What is Matcha?
Matcha is a high-quality powdered green tea, grown only in Japan. Green tea is an umbrella term for a wide variety of non-fermented teas. Different kinds of green tea are produced by employing different tea leaf cultivation and processing methods.
Matcha is Japan’s most celebrated tea and has been prepared and served in traditional Japanese tea ceremony for nearly one thousand years. Matcha boasts an impressive range of health benefits, from aiding concentration and improving energy levels to lowering cholesterol and boosting the metabolism.
Matcha ‘grades’ (or: the different prices and flavours of matcha!)
Matcha tea comes in different grades. Higher grade tea fetches a higher price than lower grade tea. The confusing thing is that there are no scientific rules used for determining the grade of matcha; each tea production company just independently decides the grade of their teas. There are five terms used to describe the flavour of matcha: shibumi (harshness), nigami (bitterness), amami (sweetness), umami (flavour) and koku (richness). The higher the grade of tea, the more likely it is to contain notes of sweetness, flavour and richness. The lower the grade of tea, the more likely you are to find notes of harshness and bitterness.
At Grace & Green, we have hand picked just a few matcha teas to help you navigate through the veritable maze of grades and blends of matcha available. We have chosen several high quality but affordable teas, fit for a wide variety of tastes and purposes. Take your pick between our two top quality blends (ideal for those who want to savour matcha in its purest form: prepared slowly and drunk hot) luxury matcha (only a slight hint of bitterness; luxurious enough for a treat, but affordable enough for everyday consumption) and ceremonial matcha (our best quality tea without a hint of bitterness; a little pricier, but perfect for special occasions).
We also sell a high quality everyday blend: regular matcha (our standard house tea, which can be used for drinking or cooking!)
- For more detailed information about Matcha Green Tea, click here!
- 5 Frequently Asked Questions About Matcha Green Tea, click here!
- How to make Matcha tea casually, click here!