Matcha

Why we won't use the term "Ceremonial Grade"

Here at Qatsi, you won’t see terms like ‘ceremonial grade’ used on any of our matchas. Let me explain..

After visiting multiple tea farms in Japan and talking to farmers, the resounding response was that no one uses the term ‘ceremonial grade’.

The reason why is because there really is no such thing. There isn’t a set standard or grading system in place for matcha. It’s really a buzz word used in Western society that anyone can slap on their product to basically, sell matcha!

Now I understand its purpose, to differentiate high quality matcha from your culinary use matcha. However, I’ve never really been a fan of marketing buzz words, and prefer to keep things honest and transparent.

So, how do you know the difference between good and bad matcha? 

Well firstly, it’s a good idea to trust the brand. Look for as much information listed as possible.

Was it stone milled? How many days was it shaded? Who made the matcha? Was it harvested first flush or second flush? Is it Organic or conventional?

Keeping in mind, first flush organically farmed matcha from Kyoto, nowadays is going to be fetching much higher prices, think of it like the Champagne of matcha. But that doesn’t mean you cant get good quality matcha at a reasonable price.

Think of Tea like Wine.

Using wine as an analogy again, it would be great to drink Grand Cru Burgundy every day, however, we’d all be probably broke within a week. So for every day use, for matcha you want to mix with milk, or even a quick bowl of Usucha style, why not look for a good quality 2nd flush matcha? Or a good quality green tea powder from a lesser known region?

You wouldn’t use expensive champagne to make a mimosa, but you would use a good prosecco perhaps.

There’s a whole world of Japanese tea to explore out there, don’t pigeonhole yourself into ‘ceremonial grade’ and as always, know your tea, know your farmer.