What is matcha powder at Starbucks? (What Brand of Matcha Tea Does Starbucks Use? + More information)

If you have a sweet tooth, then you will never go wrong with Starbucks matcha latte. However, you might be curious to know the ingredients used to make the drink; what is matcha powder at Starbucks?

Starbucks matcha powder is basically a blend of finely ground green tea and sugar. The green tea powder contains antioxidants, and sugar is added to enhance its taste. Though the raw taste of green tea powder is slightly bitter, it becomes completely sweet and delicious once mixed with sugar or other sweeteners. Starbucks only offers sweetened matcha powder.

Recently, my mother introduced me to the great tea offered at Starbucks, and this drink got into my heart despite me being a coffee lover. I did not add any sweeteners to this drink and still found it to have a sweet taste, unlike most green teas. Therefore, if you want to try out Starbucks green tea, I prepared this article to help you understand more about Starbucks matcha powder.

What Brand of Matcha Tea Does Starbucks Use?

Experts allege that Starbucks uses Aiya brand Matcha tea sourced from Japan. This aromatic tea is a blend of sugar and finely ground green tea leaves. Additionally, though Aiya is a reputable Japanese brand, there are other brands that offer high-grade matcha tea beating its matcha tea’s quality.

It is believed that Starbucks processes this green tea Japanese powder, blending it with fruit pectin and sugar to enhance its sweet taste. It is crucial to note that according to the Starbucks website, the brand notes that it uses Tazo matcha, whose main ingredients are green tea powder and sugar.

Where is Starbucks Matcha Grown?

Starbucks Matcha is believed to originate from Wazuka, Japan. The region is known for its clean environment because there have not been many industries running in the area; hence why, it produces high-quality green tea leaves.

When sourcing green tea, high-grade buds are selected and later dried, they are then deveined and ground into powder. As mentioned above, this powder has a bitter taste, but Starbucks further processes it by adding sugar and fruit pectin to make it sweet.

What are the ingredients of Starbucks Matcha Powder?

The main ingredients used to make Starbucks matcha powder are sugar and finely ground green tea powder. Additionally, Starbucks adds fruit pectin to its matcha powder, making it unique and different from other matcha powders available on the market. These ingredients eliminate the slightly bitter taste of matcha tea, giving the powder an overall sweet taste.

However, most quality matcha available in the market does not have any added sugars. Furthermore, Starbucks only offers sweetened Matcha as it processes its powder with sugar as the main ingredient, taking 50% of the powder.

What is the Nutritional Value of Starbucks Matcha Powder?

Starbucks matcha powder can be a good healthy option if not over-sweetened. A serving spoon of this powder contains 25 calories, with most of it coming from carbohydrates. The same scoop has 0 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of carbohydrates. This powder has low contents of protein and saturated fat as the same serving size comes with 0.1 fats and 0.30 grams of proteins. Additionally, it has some antioxidants, 4 % of vitamin C and 2% iron.

What does Starbucks Matcha Powder taste like?

When used in drinks, Starbucks Matcha powder is sweet and leaves a honey-like sugar aftertaste since the raw green tea powder is mixed with sugar. However, its taste twists depending on how you order your drinks. Adding syrups and other sweeteners alongside the Starbucks matcha powder in your drinks makes it even sweeter.

It is important to note that Starbucks only offers sweetened Matcha; hence many people perceive it as unhealthy. However, to regulate the sugar content in your Matcha and its sweetness, you can order it without additional sweeteners.

It is important to note that Starbucks matcha powder is only sweet because Starbucks processes it with a lot of sugar. This powder is made of 50% sugar hence eliminating the slightly bitter taste of raw matcha powder.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, though Starbucks does not avail much information on where they source its matcha powder, all the sources point to the Aiya brand. Additionally, the Matcha is grown in Japanese hence why it is of high-quality grade. However, though most matcha powders available are not as sweet as those from Starbucks, Starbucks does not offer any unsweetened matcha powder as its matcha powder is processed with sugar among its main ingredients. Additionally, despite this powder having high sugar content, it has antioxidants mainly from green tea, making it a healthy option. Its caffeine levels are lower than those in coffee; hence will not be a good option for someone who loves their drink with a rich coffee taste and high caffeine content.

FAQ Section

Does Matcha Contain More Caffeine Than Coffee?

No, Matcha has caffeine content slightly lower than that of coffee. However, this varies depending on the cup sizes. An average cup of coffee can have caffeine ranging from 95mg to 200 mg, while the same cup of Matcha will have caffeine content ranging from 25 mg to 130 mg, depending on the brew.

Is Matcha powder from Starbucks healthy?

Unfortunately, no. despite this Matcha being rich in antioxidants, great amounts of sugar are also added to it, making it unhealthy.

Why is Starbucks matcha so sweet?

Starbucks matcha is sweet mainly because sugar is added to it.

Is Matcha good for weight loss?

No, Matcha is not good for weight loss despite having many antioxidants. This is because a lot of sugar is added to it to make it sweet hence raising its calorie content.