Matcha vs Sencha

Matcha

Matcha is shade-grown tea ground into a fine powder, so you consume the whole leaf. Whisked with water, it produces a creamy, vivid green cup with rich umami, natural sweetness, and a soft vegetal edge. Quality ranges from everyday usucha to thick, intense koicha. Because nothing is strained out, the body is fuller than any steeped green tea.

Sencha

Sencha is Japan's everyday green tea, made by steaming the leaves to lock in a vivid green color. The cup is fresh and grassy with a pleasant vegetal depth, a gentle sweetness, and a clean, slightly brisk finish. Higher grades from the first harvest (shincha) add a softer, more umami-rich body. It pairs naturally with food and handles a second steeping well.

Matcha

Water temperature

70–80°C

Leaf to water

2g / 70ml

Steep time

0–0 min

Re-steep

Whisk until frothy

Sencha

Water temperature

70–80°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

1–2 min

Re-steep

2–3 times

Matcha

High caffeine — roughly 50–80 mg per brewed serving

A noticeable lift — best earlier in the day.

Sencha

Medium caffeine — roughly 15–35 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Matcha

Japan · Uji

Uji and Nishio (Aichi) produce most of Japan's ceremonial-grade matcha.

Sencha

Japan · Shizuoka

Shizuoka is Japan's largest tea-producing region, with Uji and Kagoshima also famous for sencha.