed, dried, and de-stemmed into tencha, then slow-ground on stone mills (Global Japanese Tea Association). A home blender heats and bruises the leaf, so the result is a coarse green powder rather than smooth ceremonial matcha.
What is actually in a matcha latte?
A matcha latte is three things: matcha powder, hot water to whisk it smooth, and steamed or cold milk. Many cafe versions also add sweetener or a flavored syrup, which is where the calories and sugar climb. Made simply, it is green tea powder and milk, nothing more.
What does freshly ground matcha mean?
Freshly ground matcha is powder milled from tencha leaf close to the time you drink it. Matcha oxidizes and fades once ground, losing color and aroma over the following weeks. A recently milled tin, kept sealed, cool, and away from light, preserves the bright green and the sweet-grassy character.
How do you make hot matcha tea from powder?
Sift 1 to 2 grams of matcha, about half to one teaspoon, into a warm bowl. Add 60 ml of water near 80 degrees Celsius, just off the boil, then whisk briskly in a W or M motion until a fine foam forms (the usucha method). Drink it as is, or lengthen it with more hot water or milk.
What does matcha taste like?
Good matcha tastes fresh, grassy and gently sweet, with a savory depth called umami and only a light bitterness. Shading the leaf before harvest raises its amino acids, which is where much of that sweetness comes from. Lower grades and water that is too hot bring out more astringency.
What is the difference between matcha and green tea?
Matcha is a green tea, but you drink the whole leaf. Most green teas, like sencha, are steeped and the leaves thrown away. Matcha is shaded before harvest, processed into tencha, stone-ground and whisked into water, so it tastes richer and carries more caffeine per serving: roughly 38 to 88 mg in 2 g, against 25 to 45 mg in an 8 oz cup of steeped green tea. More in matcha vs green tea.
What is the difference between ceremonial and culinary matcha?
Ceremonial matcha is made from the youngest first-flush leaves and is meant to be whisked with water alone: smooth, sweet and vivid green. Culinary matcha comes from later harvests, tastes stronger and more astringent, and is made for baking and blending. Neither label is a legal standard, so look for a named growing region and a harvest date rather than trusting the word alone.
How long does matcha last once opened?
About one to two months at its best. Once the seal is broken, air, light and moisture start to dull the color and aroma. It stays drinkable longer, but the vivid green and sweet, grassy taste fade, so keep it sealed, cool and dark. A sealed tin holds for months, up to its best-before date. Full guide: does matcha go bad?
Why is matcha so expensive in 2026?
Because the leaf it is made from is scarce. Kyoto's first tencha auction of 2025 averaged ¥8,235 per kg, about 1.7 times the year before (Global Japanese Tea Association), and one US importer paid 75% more for top-grade 2025 matcha (Fortune). Tencha needs shading, careful picking and specialist factories, so supply cannot expand quickly. More in the 2026 matcha shortage, explained.
The regional picture is here: our map of Japanese tea production by prefecture.
Caffeine by drink: the numbers Interactive
In short: a 2 g serving of matcha holds roughly 38 to 88 mg of caffeine, more than steeped Japanese green teas (25 to 45 mg per 8 oz cup) and usually less than an 8 oz brewed coffee (95 to 200 mg). Roasted hojicha and kukicha sit lowest.
Matcha Caffeine Comparator
How a cup of matcha sits against other teas and coffee. Ranges are caffeine in milligrams per 8oz steeped cup (matcha measured per 1 tsp / 2g).
Matcha and gyokuro pair their caffeine with L-theanine, an amino acid naturally present in the leaf, which is often described as giving a steadier, calmer feel than coffee.
| Drink | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|
| Matcha | 38–88 |
| Gyokuro | 30–50 |
| Sencha | 25–45 |
| Shincha | 25–45 |
| Green tea (steeped) | 25–45 |
| Genmaicha | 10–20 |
| Bancha | 10–20 |
| Kukicha | 5–15 |
| Hojicha | 5–10 |
| Black tea | 40–70 |
| Coffee (8oz drip) | 95–200 |
Source: One with Tea caffeine table. Matcha from a peer-reviewed review of assays, 18.9 to 44.4 mg per gram (Kochman et al., Molecules, 2020); steeped green tea and brewed coffee anchored to USDA FoodData Central, with upper ends reflecting stronger brews. Values are typical ranges and vary by leaf, grade, and steeping. Compiled 2026-08-04.
Matcha grades: what the labels mean
In short: ceremonial is young first-flush leaf for whisking with water, premium or latte grade is for everyday bowls and milk, and culinary is later-harvest leaf for baking.
Grade is not a legal standard, so read it as a guide to leaf and use rather than a guarantee. The pattern below holds across most Japanese matcha.
| Grade | Leaf and harvest | Taste | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremonial | First-flush, youngest shade-grown leaves, stone-ground | Smooth, sweet, umami-forward, little bitterness | Whisked with water as usucha or koicha |
| Premium / latte | Early-harvest leaves, a touch bolder | Rounded, holds its character through milk | Everyday bowls and lattes |
| Culinary | Later-harvest leaves | Stronger, more astringent | Baking, smoothies, and cooking |
Japanese Tea-Type Explorer Interactive
In short: matcha and gyokuro are the shade-grown, higher-caffeine teas; sencha and shincha are the everyday middle; genmaicha, bancha, kukicha and hojicha are the gentle, lower-caffeine cups for later in the day.
Eight everyday and ceremonial Japanese teas, with their caffeine feel, best moments, flavor and tier. Filter by what you are in the mood for.
8 of 8 teas shown
Gyokuro
High caffeine
Flavor: sweet-brothy umami
Tier: premium, shade-grown
Best for: a slow, low-temperature ritual
Sencha
Medium caffeine
Flavor: bright, grassy
Tier: the classic everyday green
Best for: daily drinking
Shincha
Medium caffeine
Flavor: fresh, sweet
Tier: first-flush spring harvest
Best for: spring & daily drinking
Genmaicha
Low caffeine
Flavor: toasty, nutty
Tier: green tea with roasted rice
Best for: pairing with food
Kukicha
Low caffeine
Flavor: mild, sweet twig
Tier: made from stems & twigs
Best for: the evening
Bancha
Low caffeine
Flavor: mellow
Tier: late-harvest everyday green
Best for: everyday & evening
Hojicha
Low caffeine
Flavor: roasted caramel
Tier: roasted green tea
Best for: after dinner
No teas match this pairing. Try another filter.
Source: One with Tea tasting notes, August 2026. Caffeine levels are a felt guide, not lab values, and vary by leaf and brew.
2026 price context: why matcha costs more
In short: the median matcha in our 84-product Amazon US index costs about $0.39 per gram, and 2025 tencha auctions set records as global demand outran a leaf that takes years to scale.
One with Tea · Matcha Market Index
Matcha Price & Value Checker
Enter what you paid to see your price per gram against the current Amazon US matcha market, then read the buyer signals below.
Check your matcha
$0.67
per gram
Fair range. Enter your own weight and price above to check any matcha.
Market benchmarks
Price per gram
| Benchmark | USD / g |
|---|---|
| Lowest observed | $0.01 |
| 25th percentile | $0.23 |
| Median | $0.39 |
| 75th percentile | $0.70 |
| Highest observed | $3.18 |
Origin (of 84)
| Stated origin | Count |
|---|---|
| Japan | 67 |
| Not stated | 15 |
| China | 2 |
Grade label (of 84)
| Labeled grade | Count |
|---|---|
| Ceremonial | 52 |
| Culinary | 15 |
| Premium | 6 |
| None stated | 11 |
Buyer signal: 25% of products labeled “ceremonial” state no growing region. A price alone tells you little. Look for a named Japanese region such as Uji, Nishio, or Kagoshima. A stated origin is a sign the seller stands behind the leaf.
One with Tea names the grower and region on every tin, from Uji to Kagoshima, and dates each by harvest, the origin signal above. See where our matcha sits on the scale.
Source: One with Tea Matcha Market Index, 84 Amazon US matcha powders, snapshot 2026-07-14 (download the data as CSV). Benchmarks are descriptive of that sample and not a quality rating of any single product.
Matcha prices climbed sharply through 2025 and into 2026 as demand outpaced the supply of tencha, the leaf matcha is ground from. The figures below come from auction, customs and trade reporting, each linked to its source. Heat and weather have also cut yields in Japan's most prestigious growing regions (STiR).
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto first tencha auction, May 2025 | ¥8,235/kg, about 1.7× 2024 and a record | Global Japanese Tea Association |
| Tencha average shipment price, 2025 (Japan) | ¥8,562/kg, more than double 2024 | Japanese Association of Tea Production, via Jiji Press (Sep 2026) |
| US importer cost, top-grade 2025 matcha | about +75% | Fortune (Sep 2025), G.S. Haly |
| US importer outlook, lower grades | about +30 to 50% | Fortune (Sep 2025), G.S. Haly |
| 2025 harvest prices, a trade buyer's estimate | +40 to 70% outside Kyoto, +200 to 300% for Kyoto-grown | STiR Coffee and Tea |
| Japan green tea exports, FY2025 | 13,125 tonnes (+42%), ¥84.7 billion | The Japan Times / Ministry of Finance |
More farmers are switching from sencha to tencha, but new fields and tencha factories take years to come online, so the 2023 price baseline is not expected to return soon. For the live picture, see the deeper guides below.
From the page to the bowl
Every term here describes something you can taste. One with Tea sources organic Japanese matcha from named growers, stone-ground and dated by harvest.
- Browse our organic Japanese matcha
- Organic Ceremonial Matcha, 30g for whisking with water
- Organic Latte-Grade Matcha, 60g for daily lattes
- Organic Strawberry Ceremonial Matcha for something softer
Go deeper
- Is matcha caffeinated? The full caffeine breakdown
- Matcha vs coffee: caffeine and calm energy compared
- Best organic ceremonial matcha, chosen and ranked
- Japanese matcha price tracker
- The 2026 matcha shortage, explained from the sourcing floor
- Does matcha go bad? How to store it and keep it fresh
- Why is my matcha not frothing? Troubleshooting guide
- What is hojicha? Roasted green tea and caffeine
- What is sencha? Japan's everyday green tea
- Best organic Japanese loose-leaf green tea (2026)
Sources: Kochman et al., "Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review", Molecules, 2020 (caffeine per gram); USDA FoodData Central (brewed green tea and coffee); Global Japanese Tea Association, Matcha (processing and stone milling); Global Japanese Tea Association, Japanese Tea Report May 2025; Jiji Press via The Nation, tencha shipment prices (Sep 2026); Fortune, Sep 16 2025; The Japan Times, May 1 2026 (Ministry of Finance trade data); STiR Coffee and Tea, Global Matcha Phenomenon; USDA AMS, US-Japan organic equivalence; One with Tea Matcha Market Index (CSV). Reviewed and compiled by One with Tea, founder Christian Mauerer. Educational reference only, not medical advice.
We map it out: which countries produce matcha, and how much.