Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
Tencha is the leaf matcha is milled from. Steeped rather than ground it is sweeter and far less bitter, because the bitter fraction stays in the leaf.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
Tencha is matcha before milling. They are the same leaf at two stages, and knowing this explains most of what determines matcha quality.
- What it is
- Tencha: Shaded leaf that has been steamed, dried and de-stemmed but never rolled.Matcha: Tencha ground to a powder a few microns across between granite wheels.
- Can it be drunk as it is
- Tencha: Yes, steeped like a very delicate green tea. It is rarely sold that way outside Japan.Matcha: Whisked into suspension, never steeped.
- What determines quality
- Tencha: Shading duration, cultivar and how thoroughly stem and vein are removed.Matcha: All of that, plus the milling — heat from fast grinding dulls colour and aroma.
- Why it is not rolled
- Tencha: Rolling would break cell structure and make clean milling impossible.Matcha: Not applicable; it is already powder.
- Price
- Tencha: Lower, because the expensive slow step has not happened yet.Matcha: Higher, and a stone mill yields around forty grams an hour.
In summary: Buying tencha and grinding it at home rarely works — domestic grinders generate heat that granite mills avoid. The milling is a real part of what the price buys.
Point by point
| Dimension | Tencha | Matcha |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Green tea · unoxidised |
| Production | In order: Shading → Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. |
| Origin | Japan — Uji | Japan — Uji |
| Flavour | umami, sweet, vegetal and creamy. silky and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: sweet seaweed, cream, steamed greens, chestnut. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. | umami, vegetal, creamy and chocolate. full bodied, rich and bitter in the mouth. Aroma: fresh grass, seaweed, cream, cocoa. Layered in character. Bold in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 120s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. | Whisking (bowl-prepared powdered tea): 2–4 g/100 ml at 70–80 °C, first steep 30s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. |
| Cultural context | Used in Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony). | Used in Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) and Japanese tea farming practice. Grade language is unregulated. 'Ceremonial' and 'culinary' are marketing terms, not defined standards, and colour is the most reliable quick signal available: a dull olive or yellowish powder generally indicates older, lower-grade or unshaded material, while good matcha is vividly green. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and is willing to drink something several times before it makes sense. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.