Matcha

Wait until a child is at least 4 years of age (and ideally even older) to regularly serve matcha, due to its high caffeine content. While sharing an occasional sip or a taste of food made with matcha is generally not a cause for concern, caffeine can interfere with sleep, appetite, and nervous system regulation, and babies and toddlers are more susceptible to these side effects.

Matcha is a finely ground powder made from specially grown and processed green tea leaves. Originating in East Asia and central to traditional tea ceremonies, matcha is produced by shading the tea bushes before harvest to increase chlorophyll and amino acid levels. The leaves are then dried, de-stemmed, and ground into a vibrant green powder. Because consuming matcha involves ingesting the entire tea leaf rather than just steeping it in water, it provides a highly concentrated source of the plant's compounds.

• Whisk well. Matcha powder tends to clump when mixed with liquid. Using a traditional bamboo whisk (chasen) or a small electric frother helps create a smooth, clump-free liquid.

• Store the sealed powder in the refrigerator or a cool, dark pantry to extend its shelf life. Matcha powder oxidizes quickly when exposed to heat, light, and air, losing its vibrant color and freshness.

No. Matcha as a brewed tea presents a low risk when safely prepared for a child’s age and developmental ability, though add-ins to tea can increase the risk, and matcha is an ingredient in high-risk foods like candies or mochi. To reduce the risk, serve matcha in an age-appropriate way as described in How to Serve. As always, make sure to create a safe eating environment and stay within reach of a child during meals. 

Learn the signs of choking and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

No. Matcha is made from green tea leaves, and reactions to tea leaves are rare, but have been reported.^{[1] [2]} Research regarding tea allergy is in its infancy and it’s unclear if individuals with reactions to tea were allergic to the tea itself, or contaminants in the tea. Tea may cause reactions that are mistaken for allergies, like digestive upset, often in relation to the tea’s caffeine and tannin content.

Matcha contains high levels of caffeine, which should be avoided in the diets of babies and toddlers. Babies and kids can be particularly sensitive to caffeine’s stimulant side effects, like reduced appetite, jitteriness, poor sleep, reflux, and more.^[3] For these reasons, it is important to avoid caffeine for babies and to minimize caffeine intake for children.

Matcha powder contains about 70 mg of caffeine per teaspoon of powder, however it can be prepared in a variety of ways that make the resulting matcha tea either lower or higher in caffeine.^[4] A standard preparation of matcha uses 1 teaspoon matcha tea in 2-3 ounces water, a thinner (usucha in Japanese) uses half of a teaspoon in 3-4 ounces water, while a thicker and stronger version (koicha) uses 2 teaspoons of matcha tea powder per ounce of water. Lower caffeine preparations of matcha are ideal when offering matcha on occasion to children.