Apprendre

Le matcha, sans les mythes.

Des réponses claires aux questions fréquentes sur le matcha.

Une main tient une jeune pousse de thé avec deux feuilles
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Première récolte de printemps ou récoltes plus tardives : qu’est-ce qui change pour le matcha ?

Savoir · 5 min de lecture

Le matcha de la première récolte de printemps provient de jeunes pousses ombragées, cueillies à Uji, dans la préfecture de Kyoto, de fin avril à fin mai.

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TousSavoirComparatifSuissePour les cafés
16 Artikel
matcha⁷ organic matcha in the 60g pouch

Knowledge

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5
min de lecture

What does “ceremonial grade” matcha actually mean?

“Ceremonial grade” is not an official standard. Neither Japan nor ISO defines quality grades for matcha, so every seller uses the term as they see fit. What tells you more are details you can check: the harvest, ideally the first spring harvest, the region such as Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, a vivid green and a fine, dense foam.

Four matcha powders side by side, from vivid green to yellowish

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

How can you tell if matcha is good?

Good matcha is a strong, vivid green, smells fresh and whisks into a fine, dense foam with 2g to 40ml of water at 80°C. Straight, it tastes smooth and slightly sweet with little bitterness. The pack ideally names the harvest and region, such as first spring harvest from Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, plus a best-before date.

A hand holding a young tea shoot with two leaves

Knowledge

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5
min de lecture

First spring harvest vs. later harvests: what changes in matcha?

Matcha from the first spring harvest comes from young, shaded shoots picked in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, from late April to late May. They contain more theanine and fewer catechins, so the matcha is greener and less astringent. Later harvests are more astringent and cheaper: in 2025, second harvest raw leaf cost about half as much in Japan.

Matcha being whisked with a bamboo whisk in a white bowl

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

Why does my matcha taste bitter? Causes and fixes

It is usually the preparation: water above 80°C or too much powder for too little water brings out the bitter catechins. Made with 2g matcha and 40ml water at no more than 80°C, whisked for 10 to 15 seconds in a zigzag, good matcha tastes smooth. If it still tastes bitter, it is old or from a later harvest.

A hand holding a fresh tea shoot against a light background

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

How is matcha made? From tea field to stone mill

Matcha is ground from tencha: tea leaves that are shaded for 2 to 4 weeks before harvest, then steamed, dried flat without rolling and stripped of stems and veins. Good matcha comes from the first spring harvest, picked in Uji in Kyoto Prefecture from late April to late May. A granite mill grinds only about 40g per hour.

matcha⁷ organic matcha in the 30g tin

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

How to store matcha after opening

Opened matcha tastes best within about 3 months, sealed airtight in a cool, dark place away from strong smells. If you need longer, keep it well sealed in the fridge rather than the freezer. Let the cold pack reach room temperature before opening it, otherwise moisture condenses on the powder.

Four matcha powders side by side, from vivid green to yellowish

Comparison

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6
min de lecture

Ceremonial or culinary matcha for lattes?

For a matcha latte, choose a matcha that also tastes good on its own. Milk makes matcha milder, but it does not change its colour or add missing umami. “Ceremonial” usually means the first spring harvest, “culinary” means more astringent later harvests that suit baking. In Switzerland, the better quality costs about CHF 0.70 to 1.30 more per latte.

Two stacked matcha⁷ tins: hojicha and matcha

Comparison

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5
min de lecture

Matcha vs. hojicha: what is the difference?

Matcha and hojicha come from the same tea plant. Matcha is ground from shaded, steamed leaves and stays green, while hojicha is roasted green tea and reddish brown. Matcha tastes of umami, hojicha roasted and nutty. Hojicha usually contains a little less caffeine: in Japanese test reports, roasting lowered it by 12 to 17 percent on average.

A scoop of matcha above the 60g pouch

Comparison

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5
min de lecture

Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee? The numbers per cup

A 2g serving of matcha contains roughly 40 to 90mg of caffeine, because lab analyses measure 19 to 44mg per gram. EFSA, the EU food safety authority, puts an espresso (60ml) at about 80mg and a cup of filter coffee (200ml) at about 90mg. Per cup, matcha usually has slightly less caffeine than coffee, or about the same.

A hand holding a young tea shoot with two leaves

Comparison

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6
min de lecture

Matcha vs. sencha: what is the difference?

Matcha and sencha are Japanese green teas from the same plant. Matcha is shaded before the harvest and ground, so you drink the whole leaf. Sencha grows in the sun and is steeped. A serving of matcha usually has more caffeine, and in 2025 tencha, the raw material for matcha, cost almost five times as much as sencha in Japan.

A hand holding a young tea shoot with two leaves

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

Uji and other matcha regions: what does origin tell you?

In 2025, 43 percent of Japan's tencha, the raw tea for matcha, came from Kagoshima. Kyoto, home of the historic Uji region, followed with 16 percent and Shizuoka with 14 percent. Outside Japan, China is the main matcha producer. Origin tells you about climate and tradition, but not which harvest a matcha comes from.

Bamboo whisk on its holder

Comparison

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5
min de lecture

Bamboo whisk, milk frother or shaker: which is best for matcha?

A bamboo whisk whisks matcha into the finest, most stable foam and breaks up lumps most reliably, which makes it the best choice for pure matcha. An electric milk frother needs no practice and is usually enough for a matcha latte. A shaker works mainly for iced matcha on the go.

matcha⁷ organic matcha in the 60g pouch

Switzerland

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6
min de lecture

What does matcha cost in Switzerland? Prices by grade and region

In 16 Swiss online shops in October 2026, matcha cost about CHF 3 to 6.50 per 10g when sold for baking, CHF 4 to 8.50 when sold for lattes and CHF 6.50 to 13 when sold as “ceremonial” or first harvest. That puts a 2g serving at roughly CHF 0.60 to 2.60.

Matcha being whisked with a bamboo whisk in a white bowl

Switzerland

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5
min de lecture

Where to find good matcha in Switzerland: how to spot it in a café

In Switzerland, good matcha is served in cafés that whisk it fresh for every drink instead of preparing it in advance. A good matcha latte is bright green and has a fine foam that holds. On Swiss café menus it usually costs around CHF 7.50.

A hand holding a fresh tea shoot against a light background

Knowledge

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6
min de lecture

Why has matcha become more expensive?

Matcha has become more expensive because its raw material, tencha, is scarce: in 2025 it averaged 8,562 yen per kilo in Japan, more than double the year before. In 2026 prices kept rising despite a bigger harvest, because global demand is rising faster than production. The strong Swiss franc only partly offsets this.

A scoop of matcha above the 60g pouch

For cafés

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6
min de lecture

Matcha for cafés: what does a drink cost and what do you need?

At 2g per drink, our organic matcha from Uji costs cafés from CHF 0.67 net, cheap matcha about CHF 0.45. A matcha latte sells for about CHF 7.50 on Swiss menus. A bowl, bamboo whisk and precision scoop cover the foam, and the steam wand handles the milk. Four portions whisk in one bowl in 15 seconds.

Apprendre en faisant

Faites-nous un matcha. Recevez un cadeau.

Un petit jeu : fouettez le bol en zigzag jusqu’à obtenir une mousse fine. Votre cadeau de bienvenue se dévoile à la fin.

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Une main tient un bol à matcha émaillé vert avec un bec verseur