Different Grades of Matcha

Matcha may look like just one kind for new buyers, but it has different grades specified by manufacturers and each for a specific purpose. Such terminology for Matcha is a general guideline for selling purposes. There is no traditional set rule for different Matcha as the US market has set the categories themselves for marketing reasons.?

These grades are differentiated in terms of color, texture, production, brand quality, exposure to oxygen, grinding process, processing, and added ingredients. Not all grades of Matcha are suitable for making tea. Therefore, it has been divided into three main grades, which you will see in detail. There are two main grades, ceremonial and culinary, which have further categories.?

Ceremonial Matcha?

Ceremonial grade Matcha is used for drinking purposes only. It is the high-grade Matcha tea and has been used for centuries in Japanese green tea ceremonies and thus the name ceremonial Matcha. It is produced from the youngest and small leaves and is ground using stone in the final processing to make a fine powder. This Matcha has a vibrant green color, smooth texture, and sweet umami flavor, perfect for tea. It has consistency and is recommended to drink plain and make with traditional methods.?

Culinary Matcha?

Culinary grade Matcha is especially for eateries and is not a low-grade Matcha. It is a bit different compared to Ceremonial grade due to the usage. As you can see by the name, it is used for baking and cooking. You can drink this too, but it has much bitter and strong taste because it's supposed to be mixed up with other ingredients to make a flavor.?

Culinary Matcha has mild astringent, which allows it to mix smoothly with milk-based drinks and foods. It has a fairly bright color and a higher level of antioxidants than ceremonial Matcha.

There are further five subcategories of culinary Matcha, which are below. These are commonly used terminology, but each vendor may name them differently or associated with a name determined by the brand.

Premium: It is for everyday use, which works best with drinks of different flavors.

Cafe: This one has a strong flavor and is perfect for baking or maybe cooking.?

Ingredient: It is mixed with older tea leaves and has a stronger flavor and consistency. As the name suggests, it is used as an ingredient in recipes and dairy products.?

Kitchen: It is much darker and bitter. Moreover, it is not fine or made with delicate leaves and used for large-scale tea brewing or recipes.?

Classic: It is the commonly available kind and has a strong flavor, which is ideal for use in any beverage or food