How to spot high quality Matcha?
All the Matchas on the market claim to be rubbish, and they all look like a slightly green powder. At first this can be very confusing! Why are there price differences? What do the different terms mean? Does it really make a difference?
Is it good enough for what I want to do?
Recognizing good quality matcha tea is easier than you think! You just have to learn how to do it. Once you understand the differences in quality thanks to this guide, you will appreciate your matchas much more!
Here is a 9-step guide to recognizing good quality matcha that will make you happy every day!
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A GOOD QUALITY GREEN TEA MATCHA
Matcha is one of the hottest products right now, and everyone is trying to sell green powder. However, not all matcha teas are created equal. Processing, origin and packaging are just some of the factors that determine the quality of matcha. Here's what to look for when buying Matcha.
7 Tips for Buying the Best Matcha:
1. Origin of green tea matcha powder = Japan
There are several regions in Japan that produce extraordinary leaves, but no region in the world outside of Japan produces leaves of this good quality.
One of the most important characteristics of a good quality green tea matcha is its origin. Does it come from one place – single origin matcha – or from multiple places? Where is the matcha tea farm?
Our growers come from several regions of Japan, but all of our leaves come exclusively from Japan. Our manufacturing workshop is located in Uji, near Kyoto. This is the birthplace of matcha and where most knowledge is concentrated.
Korea, China and Taiwan are today trying to make people believe that they are also good Matcha producing countries, but as we will see later, it is not enough to grind green tea to make Matcha!
But, wait... does that mean all parts of Japan are good? Well, no... Japan is a very diverse territory, and not all of its soils or geographical conditions allow for the best matcha powder to be produced. It’s a bit like vineyards! Soil quality, cultivars, manufacturing play a role.
2. Color = bright green
Good quality matcha tea should always be vibrant green. Literally, the greener it is, the better the quality! This is due to the shading conditions of the plant, the harvest and the location of the leaf in the plant.
The best Matcha is made from young leaves located at the top of the tree, when first harvested (early May), and properly shaded for a period of 2 to 4 weeks.
If you see yellowish or brownish versions, don't think about it! It can mean a lot of things, but never good things! It is likely that the tea plants were not shaded properly, which is why they did not turn green. It may also indicate that it is not the first harvest, or that it is larger, harder and older, less tender leaves. Finally, it may also be that it is not freshly ground or that it has been stored incorrectly. This matcha will taste extremely bitter. Matcha should never be brown or dull green.
3. Texture of green tea matcha powder = smooth and silky
The finer the Matcha is ground, the better emulsion it will create! For this, there is no alternative to granite mills. These mills are massive, weigh 150 kg, are expensive, and produce slowly. In the order of 20 to 80 grams of powder per hour only.
Obviously a simple blade grinder seems to make tea powder much faster, but the size and shape of the particles makes the emulsion unpleasant.
To test this, it's simple, it must be smooth and silky when you rub it between your fingers. You can do the “paper test” by taking a pinch of matcha tea and spreading it on a sheet of white paper; if it leaves a long, clean line, it is of good quality.
4. Smell = complete aromatic palette
Just like wine, the smell indicates whether the matcha purchased is of good quality or not. A premium matcha tea attracts attention with its strong, lively aroma. The bitterness of the antioxidants must be present, but what must be most important is its sweetness, given by the amino acids in its nuance process. You should therefore look for a strong and milder aroma. And don't touch it if you see a flavored version.
5. Taste = sweet aftertaste
If you only feel bitterness, it means that it is not a good quality matcha tea.
Bitterness and astringency can be pleasant when properly controlled. But in general, the best matcha tea powder is one that leaves a sweet aftertaste. Creating a balance between bitterness and sweetness is what a good quality matcha tea is capable of doing. In Japanese, we often speak of Umami Matcha.
The sweet aftertaste comes from the amino acids that accumulate in green tea leaves when matcha is properly shaded.
6. A dense and generous foam with emulsion
Finely ground Matcha, properly made and stored, will produce a dense emulsion, with a fine foam! It’s a visual and palate delight!
7. Airtight packaging, opaque, chemically inert, and ideally kept cool!
Once molded, all Matchas begin a slow process of oxidation, which degrades their properties.
Our Matcha is guaranteed to always be freshly ground, and this is extremely important!
This requires more complex logistics and numerous precautions with the sole aim of providing you with extraordinary quality: a developed aromatic spectrum, great sweetness, and the restitution of all the beneficial nutritional properties.
Our Matcha is supplied in airtight containers that are airtight against light rays which could damage it, and made in special black glass, an inert material that does not react with Matcha.
Despite this, Matcha oxidation is a process that cannot be stopped.
In order to consume your Matcha at the best level of quality, we recommend that you consume it within 3 months by keeping it cool at +5C in our original container.
8. The price
"Cheap is always too expensive! Well, this also applies to matcha! So if you see a 100g of matcha for 7.50, know that it is NOT good quality matcha tea. Quite simply, it cannot not cover the costs of growing and manufacturing a Matcha worthy of the name, so run away!
This completes most of what you need to know to be almost a Matcha expert! With this, you will no longer make a mistake when choosing your green energy, and will have fun every day!
Good tasting !