Matcha FAQ

Japanese producers take a centuries old, traditional, hands-on approach to the cultivation of the world’s best, high grade Japanese matcha. Most matcha on the market today is either ball crushed into powder, or heat pulverized, leaving a muddy green, bitter tasting, low nutrient quality matcha. Check out our ‘7 Buying Tips’ to make sure you get the right matcha for you.

All soil contains lead so no plant product is completely lead free. However, the tea fields of Japan where My Matcha Life® is grown are very close. In fact, lab tests of 139 Japanese green tea samples were far below the safe lead levels.  Every batch of My Matcha Life® matcha is rigorously tested for lead and other heavy metals. We drink it all the time, as do our families and friends. So we need to be perfectly sure it’s safe! For more information, check out our complete breakdown entitled “Matcha Tea Lead Free.”

High quality Japanese matcha is made from very young, shade-grown tea leaves that are hand-picked, de-veined, lightly steamed, air-dried and slowly stone-ground into an ultra-fine powder. Learn more about how matcha is made here.

Matcha drinkers consume the entire tea leaf not just an infusion of teabag tea. With teabags, you steep the tea leaves in their little bag then throw them away. You lose all the important nutrients those leaves still contain. With matcha tea, you consume the entire tea leaf (in powder form) along with all the abundant nutrients the plant has to offer.

Yes, all teas naturally contain caffeine. One cup (1/2 tsp) of matcha has 25-35 mg of caffeine compared to 100 – 200 mg of caffeine in a single cup of coffee. Matcha also contains the amino acid L-theanine, famous for its ability to calm and relax. That’s why matcha is considered both a relaxant and a stimulant. And, unlike coffee, matcha produces no caffeine jitters. Read our Matcha vs Coffee blog post to get the details!

The health benefits of matcha are many. The big ones include increased energy (without crashing), enhanced mental focus and a sense of calm well-being. Matcha is also a tremendous source of the antioxidants essential for good overall health. Learn more about matcha’s many health benefits.

Generally yes, but only just. A culinary grade, like our Foodies Matcha, contains slightly more antioxidant catechins overall than ceremonial grade matcha. However, the difference in the amount of powerful EGCG catechins as well as vitamins A, E and C is minimal.

• Origin — Japan
• Aroma — fresh, grassy
• Color — rich vibrant green
• Price — about $1 per gram
• Label — 100% Japanese Matcha
• Taste — smooth without a lingering bitterness

The best matcha comes from Japan because it’s the only country with processing facilities that stone grind matcha tea leaves into an ultra fine powder with all those amazing nutrients intact. Other countries use cheaper methods that beat their leaves into a powder, like ball crushing and heat pulverisation, both of which produce a bitter tasting matcha with fewer nutrients.

In a large mug or matcha bowl, mix 1/2 to 3/4 tsp matcha powder with one (1) oz of hot (not boiling) water about 170 degrees F or 70 degrees C. Mix it gently into a smooth paste. Then add 2 more ounces of hot water and whisk vigorously in a zig-zag motion until frothy. You can add more water or other liquid as desired. We recommend you use a traditional matcha bowl and bamboo whisk.

For a traditional style matcha we definitely recommend a bamboo whisk. But, if you don’t have one, simply make a paste with matcha powder and a small amount of water in the bottom of your mug, then fill it up with hot, but not boiling, water and stir.

Bring 3/4 cup unsweetened milk alternative (soy, rice, hemp) to a bare simmer over medium heat. Put 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon matcha powder into a mug. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup hot but not boiling water, add the milk, and whisk to a bubbly foam. Sweeten with agave or honey.

Any good Matcha FAQ will tell you the amount of matcha you can or should drink depends on the individual. Nutritionists, however, recommend 1 or 2 cups of matcha per day using 1/2 to 3/4 tsp of matcha powder per cup.

Some matcha tastes bad or bitter because not all matcha is created equal. Much of the matcha sold today is machine harvested by matcha producers using cheap processing methods like ball crushers and heat pulverisers. The best matcha is hand-picked and slowly stone-ground in Japan. However, even some Japanese processors produce cheap matcha. Learn how to identify good quality matcha tea.

This is one of our most common Matcha FAQ questions. Matcha costs more than regular green tea because of the extra resources needed to produce it. High quality matcha is shade grown, carefully hand-picked, de-veined and de-stemmed and slowly stone-ground to an ultra fine powder. Cheap matcha is machine harvested and ball crushed or heat pulverised. In fact, most tea (green or otherwise) is produced as cheaply as possible. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

The best time to drink matcha tea is either first thing in the morning for energy or later in the afternoon when you might need to be more mentally alert, calm and focused. Athletes drink matcha before, during or even after training or a big event to enhance performance and aid recovery.

Best storage methods for matcha green tea depend on whether the matcha package has been opened open or not, and how fast it is consumed.

For unopened matcha tea, keeping it in the fridge is the best option. A cool, dry location is ok too. When the leaves for matcha tea have been dried and are aging they are usually kept at a temperature around 0 (zero) Celsius, 32F, so if your fridge is 35–38F this would be fine.

Once opened, the matcha tea powder can still be stored in a fridge, just make sure it is tightly sealed to prevent oxidation from happening and from odors from getting inside and tainting the flavor.

If you drink your matcha daily, like we do, a 1 oz tin will keep fresh in your cupboard for a month, tightly sealed.

Matcha tea will last 6 months or more after being opened, it just gets a little less fresh over time. We keep ours on the counter in a cool dry place, but the fridge is great too. The original container is perfect for storage, just be sure to keep the lid on tight to avoid odours seeping in.

Our Tea Lover’s matcha is grown in green mountain fields west of Kagoshima near the southern-most tip of Japan while our Foodies and Baristas matcha comes from lush tea fields east of Kyoto (see map).

High quality matcha is made from tea leaves that are grown, harvested and processed in a way very different from regular green tea. Learn more about the way My Matcha Life^® processes high-quality matcha green tea.

Yes, we adhere to the FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification framework for managing food safety responsibilities. Additionally, My Matcha Life^® is one of just three (3) companies whose matcha tea is independently tested by American authorities for radiation. We also do regular tests for traces of heavy metal and bacterial contamination.

Yes. Along with regular exercise, matcha tea has been shown to help maintain and even elevate healthy levels of testosterone in men. Check out this interesting article by fitness blogger (and My Matcha Life^® fan) “Gymless Steve.”