Should Matcha Taste Like Grass?
During this holiday break, the peers at SIT came together to organise a matcha workshop for their club members.
We enjoyed sharing more of matcha insights with the matcha rookies and enthusiasts, especially clearing up the big question:
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To many first-time drinkers, matcha can have a surprising flavour profile - rich, earthy and somewhat vegetal, which also known as "grassy". But is grassiness truly a flaw, or an essential signature of a good matcha?
The answer lies in the unique cultivation processing and chemical makeup of this vibrant shaded green tea powder.
Vegetal vs Grassy
High-quality matcha should taste vegetal instead of grassy (similar to baby spinach or green peas). These flavours have clean, smooth, and pleasant taste profile.
However, if matcha tastes aggressively like raw grass, hay, or has astringent bitterness, it may indicate as lower quality or improper storage, resulting in oxidised matcha.
Where does this vegetal taste comes from?
Matcha tastes vegetal because of the high chlorophyll and amino acid content, cultivated through the many days shading and minimal processing.Β
A fresh, vegetal flavour is one of the prized characteristics of high quality matcha. Japanese tea culture deeply values this umami and "green" essence in matcha, seeing it as a reflection of natureβs bounty, also known as the springβs first growths captured in powdered form.
In short, when people describe matcha as vegetal or "grassy" they are often tasting the high chlorophyll and amino acid content that results from the intentional shading process.
Thanks for having us, SIT. Till the next whisk!
