Matcha ≠ Green Tea Powder: Prices Differ by Tens of Times

Although matcha powder and green tea powder look similar, they are fundamentally different. Matcha is made from shaded spring tea leaves, which undergo about 20 days of shade treatment before harvesting to increase chlorophyll and amino acid content. It is then steam-processed to kill the green leaves and finely ground into an ultra-fine powder of over 1000 mesh using a stone mill or ball mill. Green tea powder, on the other hand, is basically made from ordinary pan-fried green tea leaves, directly pulverized. Its nutritional value and flavor are far inferior to matcha, and its price differs by tens or even hundreds of times. Many products on the market claiming to be "matcha" actually use cheap green tea powder.