Whats the difference between matcha and powdered green tea?”
The main difference between matcha and powdered green tea lies in the type of leaf used. Whereas regular powdered green tea is made from sun grown sencha leaves, matcha is made instead from the same leaves as shade-grown gyokuro. Matcha is the green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. During greeen tea processing, matcha is not rolled like gyokuro, however, but is instead processed so that only the soft, inner parts of the leaf are used. This results in a byproduct is known as tencha. From there the leaves are then ground into powdered form. There are also two basic types of matcha, the thick variety known as koicha, and the thin type known as usucha. It is often misunderstood that koicha is stronger since it is in the thick category, however the opposite is true. In order to make a thicker consistency of matcha, more powder needs to be used and this calls for a milder, sweeter matcha. Koicha matcha is usually quite a bit more expensive than usucha because older tea plants are used.
