HomeWith all the different matcha grades out there, it can be difficult to keep track. That’s why we made this simple, easy to follow guide for you. In this blog, we’ll explain what matcha grades are, why they’re important, and then we’ll walk you through the different matcha grades. Let’s get started. So what are matcha grades? Matcha grades, like ceremonial grade, don’t really have a technical definition, but a good way to break them up is by their intended purpose. They act as a stand in for quality. And just as you wouldn’t cook with top shelf wine, you wouldn’t bake with premium matcha. The highest grade matcha would be wasted if you were to add A to milk and sugar instead. The premium matcha grades are meant to be savored on their own, and the lower quality matcha grades are meant to be mixed into other ingredients. In the next section, we’ll show you how the different matcha grades are made and how they serve different purposes. So let’s talk about the different matcha grades and what they’re each used for. We’re going to go through three of the basic matcha grades. You may sometimes just see two matcha grades mentioned, but it’s important to differentiate because the middle option can actually be quite good in its own right, just maybe not suitable for drinking plain. So first we have the ceremonial macho.
If the If there’s any technical definition of ceremonial grade, it’s a matcha that’s intended to be used for tea ceremonies, mixed into water and drunk plain. Unlike in a latte, there’s no room for this matcha to hide. It has to be good. A lot of work goes into producing these smoother and sweeter matcha grades, so let’s take a brief look at the production process. So first, let’s talk about the harvest. When we talk about ceremonial grade matcha at NEO, we refer to the first harvest matcha. The tea plant can be harvested for up to four times throughout the year, but the first harvest will be the highest in nutrients. Next, the tea plants are for three weeks before the harvest in order to develop a smoother and sweeter flavor. This is because if the tea plant were to be exposed to sunlight, it would produce more bitter catekins and less sweet and savory theanine. When the first harvest comes around in the early to mid spring, the tea leaves are harvested, but only the top three sprouts are selected. These are the highest in nutrients and the smoothest in flavor, so they’re the most sought after for premium teas like matcha. The processing of the leaves used to make premium matcha grades is very similar to any other Japanese green tea, with two exceptions.
The first is the removal of the stems, which would detract from the flavor, and the second is the grinding of the leaves in a stone mill. This large mill is made out of granite, and it has a big network of grooves that push the leaves out as they are ground into a finer and finer powder. It takes this mill an hour just to produce 50 grams of this precious powder. As a result, the ceremonial matcha grades are ideal for drinking plain during the long, labor intensive and production. The tea develops a natural sweetness and it doesn’t need milk or sugar. So next let’s talk about latte matcha. If some of the steps are skipped, you end up with a lower grade matcha that is perfect for lattes like the latte grape matcha. We like to make a distinction with this category because even when you’re making a matcha latte, you still want higher quality. Our latte grade matcha is grown in Shizuoka by a talented tea farmer who produces it without the use of pesticides or chemicals. He just uses a later tea harvest and as a result, the latte grade matcha can be bought for a fraction of the price.
It doesn’t have quite as green of a color, and it may be a little bit more bitter, but this is no problem because it’s intended to be mixed into milk and sugar to create a delicious matcha latte. The price is more affordable, which is great because you can add a few scoops to your latte each morning without worrying about the costs. So finally, we have the lowest grade of matcha and these are culinary matchas. As the name would suggest, these matchas are meant to be mixed into other ingredients and create all sorts of culinary treats like matcha ice cream, matcha cakes, cookies, and more. In general, the more things you add to matcha, the less the quality matters. We like to make a distinction between adding a little splash of milk into a matcha and mixing it into a matcha ice cream, for example. Anyways, I hope our guide makes sense when it comes to differentiating between the different matcha grades. If you’d like to test out the quality of a matcha at home, you can simply compare the color on a sheet of paper and check out how green it is. If it’s a vibrant shade of green, you probably have a good matcha, and if it’s more brown or yellow, chances are you either have an old matcha or a lower quality one. Of course, the color isn’t a perfect indication of quality. There is variability even within premium matchas, with some cultivars being darker green and others being lighter green, but you get the idea. If you’re looking to get some ceremonial grade matcha, you can check out some of the best teas we found during our travels throughout Japan. We’ve met with dozens of farmers and sampled hundreds of different matcha teas and compiled a list of our favorites at neoteas.com, which you can order with free worldwide shipping. As we mentioned before, we also provide a great latte matcha that comes from a high quality source. It’s important to be picky, even when you’re making a latte. Thank you all so much much for taking the time to watch this video. It would really mean a lot to us if you could support our YouTube channel by liking this video and subscribing to see more like it in the future. If you have any questions about matcha or green tea in general, please feel free to leave those in the comments below. Until then, we’ll see you next time.
