What Is Matcha? Some Green Thing

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m all for overspending on overhyped beverages. And to the usual culprits—craft beer, third wave coffee, kombucha, et cetera—you can go ahead and add matcha. What is matcha? Here’s a short primer.

 

Tea

As a reminder, all tea comes from the leaves and leaf buds of one species of plant, that being Camellia sinensis. Yes, different varieties can be involved, but it is the processing that is key to making all those different colors—white, yellow, green, black, and so on.

To give a couple examples, white tea is typically made from young leaves devoid of chlorophyll, the green pigment that is key in photosynthesis. Green and black tea, on the other hand, are derived from more mature leaves, with increasing oxidation of the leaves explaining the transition from green to black.

In addition to determining the color of the tea, the varying approaches to processing can be a factor in the concentration of certain beloved compounds such as caffeine and theanine.

 

So, again, what is matcha?

Matcha, as you would expect, comes from the same exact plant. The plant, however, is subjected to some rather unique growing conditions, being covered about three to four weeks before harvest to shield it from sunlight. The result is a compensatory increase in the production of chlorophyll (and other compounds), explaining the Instagram-worthy bright green color.

The harvested leaves are then ground, and the resultant powder is whisked with water (and perhaps milk) to create the beverage of interest. (This lies in contrast to the more familiar practice of steeping leaves in water, removing the leaves, and drinking the infused liquid.)

While matcha has been known in China and Japan for many centuries, its popularity has skyrocketed in the Western world during the past decade. Given the sudden mainstream appeal, it’s not uncommon to see the powder added to things like smoothies, desserts, and even curries.

 

What’s up with the hype?

As Twenty One Pilots once suggested, it’s worth being a little wary when it comes to the hype.

 

 

Given the nutritional profile of matcha—including things like catechin (a type of polyphenol that acts as a natural antioxidant), the aforementioned theanine (an amino acid that may induce relaxation), and caffeine—claims have been made regarding its benefits in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer and promoting mental health and weight loss.

It’s not to say that such claims are completely untrue—in fact, small-scale studies have suggested that some potential benefits are at least worthy of larger-scale studies. The point is that you can’t eat a Big Mac with matcha and expect to be doing your heart any favors. Similarly, you’re not going to lose weight if your cupcake has matcha. And finally, if you’re burned out at work, green powder alone is unlikely to solve your problems.

 

How to use matcha in a sentence

I’ve been told that providing examples can be a great way of reinforcing a point. As such, here are a few improper uses of the term of interest, followed by some appropriate ones.

Improper

• Is that band Matchabox Twenty still around anymore?
• Wow! Nadal pulled it out in five sets. What a classic matcha!
• He’s a decent player, but he’s no matcha for Lebron.
• You need to change—your shirt doesn’t matcha your pants at all.
• Damn. The power went out again. Hand me a matcha.

Proper

• Omg. I, like, totally love matcha.
• I just paid six dollars for this sludgy green stuff called matcha.
• Matcha is so good for you according to that health store that sells it.
• That hipster in the ultra-tight jeans just ordered matcha.
• What the heck is matcha?

 

Hope that helps. If any confusion arises, just order a Red Bull.