This year you might have noticed a new flavor trend sweeping your favorite tea or coffee shop. It's a pretty green liquid with a grassy flavor, and it's called matcha.

But what exactly is matcha, what can you do with it, and, once all the other sweeteners and flavorings that coffee shops add are stripped away, what does it really taste like?

What Matcha is...

Matcha is a fine green powder made from grinding up young, shade-grown gyokuro tea leaves. From our matcha page: The leaves are plucked and laid out flat to dry. Veins are removed and the leaves, now called tencha, are carefully ground in granite mills until they become the precious powder.

What Matcha is used for?

One of the primary traditional uses for matcha is in the Japanese tea ceremony, which has multiple steps and can last for several hours if done in the full, traditional manner. In Japan, you can even take classes to learn how to perform tea ceremonies, with many different schools and methods on how to perform them, all of which include specialized equipment, steps, locations, snacks, and etiquette.

In other parts of the world, matcha has become a popular flavor to use both in hot and cold drinks and in cooking. Because the flavor of matcha is naturally so distinct, you'll also often find it mixed with other flavors. At Adagio we have several different varieties besides our traditional matcha, including many flavored matchas, like blueberry, peach, chocolate, raspberry, cinnamon apple, mocha, sweet, and other tea types including black, oolong, and jasmine. Some other popular items you might have seen lately that contain matcha are matcha lattes (check out a recipe for an iced one here) or matcha frappes, matcha ice cream (especially mochi ice cream), matcha bread, or even matcha Pocky (it's delicious, by the way), though you can use it as a mix-in or topping for more savory dishes as well.


But if all of that sounds a little hard on your sweet tooth, it's also important to remember that matcha--at least without a bunch of added sugar--has a lot of health benefits related to stress, certain diseases, and even weight loss. Because there is a process to make it, it has also been closely tied in with meditation, with tea ceremonies being documented as part of buddhist rituals even as far back as 1103. It's also rich in antioxidants.


Just keep in mind that since you're getting a more concentrated version of green tea, you're also getting a lot more concentrated caffeine. Night owl matcha fans beware!

So what does it actually taste like?

Matcha is characterized most by its strong, grassy flavor. Because it is made from green tea, the flavor is going to be more similar to green than black, white, or oolong teas, though amplified several-fold. Since it's made with powder that is mixed in instead of leaves that are removed, it is also thicker than the average tea, giving it a satisfying feeling while you drink.

It should be noted that there are multiple grades for matcha tea, ranging from highest grade ceremonial matcha used for tea ceremonies to food-grade matcha used for mixing into food and drinks, and the grade you purchase will impact the flavor.

Getting Started...

So now that you've had a brief primer on matcha, how can you dive into this new world?

First off, be sure to check out the resources below for more detailed information than what's listed here.

Second, try some! As we said before, we have eleven different flavors for you to check out. Not sure what you want to try? Check out the matcha sticks discover pack, which includes eight of our flavors in easy on-the-go packets. Just add them to your thermos or water bottle, shake them up, and go.

Third, if you're not quite sure you want to take the plunge yet or want to learn more, keep an eye out for more blogs of this series here, where we'll be discussing the equipment you need to make matcha, how to make it, as well as a few matcha hacks.

Finally, once you've become a matcha master, check out our site TeaChef.com to find recipes with matcha or to post your own!

Enjoy!

Resources

More info on our Matcha Page.
And check out some of our videos.