How many grams of matcha should you use?

More matcha does not mean more benefits. It usually means more bitterness.

Somewhere along the way, matcha started being treated like protein powder. Heaped tablespoons, overloaded bowls, 5–7 grams whisked into submission. The assumption is simple: more powder equals stronger flavour, stronger energy, stronger health benefits.

But high-quality matcha was never designed to be used that way. And when you use too much, even exceptional matcha loses its balance.

The Traditional Measure

In traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, matcha is not measured in tablespoons. It is measured in scoops.

A bamboo scoop, known as a chashaku, holds roughly one gram of matcha. For usucha, or thin tea, the standard preparation is around 1.5–2 grams. For koicha, or thick tea, it may rise to 3–4 grams, but this is reserved for specific ceremonial contexts and requires exceptionally high-quality leaves.

Even at its most concentrated, traditional preparation rarely exceeds four grams. Not seven. Not ten.

Matcha is the entire tea leaf, shade-grown, steamed, dried and stone-ground into a fine powder. You are consuming everything, not infusing and discarding it like loose-leaf tea. It is already concentrated by design.

What Happens When You Use Too Much?

Increasing the dosage increases everything:

• Chlorophyll intensity
• Catechin concentration, which contributes to bitterness and astringency
• Caffeine load
• Thickness of texture

While high-grade ceremonial matcha is carefully cultivated for sweetness and umami, those qualities rely on proportion. At 2–3 grams, the flavour is rounded and balanced. At 5–7 grams, the same matcha can taste grassy, sharp and drying on the palate.

It is not that the matcha has changed. The ratio has.

Good matcha is not meant to overwhelm. It is meant to harmonise.

The Sweet Spot

For most ceremonial-grade matcha, including Marlo’s 753, 3~3.5 grams is the ideal range. At this proportion, the tea develops a full-bodied texture with natural sweetness derived from its amino acid content, balanced umami depth and a clean, smooth finish. The flavour feels rounded rather than aggressive, present without overwhelming the palate.

When the dosage stays within this range, you avoid the harsh bitterness, lingering dryness and overstimulation that often come from overloading the bowl. Two to three grams is sufficient for a traditional preparation, and it remains perfectly adequate for a latte as well.

If your matcha requires syrup to make it drinkable, the issue is rarely sweetness. It is more often a matter of using too much powder or starting with lower-quality leaves. With ceremonial matcha, precision is what allows the craftsmanship to shine.