Posted by Noga Bronsky
on May 28, 2025
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves, traditionally cultivated in Japan. Unlike regular green tea, where you steep the leaves and discard them, matcha is consumed whole, meaning you’re ingesting the entire leaf and all of its nutrients. This results in significantly higher levels of antioxidants. Matcha also contains caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that works synergistically with caffeine to promote a state of calm, focused alertness, without the spike and crash typically associated with coffee. Thanks to this unique combination of compounds, matcha offers both cognitive and physical benefits, including improved attention, sustained energy, immune support, and digestive balance.
Our Matcha Sourcing Practice
Our matcha is grown in Japan’s most renowned tea-growing regions, including Uji and Kagoshima, where volcanic soil and precise climate conditions produce vibrant, nutrient-rich leaves. We source exclusively from small, multi-generational family farms that have been perfecting the art of matcha cultivation for hundreds of years. These farmers use traditional methods like hand-picking, shade-growing, and slow stone-grinding to preserve flavor, nutrients, and cultural heritage.
We work with collectives that are deeply embedded in their communities. This ensures full traceability from harvest to packaging, and it allows us to support not just the farms, but the families behind them. The matcha we source is tested for quality and purity, and each batch meets strict Japanese agricultural standards. Our partners never use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides—only time, care, and expertise.
What’s a Matcha Grade, and what Matcha is Grab’a using?
Matcha grades are used to describe the quality, flavor profile, and intended use of the tea. They’re based on several factors, like - when the leaves are harvested, which part of the plant they come from, and how they’re processed. Younger, shade-grown leaves picked early in the season tend to produce a smoother, sweeter, more vibrant matcha, while later harvests offer a stronger, more robust flavor. These differences are what separate ceremonial, culinary, and cafe-grade matcha.
Ceremonial grade is made from the youngest, most delicate leaves of the first harvest. It’s smooth, naturally sweet, and traditionally enjoyed on its own with hot water.
Culinary grade, on the other hand, is a bit bolder in flavor and often comes from later harvests. It’s great for baking, blending, or recipes where matcha is just one of many ingredients.
Cafe-grade (which is what we use at Grab’a) is a blend of the two. It has the clean, smooth, and slightly sweet flavor of ceremonial matcha, with the depth and body of culinary. It’s the kind of matcha used in drinks at your favorite cafe - it’s perfect for lattes, iced matchas, smoothies, etc. It’s also more affordable than ceremonial matcha on its own, making it easier to enjoy every day without sacrificing quality.
Matcha Terms Explained (No Science Degree Needed)
L-Theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea leaves. It promotes a calm, focused state without drowsiness, making it especially valuable when paired with caffeine, as it naturally is in matcha. This combination creates a smooth, sustained energy that helps you stay alert without feeling overstimulated. It’s one of the reasons matcha is known for improving focus and reducing stress.
GABA
GABA is a natural chemical in your brain that helps you feel calm and balanced. You can think of it like your brain’s “chill switch” - it tells your body to slow down and relax when things feel overwhelming. L-theanine, one of the key compounds in matcha, helps your brain make more GABA. That’s part of why drinking matcha can help you feel focused but not frazzled; energized, but not anxious. This calming, centered feeling is exactly what inspired our name: Grab’a is a little nod to GABA, and the kind of grounded energy we hope to have more in our lives!
Caffeine
Matcha contains moderate amounts of caffeine, usually ⅓ the amount in a coffee serving. For example, a Grab’a small serving has up to 37mg of caffeine, and a double serving has up to 74mg of caffeine. Thanks to the presence of L-theanine, the effect of Matcha caffeine is much more stable than coffee. Rather than a quick jolt followed by a crash, matcha provides sustained energy and alertness that lasts for several hours.
Antioxidants (EGCG)
Matcha is packed with antioxidants, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a powerful compound studied for its potential to support metabolism, reduce inflammation, and protect cells from damage. Because you consume the whole leaf when drinking matcha, the antioxidant content is significantly higher than steeped green tea.
Amino Acids
Besides L-theanine, matcha contains a variety of amino acids, which are essential for things like muscle recovery, brain function, and maintaining a balanced nervous system. These also give matcha its signature umami flavor.
Whole-Leaf Tea
Matcha is unique because you're drinking the entire tea leaf, finely ground into a powder. That means you’re getting all the nutritional benefits in it, including fiber, antioxidants, amino acids, and more, rather than just what’s extracted in hot water like with traditional tea bags!
If you have any more questions, reach out to us at Hello@wearegraba.com
We would love to hear from you!