Matcha
/ˈmætʃ.ə/noun
A finely powdered Japanese green tea traditionally whisked with hot water.
Did you know?Matcha became central to Japanese tea culture through Zen Buddhist monks, who valued its caffeine for staying alert during meditation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
茶
“Tea; the source of the cha-family of tea words”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
抹茶
“Powdered or ground tea; 抹 refers to rubbing or grinding, and 茶 means tea”
12th Century
Japanese
抹茶
“Matcha; powdered tea introduced into Japan from China”
16th Century
Japanese
抹茶
“The powdered tea used in the developing Japanese tea ceremony”
20th Century
English
matcha
“A Japanese powdered green tea, adopted as an English loanword”