Many people probably know that green tea is healthy, but far fewer know that there is a tea that is the health equivalent of 10-15 cups of green tea per cup. This is matcha tea.
The similarity between green tea and matcha tea is that they are both made from the Camellia sinensis plant, but due to the different cultivation and production process, there are significant differences in taste, texture and colour, preparation method and most importantly, nutritional content.
Differences in cultivation and production
The main difference is that matcha tea is shaded for 3-4 weeks before harvesting, which allows the plants to retain their valuable nutrients much better and to start producing significant amounts of chlorophyll and L-theanine. This process results in a unique flavour, a very bright green colour and, not least, many more beneficial effects.
For really high quality matcha teas, the youngest, most tender tea leaves are used, hand-picked and sorted. This is followed by drying and then grinding to a powder.
Differences in colour, taste and texture
The colour of matcha tea is much greener and brighter than green tea, due to its high chlorophyll content. There is also a difference in taste, as the taste of matcha tea is closest to the umami flavour, with a sweet, greener effect. In terms of texture, matcha tea grinds the leaves into a powder instead of the crushed leaves of traditional green teas, allowing the body to use the biologically active and beneficial ingredients more efficiently.
Higher nutritional content and resulting beneficial physiological effects
The biggest difference between the two types of tea is the elevated nutritional content. This is mainly due to the special cultivation process and the powder consistency.
First of all, the antioxidants, which are considered vital components of the body, fight against free radicals that damage cells, are responsible for cancer, ageing and weakening of the immune system, among other things. Matcha tea contains a much higher amount of these than classic green tea. Among the antioxidants, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is particularly important for its effectiveness, with many health benefits including speeding up metabolism and increasing physical stamina.
The other significant difference is the presence of L-theanine. This is a special active ingredient that increases concentration, improves memory, creativity, alertness and mental energy, and also relaxes and calms you. It also has the added benefit of slowing the release of caffeine into the bloodstream, hence providing long-lasting energy rather than the effects of a one-off, sudden caffeine rush.
Overall, therefore, although green tea is healthy, its effects cannot compete with the much healthier matcha tea, which not only contains a higher proportion of the pharmaceutical ingredients found in both teas, but also has other healthy ingredients not found in green tea.