Difference Between Matcha and Green Tea

Both mecha and regular green tea come from green tea leaves. But it’s only about one thing that both have in common because they differ by color, composition, taste, where the tea leaves are grown, preparation, nutritional profiles, and health benefits.

Color

Mecha is a vibrant green color, while regular green tea looks pale, usually a little brown. Mecha gets its vibrant green color with a high amount of chlorophyll.

Composition

If you drink coarse, pungent tea, standard green tea is your texture match. Mecha on the other hand is a nice powder that is easy to touch.

Taste

What the tea tastes like is important. Whether you buy it or not is usually the deciding factor. Compared to standard green tea and mecha, both green teas have a slightly grassy color. Some are also a little bitter, but the lower your boiling temperature, the less bitter regular green tea should taste.

There are two main grades of mecha: formal and culinary. The first has a naturally sweet taste and a very refined taste. Many who have tried it say it has the perfect balance of clay, bitterness, and sweetness. That is why its sole purpose is to drink alcohol. Culinary grade mecha, however, has a slightly bitter taste, and its sharp taste is why that grade is meant to make a variety of food-drink dishes with other ingredients.

Where the leaves are grown

While regular green tea and mecha green tea go through the same process to get leaves to make tea, tea leaves are grown in the same place which makes the difference. Regular green tea leaves are grown under full sunlight, while mecha tea leaves are grown under shade to produce extra L-theanine and increase the chlorophyll content of the leaves.

Preparation

Standard green tea is prepared by soaking the leaf parts in warm water, and it is usually brewed at a high temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Mecha green tea, when prepared in the traditional Japanese way, is stirred in hot water with a bamboo sieve until it dissolves in the frothy tea. You discard the tea leaves by soaking them with standard green tea, but with matcha, you eat the whole leaf as it has been dried and powdered. Standard green tea is made in teapots and poured into individual cups for guests, while traditionally, macha green tea is served in large tea bowls for everyone to drink.

And because of its powder form, mecha green tea is commonly used in cooking and baking as well as in other beverages, such as lettuce and smoothies.

Nutrition and health benefits

Many claims that both standard and mecha green tea are superfoods. But when you delve deeper into their nutritional profiles, mecha is paramount as a green drink that is better for you.

Regular green tea is steeped and most of the nutrients are left in the tea leaf you don’t drink, but since matcha is a powdered green tea, you harvest all the nutrients from this tea leaf. The obvious nutrient difference is in the antioxidant calculation. Macha is rich in antioxidants such as 137 times richer than regular green tea and also contains more amino acids, such as L-theanine, fiber, and caffeine. It is also a good source of vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium.

Some of the health benefits of mecha include speeding up metabolism and energy, improving mood and memory, lowering cholesterol, removing harmful toxins from your body, and keeping your skin healthy. It’s not just a delicious drink or food mix-ins; It is also used to refresh, and rejuvenate face masks.