Highest Quality Matcha Green Tea Powder (How To Choose)
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What exactly should you look for when searching for the highest quality matcha green tea powder? If you've been buying and drinking matcha for a while, then I'm pretty sure you already know that this nutritious and healthy drink that has taken the world by storm comes in different quality, color and most importantly taste or flavor!
Even though matcha first originated from China, the Japanese took it and perfected the art of making the best matcha both in terms of quality, taste and aroma! Everybody knows, or most people at least know that matcha made in Japan is the best ever you can buy, but that's not to say that Chinese matcha can't match up to or surpass their Japanese-made counterparts!
In fact, some of the best matcha I've personally tasted comes from China, and the Chinese have different grading of this healthy drink ranging from the lowest to the highest quality of matcha!
But before we look at these grades of matcha, let's first establish where or which countries are known to have the best climatic conditions and soil for growing the best matcha of the highest quality!
Countries That Grow The Best Matcha
For a country to produce the highest quality matcha, specific geographical locations and growing conditions must be met! The tea plant (camelia sinensis) reacts differently to varying amounts of sun, shade, rainfall and soil types.
Therefore, the Japanese employ the concept of terroir, which basically means the microclimate that includes the best growing location, weather and plant varietals to produce a specific flavor of matcha tea!
As you probably guessed, a better or more desired terroir equates to better tea or matcha, but who gets to decide what's the best? Well, the answer is partially scientific and subjective, meaning it has mostly to do with years of evolution and cultivation, but also the consumers and personal preferences matter a lot!
JAPAN
Of course the best matcha comes from none other than Japan, even though it originated from China! In Japan, matcha is grown in 5 major regions or terroirs;
- UJI MATCHA: Uji is a region in Kyoto prefecture that's considered to be the birthplace of matcha. Tea from Uji is quite sought after making it among the most expensive you can buy! Uji ceremonial grade matcha powder is often used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony called Chado or Sado in Japanese. Uji is seen as the pinnacle of matcha green tea and its matcha has a distinctive bright grassy note, umami (savory note) with a light creaminess!
- FUKUOKA MATCHA: Fukuoka prefecture is located in Kyushu, an island found on the southwest end of Japan. Matcha from Fukuoka region is processed in a slightly different way compared to matcha from Uji, so that the focus is more on achieving a deeper, toastier flavor but still ensuring they're balanced with the expected umami (savory) and sweet notes.
- SHIZUOKA MATCHA: Shizuoka is the largest tea producing prefecture in Japan, accounting for over 40% of all tea produced in Japan, though most of it is loose leaf green tea instead of matcha. Very little matcha is produced in Shizuoka and it's therefore very unlikely to find matcha from this region!
- KAGOSHIMA MATCHA: Kagoshima is found on the southwest tip of Kyushu. This terroir is rich in volcanic soil making it a great region for growing tea. However, most tea grown here is loose leaf tea, but the few matcha produced here has some vegetal, bitter, sweet and umami flavor!
- AICHI MATCHA: Matcha from this region usually has some vegetal, sweet and umami (savory) flavor.
Why Is Japanese Matcha Said To Be The Best?
The geographical location and growing conditions aren't the only factors that produce a high quality matcha! In fact, even in this day and age, the Japanese tea industry is still not modernized in many ways and this means that they still grow, pick and process matcha using old-style methods.
If you didn't know, the most high quality matcha is picked carefully by hand, and it's these diligent harvesting and processing techniques that help to maintain the matcha's high quality and depth of flavor!
The Japanese employ the use of shade growing techniques to slow down the maturation of the tea plants, after which they're carefully and selectively handpicked and the leaves are then steamed to prevent oxidation thus ultimately preserving their vibrant color and delicate flavors!
Farmers then dry and sort the leaves for quality and then destem and devein them! Finally, the dried leaves are slowly stone-ground into an ultra-fine powder using traditional granite stone mills or machine mills!
In the end, what preserve's the matcha's natural sweetness and nutritional potency is the slow and specific stone milling process that is used!
What About Chinese Matcha?
Currently, China is the world's largest producer of matcha and even exports large amounts of its matcha to Japan! There are three major regions in China where most of its matcha are grown and produced. These are Tongren city in Guizhou Province, Hangzhou and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province!
But it's Tongren city, Guizhou province that produces the most and highest quality matcha in China.
Why Does Guizhou Produce High Quality Matcha?
Guizhou is the only region in China with low altitude, high altitude and low sunlight conditions, and Tongren which is located at the foot of Mount Fanjing in eastern Guizhou is the golden ecological zone for matcha to grow!
In fact, Tongren boasts of having the largest single-site matcha factory in the world, with a daily production capacity of 10 tonnes and an annual production capacity exceeding 4,000 tonnes! But don't let its large production capacity fool you, coz the matcha coming out of Guizhou is of excellent quality!
Additionally, senior matcha experts from Japan were hired for full technical guidance and cooperation also established with multiple scientific research institutions both domestically and internationally to help build a world class automated matcha production facility that can adjust its production techniques based on local conditions.
Different Grades of Matcha
Matcha is graded into three main categories based on factors like leaf age, harvest time, flavor, color and intended usage. The 3 main grades are;
- Ceremonial Grade
- Culinary Grade
- Premium or Daily Grade
Ceremonial Grade Matcha
This is the highest quality of matcha green tea powder that's traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. It's quite sought after for its vibrant color, smooth texture, delicate flavor and minimal bitterness. Here's why it's special:
Flavor: Mellow, smooth and rich with umami flavor. Has no bitterness to the taste!
Color: Deep rich vibrant green color means it's high quality and fresh
Texture: Extremely fine and ultra-smooth with no grittiness
Best for: Whisking with hot water and drinking it as it is without the need to mix with anything.
How is Ceremonial Grade Matcha Made?
Tea plants are shaded so as to allow them to produce softer leaves full of chlorophyll, then only the youngest, first-harvest leaves are picked by hand. The stems and veins are then removed with care to ensure smoothness, after which the leaves are stone-ground into ultra-fine powder! That's ceremonial grade matcha for you - pure, rich and ready to drink as it is!
Premium Grade Matcha
This grade is a middle-tier matcha that offers a balance between quality and affordability. It's definitely better than culinary grade but not as refined as ceremonial grade matcha. What makes it standout?
Flavor: Smooth, slightly grassy note with less bitterness compared to culinary grade matcha.
Color: A bright greenish color that's less vivid than ceremonial matcha but more vibrant than culinary matcha.
Texture: Finely ground powder that creates a nice froth without clumps after whisking it!
Ideal For: Casual drinking with hot water, iced matcha, smoothies and lattes.
Culinary Grade Matcha
This matcha grade is of a lower quality than ceremonial grade and is suited specifically for cooking and mixing with other ingredients, rather than drinking purely like ceremonial grade matcha. So what makes it different?
Flavor: A slightly more robust, bitter and unmistakable grassy kick
Color: Lighter green and less vibrant than ceremonial grade matcha
Texture: Evenly fine, just enough to mix with different recipes although grittiness is present sometimes
Ideal For: Matcha lattes, smoothies, baking, ice creams etc
How Is Culinary Grade Matcha Made?
Tea leaves are picked in the second harvest after they're slightly older and harder and therefore the resulting powder has a richer flavor. As the matcha flavor is dominant, it makes the culinary grade matcha ideal for cooking or baking applications!
What About Organic Matcha Certifications?