Starbucks Matcha: Let's Talk About What's Really In It

In recent years, matcha green tea powder has become a trendy ingredient in the beverage world. Its vibrant green hue and reputed health benefits make it popular among health-conscious tea drinkers worldwide.

Starbucks, always quick to adopt the latest trends, has embraced matcha with open cups. Whether you're ordering a Matcha Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage or a Starbucks Matcha Latte, this popular coffee chain offers a range of matcha-infused drinks that have garnered a dedicated following.

However, as with many mass-market products, the question arises: How authentic is the matcha used in a Starbucks matcha latte? Will their matcha latte be a high-quality, health-boosting beverage, or will it be a sugary imitation that falls short of traditional matcha standards?

In this article, we'll investigate the matcha Starbucks uses to make its popular matcha lattes and other matcha powder-infused beverages. We'll also explore whether it lives up to the traditional standards of high-quality matcha green tea powder and compare it to the superior matcha green tea powder offered by Firebelly Tea.

What is Matcha?

Before exploring the world of matcha lattes and Frappuccinos, it's important to understand matcha and why it has become such a popular part of beverage culture around the globe.

Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder made from specially cultivated and processed matcha green tea leaves. Its preparation is different from traditional green tea. Instead of steeping the green tea leaves in hot water and discarding them, matcha involves consuming the entire tea leaf in green tea powder form. This process results in a more concentrated source of nutrients in a unique, vibrant green beverage that is both visually appealing and rich tasting.

Producing good matcha is a meticulous process that begins long before farmers harvest the tea leaves from the carefully cultivated Camellia sinensis tea plant. These tea plants are shade-grown for several weeks before harvesting, a method that enhances the chlorophyll content, giving the leaves their characteristic deep green color.

After harvesting, farmers steam the leaves to prevent oxidation. They then dry and grind them into a fine green tea powder using granite stone mills. The result is a silky, bright green powder known as matcha, which is used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies and increasingly in various culinary applications worldwide.

Ceremonial vs. Culinary Grade Matcha

Matcha green tea powder comes in two main grades: ceremonial and culinary. Each serves a different purpose and varies in quality, flavor, and intended use.

Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder

Ceremonial grade matcha is widely known as the highest quality matcha. It is almost exclusively intended for drinking on its own, usually whisked with hot water in a traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremony. This grade is made from the youngest tea leaves, which are carefully selected for their vibrant color, smooth texture, and complex flavor profile.

Ceremonial Japanese matcha is known for its rich umami taste, balanced by a natural sweetness and a hint of pleasant bitterness. It's prized for its delicate flavor and smooth, creamy texture and is typically enjoyed without any added sweeteners or steamed milk to appreciate its delicate flavors fully.

Culinary Grade Matcha Powder

On the other hand, culinary-grade matcha green tea powder is lower in quality and is intended for cooking and baking rather than drinking straight. This grade of matcha green tea powder is made from slightly older tea leaves, resulting in a more robust taste that works best with other ingredients in food and beverage recipes.

While still providing the benefits of matcha, culinary-grade matcha green tea powder has a stronger, more astringent taste. It is often incorporated with sugar and steamed milk to make a smoothie or a matcha latte. It is also used as an ingredient in desserts and even savory dishes. The color of culinary-grade matcha green tea powder is usually a duller green compared to the bright, vivid hue of ceremonial-grade matcha, and its texture is often less smooth.

The Appeal of Matcha Green Tea Powder

The appeal of real matcha green tea powder lies in its rich history in Japan and China, unique taste, and impressive benefits for the body, mind, and soul.

This is why many homes in Japan still serve ceremonial-grade matcha for their Japanese tea ceremonies. It has a nice balance of natural sweetness with a slight bitterness and a rich umami undertone, making it a favorite not only for ceremonies in Japan but also for tea enthusiasts and people seeking a holistic approach to health and wellness.

Matcha green tea powder is widely known for its health benefits. It is more potent than regular green tea because the entire leaf is consumed. It is packed with antioxidants, particularly catechins, powerful compounds known for their ability to combat free radicals in the body. Among these catechins, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most potent, offering a range of health benefits, including supporting heart health, aiding weight loss, and providing anti-inflammatory effects.

In addition to antioxidants, matcha green tea powder is an excellent source of the amino acid L-theanine. This amino acid reduces feelings of stress and promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness. Combined with a moderate amount of caffeine, matcha has the unique ability to provide a calm, sustained energy boost. Unlike coffee, which often leads to jitteriness and a sharp energy spike followed by a crash, matcha offers a more balanced and prolonged increase in energy levels.

Starbucks' Matcha: What's Really in It?

Starbucks has capitalized on the matcha trend by incorporating it into various drinks, from the well-known matcha latte served with steamed milk and sugar to the sweetened matcha frappuccino. However, when you carefully explore the ingredients list, you'll notice that Starbucks may not be using a matcha green tea powder as pure as expected to make their signature matcha latte.

The matcha powder used to make their matcha latte is not strictly matcha; it's a pre-sweetened matcha powder mix that contains both sugar and matcha green tea powder. According to the nutritional information provided on Starbucks' website, the matcha tea blend used in their beverages has approximately 32 g of sugar per serving—which is no small amount! This means that when you order a matcha latte or frappuccino at Starbucks, you could be getting more sugar than actual matcha.

This high sugar content dilutes the potential benefits of the matcha green tea powder, turning what could be a healthy, antioxidant-rich beverage into something closer to an overly sweetened treat. While the sugar might appeal to those with a sweet tooth, it significantly undermines the traditional appeal of matcha as a healthful beverage. Moreover, the added sugar in a matcha latte can lead to various health issues, including an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, particularly if consumed regularly.

The Quality of Starbucks' Green Tea Powder

Beyond the issue of sugar content in their matcha latte, there's the question of matcha quality. Traditional, higher-quality matcha green tea powder is made from shade-grown tea leaves that farmers carefully handpick, steam, dry, and stone-ground into a fine powder.

This process produces a bright green powder with a smooth texture and a rich, complex flavor. However, not all matcha powder is created equal. The quality can vary significantly depending on how it's produced.

• Ceremonial grade matcha: This is the highest quality matcha, typically reserved for traditional tea ceremonies. Many prefer to enjoy it on its own with water. It's made from the first harvest's youngest, most tender leaves and has a vibrant green color, smooth texture, and balanced taste.

• Culinary-grade matcha: While still made from shade-grown leaves, it is usually made from slightly older leaves and has a more robust taste. This makes it suitable for use in cooking and creating beverages like a matcha latte with steamed milk, where its flavor needs to stand out.

The color and taste of the Starbucks brand matcha lattes suggest that they are of lower quality. High-quality matcha is known for its bright green color, but Starbucks' matcha lattes have a duller, more muted green, suggesting that they may be made from older, less tender leaves or possibly even lower-grade matcha.

The flavor of a matcha latte at Starbucks lacks the complexity of high-quality matcha, likely due to the heavy sugar content and use of steamed milk mixed with a potentially lower-quality matcha powder. This results in a beverage that tastes more like a sweetened matcha dessert beverage rather than the nuanced flavors that make matcha so special.

Without proper information from Starbucks, it is difficult to know the quality of ingredients like matcha used in its products.

The Marketing of Starbucks' Matcha and Matcha Green Tea Latte

There is no debate that Starbucks is a marketing master, and its matcha latte offerings are a prime example of its ability to tap into trends and create a buzz. Starbucks has successfully positioned matcha as a trendy alternative to coffee, drawing in consumers eager to embrace what they believe is a healthier beverage option. The matcha latte, in particular, has become a popular choice for those seeking a vibrant, Instagram-worthy drink with promises of taste and wellness benefits.

However, the reality of the ingredients in Starbucks' beverages, including the matcha Latte, doesn't quite live up to the marketing hype. Starbucks uses matcha, which might not be the highest quality. Instead, Starbucks uses a pre-sweetened mixed blend, with a significant bit of the "matcha" being sugar and steamed milk. The matcha blend used by Starbucks contains approximately 32g of sugar, meaning you're consuming a sweetened matcha latte beverage that is as much about sweetness as tea.

This heavy reliance on sugar and steamed milk dilutes the potential benefits often associated with matcha. While the vibrant green color and rich flavor of the matcha latte may appeal to the senses, the added sugar and milk undermine the beverage's position as a genuinely healthful choice.

For those unfamiliar with authentic matcha, Starbucks' version of a sweetened matcha latte may seem like a delightful and energizing drink, but for those who understand the nuances of traditional matcha, the differences in quality and purity are striking.

Starbucks has effectively marketed its matcha latte to appear as a healthier option, but the truth is that these lattes are more aligned with sugary indulgences than with the authentic, health-boosting properties of true matcha. The Matcha Green Tea Latte should be considered more of a dessert-like treat than the nutrient-packed, antioxidant-rich drink real matcha enthusiasts seek.

Matcha Comparisons: Starbucks to Firebelly Tea

To truly understand the difference in quality, it's helpful to compare Starbucks' brand of matcha beverages to that of a specialty brand like Firebelly Tea, known for offering premium, high-quality matcha.

Firebelly Tea prides itself on sourcing only the best matcha, ensuring that each batch is made from the youngest shade-grown leaves of the first harvest. Our commitment to quality is reflected in our matcha's vibrant green color, rich flavor, and smooth texture. It is also free from additives or sweeteners.

Unlike Starbucks' pre-sweetened mix used in its matcha latte, Firebelly Tea's matcha is pure, unadulterated matcha powder. This means you're getting all the health benefits that matcha has to offer. When you prepare a cup of Firebelly Tea's matcha, you can immediately taste the difference – the flavor is more complex, with a balance of sweetness, bitterness, and umami missing from Starbucks' version. The color is a bright, vibrant green, indicating the matcha's high quality.

With Firebelly Tea, you're getting the full antioxidant punch that matcha is known for, as well as the calming effects of L-theanine and the gentle energy boost from natural caffeine.

The Verdict: Should You Drink Starbucks' Matcha?

So, should you be drinking a matcha latte from Starbucks? The answer depends on what you're looking for in a drink. If you're simply looking for a sugar-filled, green-hued beverage that gives you a caffeine kick, then a matcha latte from Starbucks may satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. However, if you're seeking the authentic experience and benefits that matcha has to offer, Starbucks' version falls short.

The heavy sugar content of Starbucks's milk and lower-quality matcha make their matcha latte more of a dessert than a health drink. While a matcha latte with steamed milk and sugar may be enjoyable as an occasional treat, it doesn't provide the same nutritional value or true matcha experience that you can get from a higher-quality product like Firebelly Tea.

For those serious about their health and want to enjoy the full range of benefits that matcha can offer without the added sugar, investing in premium matcha like Firebelly Tea is the way to go. Not only will you be brewing and enjoying a superior cup of matcha, but you'll also buy from a brand that values quality and authenticity.

Conclusion

Starbucks has successfully popularized matcha, introducing many people to this vibrant green tea for the first time. However, Starbucks' matcha is a far cry from the high-quality, health-boosting beverage that traditional matcha is known to be. With its high sugar content and likely lower-quality matcha powder, Starbucks' matcha beverages are more about sweetness and convenience than genuine benefits.

If you're looking for an authentic matcha experience that provides all the benefits that matcha is celebrated for, it's worth seeking a higher-quality product like Firebelly Tea. We offer pure, premium organic matcha rich in flavor, color, and benefits without unnecessary additives. By choosing our higher-quality matcha, you're not just getting a better drink – you're investing in your health and well-being.