Chai vs Matcha: History, Flavor, Benefits and More

Matcha and chai are nothing new — in fact, both have been around for hundreds of years. However, over the past decade, both drinks have become more and more mainstream. Nowadays, you can order either one in the Starbucks drive-thru.

Where did these flavorful teas come from, and what are their benefits? More importantly, which one is better? Read on for the answers to all of these questions and more.

What Is Chai Tea?

Chia is a tea-based drink that basically embodies the coziness of autumn weather. Its rich spices, warm aroma, and feel-good flavor make it a favorite year-round, but especially as the weather gets colder.

This tea is made by mixing certain spices with black tea. Usually, it’s served with milk and sugar to make a sweet and hearty drink. 

You can order a chai latte at pretty much any coffee shop, but commercial chai pales in comparison to the richness of traditional chai. This is because commercial chai is usually made with chai-flavored syrups, while traditional chai is made with real spices and freshly brewed tea.

History of Chai 

The origin of masala chai is steeped in mystery, but tradition generally concurs that it was created by an old king thousands of years ago. The recipe originally included rich Indian spices like ginger and cinnamon, and it was first made as a healing Ayurvedic drink.

Chai as we know it started to make an appearance in the mid-1830s, when Britain started growing tea in India due to the warm climate. Locals started using tea in traditional masala chai as a way to make tea more affordable.

Tea was expensive, and most locals couldn’t afford a plain cup of tea. When combined with milk and spices, they could make their tea last longer.

Nowadays, masala chai is one of the most popular drinks in India. It’s sold on street corners the same way coffee is in the United States, and you can find chai vendors in the train stations throughout the country.

Flavor Profile

Many families and vendors in India have their own recipes for chai, so the flavor profile of traditional chai tends to change based on where you get it. 

The spices used in chai typically include some or all of the following:

• Cardamom
• Clove
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Pepper
• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Star anise
• Fennel

You might recognize a few of these spices as ingredients in the ever-popular pumpkin spice mix. The taste profile is about the same — hearty, warm, and full of cozy flavor.

Benefits of Chai

Because it’s made with black tea, chai has a lot of the same benefits as black tea. These include:

• Supports Heart Health: Black tea contains compounds that can support healthy levels of cholesterol.
• Provides Antioxidants: Black tea is rich in catechins and flavonols, which can help combat free radical damage in the body.
• Supports Energy: Black tea contains about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

On top of these benefits, chai can also help support healthy digestion, relieve nausea, and support joint health, depending on the spices used to give it flavor. In order to get these extra benefits though, you’ll need to drink traditionally prepared chai — not chai from concentrate.

What Is Matcha Tea?

Matcha is a type of green tea that’s made by grinding tea leaves into a powder. This powder is then mixed with hot water to create traditional matcha.

The leaves used to make matcha come from the same plant that makes black tea. The difference is that plants intended to make matcha are grown in the shade to increase chlorophyll and caffeine, and the leaves are harvested much earlier than black tea leaves. 

There are two main tiers of matcha. Ceremonial-grade matcha is the highest quality of matcha, and it’s made from only the youngest leaves on the matcha plant. This gives ceremonial matcha a rich, sweet taste and a bright green color.

Culinary-grade matcha, on the other hand, is of a slightly lower quality. This type of matcha is made with slightly older leaves and may have a more grassy, bitter taste.

History of Matcha

Matcha originated in Japan in the 1100s, when monks used it to help support focus during their meditation sessions. Matcha gradually became more popular, and soon everyone in Japan was drinking it.

The drink soon became the central part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. This ceremony involved wandering through immaculate gardens and thoughtfully making matcha with a bamboo whisk. The goal of the ceremony was to focus and meditate on the beauty of imperfection.

Flavor Profile

You might think that matcha simply tastes like green tea, but that isn’t quite the case. Matcha has a nutty and earthy flavor that makes it a deliciously refreshing drink. Ceremonial-grade matcha has a natural sweetness to it and has many other complex flavor notes. The drink tends to have a slightly bitter aftertaste, similar to green tea.

Of course, you can also use matcha to make a matcha latte. If you go this route, you can add any other flavors or sweeteners you’d like.

Benefits of Matcha

The health benefits of matcha are slightly different from those of green tea because of how the plants are grown and prepared.

The benefits of matcha include:

• Provides Antioxidants: Matcha contains a particularly powerful antioxidant called EGCG.
• Supports Heart Health: Matcha can support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
• Encourages Energy: Matcha contains slightly less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
• Supports Feelings of Relaxation: Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can encourage feelings of relaxation and has a synergistic effect with caffeine.

• Supports Digestion: Matcha can help support overall digestive health and encourage efficient and smooth digestion.

At Everyday Dose, we combine these benefits with the benefits of functional mushrooms in our Mushroom Matcha+ blend. This blend features lion’s mane and chaga mushrooms to support focus and digestion, L-theanine for extra support, and collagen protein to further encourage gut health.

Chai vs. Matcha: Which Is Best?

You might be wondering which tea-based drink is best. The answer is, whichever one you prefer! Both drinks have wonderful health benefits, so it really comes down to a matter of preference.

The Bottom Line

Chai tea is a blend of black tea and spices that originated in India. Although this drink has evolved over the years, the benefits are the same — it can support heart health, provide energy, and even support digestion.

Meanwhile, matcha is made from powdered green tea leaves and originated in Japan. Matcha contains exceptionally high levels of caffeine and L-theanine compared to regular tea, and it can also support heart health and digestion.

To learn more about the benefits of matcha (especially when it’s combined with functional mushrooms), check out the Everyday Dose blog today.

Sources:

The History of Masala Chai | The Spruce Eats

6 health benefits of drinking black tea | UCLA Health

Matcha | Origins, Uses, Japanese Green Tea Type, & Health Benefits | Britannica

Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review | PMC