We get asked from time to time this question “how should I choose a matcha?” So we hope through this small guide we compile together, it will give you some more directions when it comes to choosing matcha and hence making it a more enjoyable experience.

There are three categories of matcha:

1. Koicha grade - Matcha in this category can be used for preparing as koicha (thick tea - as shown in the photo right hand side) . 4g matcha to 25-30ml water, kneaded slowly to make a thick paste and incredibly concentrated. Only the best matcha can be enjoyable when so concentrated. It is usually enjoyed at special occasions such as new year tea gatherings. Matcha that is koicha grade can also be used to prepare as usucha (but not the other way round).
Our matcha that are suitable for preparing koicha are: Asahi, Ujihikari, Samidori, Houju, and Seiju. 

2. Usucha grade - Matcha in this category is more of an everyday drinking matcha, or translated as thin tea (- as shown in the photo left hand side). The ratio is 2g matcha to 50-60ml water, whisked vigorously together, optionally with a creamy foam on the top (different tea schools have different preferences regarding foam). This grade of matcha is not recommended to prepare as koicha. Matcha that are suitable for preparing as usucha are: Asahi, Ujihikari, Houju, Seiju, Ike no Shiro, and Hakuju (made from non-shaded tea leaves hence more bitterness). 

3. Food/latte grade - Matcha here is generally not for enjoying with water, although some higher quality ones within this category are nice as an iced matcha that has a higher water ratio. This grade is good for blending with milk of your choice or for making in sweets. Our matcha that is suitable for preparing latte/sweets is: Mokuren. Check out our recipe for delicious iced matcha soy!

Those are the three categories that will help you choose which matcha to buy. But you must remember that within each category there is a range of quality, which is reflected in the price. Koicha and usucha grade are usually packaged in small tins (20g, 30g, sometimes 40g). Latte/food grade are usually packaged in 100g pack or more. Please look for matcha that has not been repackaged. It has to be sealed and packed in Japan, and delivered to you as it is. Oxygen and light cause a lot of damage in the freshness of it, so this means to avoid transparent/glass containers too! If you suspect the matcha you bought have been repackaged or even blended by the seller, we will ask you to avoid it. Also avoid matcha that is packaged in transparent packaging, as light will cause damage to the quality.

Unfortunately due to the matcha boom around the world, a lot of companies are selling low quality matcha but charging a high price due to the lack of ways for consumers to verify the quality claims. Our advice is to trust the colour and taste. Due to the shading process tencha (the tea that matcha is ground from), the tea plants overproduce chlorophyll (giving matcha a vibrant green colour) and as well as higher levels of amino acids (which is the tasting of umami and sweetness). Anything that is dull/yellowish/brownish can be from ground from later harvest tea or teas that have not been shaded at all (sencha), hence an unpleasant taste. 

We must in here explain the reason why we choose hakuju (an unshaded tea later ground into matcha) on our menu. Unlike any matcha that we carry, hakuju has a light platinum green colour. We made an exception to put this tea on the menu (both at the tea house and on our online store) because we also stock the tea leaves before they were ground into matcha. We offer an experience of enjoying the tea leaves first and then the matcha made from the same tea. This white tea is a mutation of sencha, when brewed at low temperature it offers a deep umami taste and when brewed at high temperature it offers a higher bitterness level than other sencha we carry. This bitterness level shines through in the matcha when prepared with slightly lower temperature, but not in an unpleasant way as many of us would think about when we talk about bitterness. It also has a aftertaste of toasted pistachio skin.  -->  also interesting as nomikurabe (drink and compare) with other matcha, whether from Yame or Uji. 

Another tip is to pay attention to where it is grown and produced. Matcha must be from Japan, full stop. If it is a trustworthy company, you as a consumer should be able to identify the region and the tea farmers or tea producers that created the matcha. Most of the time you are likely to find blend teas but there is an increasingly amount of single cultivar matcha in the market. Top three regions are Uji, Yame and Nishio. Other regions that you may see include Kagoshima, Shizuoka that are particularly popular for organic matcha. Each of these regions have different tasting profile but even within the same region different farms can differ widely. 

In a pandemic where it may not be possible to visit a tea house or tea shop to try the tea before buying, we would recommend avoiding places that heavily advertise the health benefits of matcha or use marketing terms such a ceremonial grade. While we believe a few companies use this terms to explain to their non-Japanese audience the quality of matcha (koicha grade and usucha grade matcha are used in tea ceremonies, but not food/latte grade), a lot - and we mean a lot - of companies are just taking the advantage of the trend and health benefits to attract people to buy low quality tea and charge a high price. That is something we feel particularly sad about.

If we have missed out on anything that you are interested to know, please send us questions. And please always ask questions if you are unsure about anything. If they know their teas they would be able to answer you! We have come across a lot of people over these four and a half years and many have come across some not so great matcha. Please do not give up on matcha or Japanese tea, even if you have tried some that you haven’t liked. We are sure one day you will find something you like, whether from us or from somewhere else. We are not the only place in the world selling high quality Japanese teas but we are definitely one of them!