Matcha
Matcha grades explained: what “ceremonial grade” really means
Why "ceremonial grade" isn't an official Japanese matcha grade, what actually decides matcha quality, and how to choose a good one, with the Japanese words on the label.
Shop for matcha outside Japan and you'll see "ceremonial grade", "premium grade" and "culinary grade" everywhere. It sounds official, but it isn't. Here's what really makes matcha good, and how to read the label.
"Ceremonial grade" isn't a Japanese grade
Japan has no official matcha grading system, and no grade called "ceremonial". The term was invented abroad for marketing, so two "ceremonial" matchas can be completely different in quality and price.
Japanese tea shops simply sell matcha by name and price, often describing how it tastes and whether it suits thin tea (usucha) or thick tea (koicha).
What actually decides quality
When it was picked
Tea plants are harvested several times a year. The first harvest of the year, 一番茶 (ichibancha, first flush), picked in spring, gives the youngest, tenderest leaves and the finest matcha: sweet, rich in savoury umami, and low in bitterness. Later harvests are cheaper and more astringent, and are mostly used for baking and drinks.
How it was grown
Matcha is made from 碾茶 (tencha): tea that's shaded for several weeks before picking. Shading makes the leaves greener and sweeter. The leaves are steamed, dried, stripped of stems and veins, and slowly ground between stone mills.
Where it was grown
宇治 (Uji), just south of Kyoto, is the most famous matcha region; its growers were shading their tea gardens by the late 1500s. 西尾 (Nishio) in Aichi is another historic matcha town, and more tencha now comes from Kagoshima and Shizuoka too.
How to tell good matcha yourself
- Colour: a vivid, bright jade green. Dull, yellowish or brownish powder is older or lower quality.
- Smell: sweet, fresh and grassy, never dusty or like hay.
- Texture: silky-fine, like eyeshadow.
- Taste: whisked with just water, good matcha is smooth and mellow with a long, sweet finish, not harsh.
- Freshness: check the date, and buy small tins you'll finish within a few weeks of opening.
Words you'll see on the label
Which matcha for what?
- For drinking with just water: choose a fresh, bright first-flush matcha. It doesn't need a "ceremonial" label.
- For lattes: a mid-priced matcha works well; milk softens bitterness, so you don't need the finest.
- For baking: a cheaper, later-harvest matcha is fine, and its stronger flavour holds up in cakes and cookies.
Learn to talk about tea, gifts and tastes in Japanese in Hitokuchi's tea lessons, with a matcha culture note in every unit.
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