Matcha vs coffee: which will you choose?
Introduction
As in our other comparisons of Matcha and yerba mate, green tea, and Guayusa, we’ll compare Matcha and coffee, focusing in particular on their compounds and effects. We’ll finish by considering which drink is better overall and what each one may be better suited for.
Contents
- What is Matcha?
- What is coffee?
- Compounds & effects – Matcha vs coffee
- Flavour – Matcha or coffee?
- Conclusion – Matcha vs coffee
1. What is Matcha?
Matcha is powdered green tea. The word Matcha literally means ‘ground tea’. But what we call Matcha today is rooted in Japanese tradition and is more than just ordinary ground tea. Find out more in our main article about Matcha tea.
Matcha is therefore green tea in powdered form, with a particularly intense flavour and somewhat stronger effects than ordinary green tea. This comes from its distinctive cultivation and processing.
Matcha is grown exclusively in monocultures. Even organic-certified Matcha does not come from wild plants. As with green tea, intensive cultivation harms the natural environment. Permaculture is an alternative approach to growing crops.
Matcha comes from Japan, although lower-grade Matcha is also produced in China and other Asian countries. Learn more about quality grades in our article on Matcha flavour.
2. What is coffee?
Unlike Matcha, coffee is not a leaf but a bean – the seed of the coffee plant. This ‘coffee bean’ is dried with or without its fruit pulp (cascara), then roasted.
Roasting creates coffee’s unmistakable aroma. There are two coffee varieties: Arabica and Robusta. Robusta is usually grown in permaculture systems and therefore has no negative impact on the environment. Arabica, by contrast, is grown in monocultures, which do not support biodiversity. Robusta coffee, like the kind in our Guayusa coffee blend, is the stronger coffee, with up to 3.2% caffeine.
Coffee is grown in many parts of the world. Each growing region has its own distinctive flavour, shaped not only by roasting but also by the different soils and their composition.
Coffee processing also includes fermentation before roasting.
3. Compounds & effects – Matcha vs coffee
Next, we’ll compare the compounds in Matcha and coffee.
3.1. Matcha
Matcha is best known for its health-promoting properties. While researching this multi-part blog series on Matcha, we noticed that nearly all the studies focus on health-related topics, and that Matcha is regarded in many ways as an excellent functional food as well as something to enjoy. Matcha is particularly suited to helping you keep fit and feel refreshed.
We’ve linked two more detailed articles in the text on Matcha’s effects and its compounds.
For this Matcha-versus-coffee comparison, we’ll focus on the most important aspects of their compounds and effects. Matcha has the following notable effects.
- Protection from oxidative stress: Matcha has an exceptionally high antioxidant content. These antioxidants protect our cells from oxidation and the resulting damage.
- Anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting effects: Phenolic acids and the very high chlorophyll content help reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system over the long term.
- Improved cognitive abilities: The compounds L-theanine and caffeine have shown a synergistic effect in many studies. This relates to mental abilities such as concentration, reaction time and memory.
Matcha’s caffeine content can range from 1.9% to 4.4%. L-theanine levels vary even more widely, from 0.61 mg/g to 44.65 mg/g. Our research did not reveal why these figures vary so much.
At 120,000 to 180,000 Trolox, Matcha has an exceptionally high antioxidant value, comparable to that of Guayusa.
3.2. Coffee
Coffee is also often said to have positive health properties. But if you compare the compounds and their quantities, coffee fares against Matcha about as well as a blade of grass against an apple. The blade of grass is not bad, but in this Matcha-versus-coffee comparison it has nowhere near as many positive properties as Matcha. Green coffee also contains barely any significant amounts of antioxidants.
For many people, coffee wins on taste, although that is entirely subjective. Its ‘kick’ is another advantage: the caffeine takes effect sooner, but its effects also wear off sooner. This is similar to our Matcha and Guayusa comparison, which explains that the effects of Guayusa last considerably longer.
Coffee’s caffeine content ranges from 1.4% in Arabica to 3.2% in Robusta. Coffee contains no L-theanine and far fewer antioxidants, with a value of about 8,800 Trolox. Matcha therefore has around 13 times more antioxidants.
4. Flavour – Matcha or coffee?
Whether Matcha or coffee tastes better is entirely subjective. Instead, we’ll look at and compare the general flavour profiles of both drinks.
In a Matcha-versus-coffee comparison, Matcha is much less bitter, even though ordinary green tea is often perceived as extremely bitter. Matcha tastes sweet and grassy, with a strong umami note that can be perceived as savoury, seaweed-like and marine.
Coffee has much stronger bitter notes than Matcha. This is attributed to the many flavanones. Matcha, by contrast, contains more amino acids and catechins (antioxidants), which taste sweeter.
Roasting coffee beans gives coffee its unmistakable aroma, which can range from nutty, chocolatey and citrusy to creamy and buttery. Matcha has a similarly creamy, full-bodied aroma, created by its umami note and by whisking the powder.
Coffee can also have earthy notes.
5. Conclusion – Matcha vs coffee
The question of whether Matcha or coffee is better is difficult to answer; it depends on your perspective and what you want to use it for. We don’t consider either drink an especially efficient pick-me-up, because we know the effects of Guayusa and find it considerably better suited than coffee or Matcha to a stressful, demanding day that calls for concentration.
In a straight coffee-versus-Matcha comparison, we think both drinks are excellent to enjoy, but Matcha comes out ahead in terms of a food’s functional properties because of its positive health effects.
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