The Matcha Lexicon

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.

MatchaTea types

Finely stone-ground powder of shade-grown Japanese green tea, whisked whole into water rather than steeped and strained.

TenchaGrades & 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)Concepts

The everyday preparation, whisked to a light foam with about 2 grams of matcha and 60 ml of hot water.

Koicha (thick tea)Concepts

A concentrated preparation kneaded rather than foamed, using about 4 grams of matcha to 30 ml of water.

ChasenPrep tools

The bamboo whisk carved from a single node, used to break up clumps and lift matcha into a fine foam.

ChawanPrep tools

The wide tea bowl that gives the whisk room to move; its shape shifts with the season.

ChashakuPrep tools

The slender bamboo scoop that measures matcha, roughly one to two scoops per bowl.

Ceremonial gradeGrades & leaf

Matcha from the youngest first-flush leaves, smooth and sweet enough to drink whisked with only water.

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.

UmamiConcepts

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.

SenchaTea types

Japan's everyday steeped green tea, made from leaves grown in full sun rather than shaded like matcha.

GyokuroTea types

A premium shaded loose-leaf green tea that shares matcha's shading step but is steeped as whole leaves.

HojichaTea types

Roasted green tea with a toasty flavor and very little caffeine, the gentler cup next to matcha.

GenmaichaTea types

Green tea blended with roasted brown rice, giving a warm, nutty, low-intensity cup.

ChlorophyllConcepts

The green pigment that shading concentrates, giving fine matcha its vivid jade color.

UjiConcepts

A historic tea region near Kyoto known for high-grade tencha and some of the priciest auction lots.

KabusechaTea types

Tea shaded for a shorter window than gyokuro or tencha, sitting between sencha and the fully shaded teas.

Aracha (crude tea)Grades & leaf

The unrefined leaf straight from processing, before sorting and final refinement.

Furui (sifting)Concepts

Passing matcha through a fine sieve before whisking, which breaks clumps and prevents a lumpy bowl.

Mizudashi (cold brew)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.

Terms and definitions from One with Tea's Matcha Lexicon, compiled and reviewed by founder Christian Mauerer. Educational reference only, published 2026-08-05.