How many types of “Matcha” are there? How are they graded? Which type of matcha should you choose?
If you’ve ever considered buying matcha powder to make your own at home, you’ve probably noticed that there are many different types of matcha powder. And that’s on purpose. There are actually many different grades of matcha green tea powder. Each grade of matcha has a different flavor, color, texture, and how it’s used. Learning about the different grades of matcha and their unique properties will help you choose the right matcha for your needs, whether you’re using it for drinking, baking, or in other ways.

How many types of matcha are there? How are they graded?
Matcha green tea powder can be divided into 3 main grades:
- Ceremonial Grade Matcha
- Daily Grade Matcha
- Culinary Grade Matcha
The grading of matcha green tea powder depends on several factors, including:
- Green tea growing areas: Environment and soil are important for the quality of tea leaves.
- Growing method: Caring for green tea plants, such as shading, watering, and fertilizing.
- Harvesting Time: The time of tea leaf harvest affects the taste and quality of the tea.
- Production process: Production steps from harvesting, selecting tea leaves, drying and grinding.
These factors affect the color, texture, nutritional composition, flavor, usability, and overall quality of matcha green tea powder.
In addition to the 3 main grades, they can also be subdivided into more specific grades, such as:
- Organic ceremonial grade matcha
- Premium grade matcha for daily drinking
- Barista Grade Matcha
- Chef Grade Matcha
- Food grade matcha
1. Ritual Grade Matcha is the highest quality and most highly regarded matcha. It is made from the youngest green tea leaves and harvested only in the early spring. These leaves are carefully hand-picked and stone-grinded to a fine, bright green powder.
How to drink and use ceremonial grade matcha
Ritual grade matcha is often used for traditional brewing, by beating matcha powder with hot water without adding sugar or milk, to achieve the pure taste and feel of the true quality of matcha.
In addition to traditional brewing, ceremonial grade matcha can also be used in the following ways:
- Matcha Latte: Many people prefer to use ceremonial-grade matcha for their matcha latte because of its sweet and smooth flavor.
- Baking: It can be used in baking, but should be used with caution, as the flavor of ceremonial-grade matcha is delicate and can be lost if used in large quantities or mixed with other strong-flavored ingredients.
- Caution: Since ceremonial-grade matcha is quite expensive, it is not suitable for large-scale cooking.
2. Daily grade matcha , also known as premium grade matcha and traditional grade matcha, is considered the second highest quality matcha after ceremonial grade matcha. The taste of this grade of matcha is in the middle between sweet and bitter, not too sweet and not too bitter, making it easy to drink and popular.
Key features of daily grade matcha:
- Balanced taste: It has a balanced taste between sweetness and bitterness.
- Fresh scent: It has a clean and refreshing scent.
- Smooth texture: It has a smooth texture.
- Bright Green: A bright and attractive shade of green.
3. Food-grade matcha , also known as kitchen-grade matcha and chef-grade matcha, is produced for use as an ingredient in cooking, beverages, baking , คาสิโนออนไลน์ UFABET ฝากถอนรวดเร็ว เริ่มต้นเล่นง่าย and dietary supplements. It often has a rich flavor and distinctive aroma.
Key features of food grade matcha:
- Intense flavor: It has a strong flavor and a unique aroma.
- Suitable for cooking: It can be used in a variety of cooking applications, such as baking, making sauces, and toppings.
Unique properties of food grade matcha
The higher content of catechins in food grade matcha affects its flavor, giving it a more astringent, intense, and bitter aftertaste with less sweetness, making it ideal for use in baking and cooking. You may notice that the color of food grade matcha is not as vibrant as everyday or ceremonial grade matcha, but rather a lighter green color.
In addition, food grade matcha is ground with a grinding stone for a shorter period of time and at a higher speed, resulting in a larger particle size, resulting in a coarser texture that is suitable for use in a variety of recipes. Many people mistake food grade matcha for a lower quality matcha, but this is not the case. Food grade matcha is grown, raised, harvested, and processed specifically for use in cooking and baking.
How to test the quality of matcha using the “finger test”
The finger test is a simple method you can do at home to assess the quality of your matcha powder. Here’s how:
- Prepare equipment: white paper and matcha powder to be tested.
- Pour the matcha powder: Pour a small amount of matcha powder onto a white piece of paper.
- Press and drag: Use your fingertip to press down on the matcha powder and drag your finger across the paper.
The results obtained:
- High-quality matcha: Matcha powder has a smooth texture. When pressed and dragged with your fingertips, it forms long, continuous lines.
- Low-quality matcha: Matcha powder has a coarser texture. When pressed and dragged with your fingertips, the resulting lines will be short and choppy.
The reason for that is:
High-quality matcha powder is finely ground, resulting in fine and smooth particles that feel smooth to the touch and consistent color and flavor when used.
How to compare the quality of different types of matcha powder
Try doing a finger test to compare the quality of different types of matcha powder you have.
method:
- Prepare equipment: white paper and the types of matcha powder you want to compare.
- Pour the matcha powder: Pour each type of matcha powder onto a small pile of white paper.
- Draw lines: Press your fingertips on each pile of matcha powder and draw your fingers across the paper, making sure to clean your fingers before drawing on the next pile of matcha powder.
The results obtained:
- High-quality matcha: Produces long, continuous strands due to its smooth, fine texture.
- Low-quality matcha: Will produce shorter, choppy strands due to its coarser texture.
Why do this:
High-quality matcha powder is finely ground, resulting in fine and smooth particles that feel smooth to the touch and consistent color and flavor when used.
Additional tips:
- Compare Equal Amounts: To ensure accurate test results, the same amount of matcha powder should be used for each test.
- Use the same amount of pressure: You should use the same amount of pressure when dragging your fingers across all types of matcha powder.
- Observe the color and smell: In addition to testing with your fingers, you can also observe the color and smell of each type of matcha powder. High-quality matcha tends to be bright green and has a mild aroma.
Which grade of matcha is healthier?
All three grades of matcha have similar basic nutrient profiles, but ceremonial-grade matcha, which is made from early harvested leaves, has much higher levels of L-theanine and caffeine, while everyday-grade and food-grade matcha, which are made from later harvested leaves, tend to have higher levels of antioxidants and catechins.
Which grade of matcha to choose? Questions to help you decide
Choosing to buy matcha green tea powder depends on your preferences and intended use. Asking yourself these questions will help you make an easier decision.
- Do you want to drink traditional matcha every morning? If you want to drink traditional Japanese matcha every day, choosing ceremonial grade matcha is the best choice, because this grade of matcha has a smooth and sweet taste.
- Do you like to drink matcha lattes or add them to caffeinated drinks? If you like to drink matcha lattes or add them to other drinks, everyday matcha is a good choice, as it has a stronger flavor and is ideal for mixing with other ingredients.
- Do you want to use matcha in other dishes or drinks? If you want to use matcha in baking, smoothies, or other cooking, food-grade matcha is the best choice, as it has a rich flavor and blends well with other flavors.
- Do you want to use matcha in a variety of ways? If you want to use matcha in a variety of ways, you may need different grades of matcha to achieve different flavors and qualities depending on the application.