Exploring the Different Types of Matcha: A Comprehensive Guide

Matcha is unique among teas. It has a strong flavor and vibrant color and is highly versatile. The different types of matcha allow you to decide how to enjoy it—steep it for tea, whip it into a creamy latte, or bake it into a striking dessert.

Matcha has been used for centuries in ceremonies, to improve health, and simply because it is delicious. 

In this guide we’ll explore:

• The different types of matcha
• How to choose your grade of Matcha
• Preparing matcha for eating and drinking
• Selecting and storing matcha powder
• A quick and easy matcha recipe to try

By the end, if you’ve never tried matcha before, we’re confident you’ll be eager to give it a go. 

The Different Grades of Matcha

Let’s start with the three types of matcha:

Ceremonial Matcha

Top-quality matcha is ceremonial grade matcha. Long prized for its careful cultivation and unique taste, this matcha was historically used in Japanese tea ceremonies and enjoyed by royalty.

Making ceremonial-grade matcha requires careful cultivation of green tea leaves sheltered from the sun and picked when young and ripe.

Matcha contains the entire ground leaf and makes a fine powder. It has a light, sweet taste, and a fine, silky texture.

Premium Matcha

Premium matcha comes from the second harvest of tea leaves, making it more bitter than ceremonial grade matcha, though still slightly sweet. 

Adding other complementary flavors, such as fruit juices or berry smoothies, very well balances its flavor. 

Culinary Matcha

Culinary matcha is the most astringent of the bunch. It contains older tea leaves with higher catechin levels and has a bitter, umami flavor.

Because its flavor is so much more intense, culinary matcha is not for drinking but for cooking.

Culinary matcha excellently compliments baked goods, lattes, and desserts while maintaining its signature earthy flavor and cheerful green color.

How To Tell the Difference Between Different Types of Matcha

Each grade of matcha has distinct characteristics.

Because of its purity, ceremonial grade matcha is the most vibrant of all matcha grades. It’s known for its bright emerald green color and smell of freshly mown grass. It makes a thick tea, and its texture is silky.

Premium grade matcha is less vibrant but still greenish in color and powdery.

Culinary-grade matcha looks the most unique, with a yellowish hue.

While judging matcha by color may be helpful in some cases, the most accurate test of high-quality matcha is taste and smell.

If your matcha is vibrant in color and has a fresh, grassy, slightly sweet smell, it is high-grade.

Lower-quality matcha will smell fishy or like seaweed or hay. 

How To Prepare Each Type of Matcha

How you prepare your matcha depends on what you intend to use it for. To enjoy a delicious cup of fresh matcha, you will prepare a ceremonial grade.

You will use culinary matcha if you intend to use it to accentuate baked goods or other beverages, such as smoothie bowls or lattes.

Let’s begin with ceremonial grade preparation instructions.

How to prepare ceremonial grade matcha

To properly prepare ceremonial-grade matcha, you will need a bamboo whisk (chasen), a bamboo scoop (chashaku), a matcha bowl (Dhawan), and a fine sieve.

(Our ceremonial matcha gift set pictured below includes everything you need to get started with making matcha)

Use water heated to 160-175°F (70-80°C). Boiling water can scorch the matcha, resulting in a bitter taste, so be mindful of the water temperature.

To ensure there are no clumps in your matcha powder, use the fine sieve to sift 1-2 bamboo scoops (about 1-2 grams) of matcha into the bowl.

Next, pour about 2-3 ounces of hot water into the bowl.

Use the bamboo whisk to briskly whisk the matcha in an “M” or “W” motion until a frothy layer forms on the surface.

Add more hot water or steamed milk to taste. Serve immediately.

Reference Guide for Preparing Matcha

How to prepare culinary grade matcha

While it is possible to drink culinary-grade matcha, it’s probably not something you want to do. 

Culinary-grade matcha comes from later harvests, so the leaves are not as fresh and young as other types of matcha. The result is a much more bitter taste than ceremonial grade matcha.

As its name suggests, culinary-grade matcha is best used in baked goods, desserts, and beverages.

Here are some examples of using culinary-grade matcha.

• Smoothies: Add 1-2 teaspoons of matcha powder to your favorite smoothie ingredients for a vibrant color and a boost of antioxidants.
• Lattes: Mix 1 teaspoon of matcha with a small amount of hot water to create a paste, then add steamed milk and sweetener to taste.
• Baked Goods: Incorporate matcha into recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins, and more to add a unique flavor and a striking green color.
• Desserts: Use matcha in ice creams, puddings, and cheesecakes for a delightful twist on traditional sweets.

A Quick and Easy Matcha Recipe

Culinary-grade matcha is highly versatile. If you’re thinking of experimenting with matcha recipes but unsure where to start, here is a very simple recipe for using it on a variety of baked goods.

Matcha Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of pasteurized egg whites (from a carton), room temperature 
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of room temperate unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract (or you can use vanilla bean paste)
• 2 Tbsp matcha powder, sifted 
• 1/2 tsp salt 

1. Add the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in your bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer).
2. Mix on a low speed to combine.
3. Once combined, increase the speed to medium-high (level 8 on a KitchenAid) and whisk for 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment, which will help create a smoother buttercream.
5. Add 1 1/2 cups of butter in small chunks, mixing on low speed.
6. Ensure the butter is fully incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for an additional 5 minutes until the buttercream is fluffy and smooth.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of matcha powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix until everything is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
8. If the frosting appears to break when you first add the butter, don’t worry—just keep mixing, and it should come together within a few minutes.
9. Finally, stir the buttercream by hand with a rubber spatula for a few more minutes to achieve a silky smooth texture.

Spread evenly on cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or any other baked good you desire.

Selecting and Storing Matcha

When selecting your type of matcha, there are a few factors to consider:

• Use: Are you planning to drink your matcha or use it for baked goods? This will determine the grade you select.
• Price: What grade and brand of matcha fits your budget?
• Texture: Is the matcha powder smooth and silky or gritty and coarse? High-quality matcha should never be the latter.
• Color: Your matcha powder should be vibrant. Dull, faded, or grayish matcha is not fresh and has likely oxidized.
• Smell: As we’ve mentioned, fresh matcha should have a delightful, grassy, sweet aroma. You should not buy anything that smells old, stale, or otherwise “off.”

Once you’ve selected your perfect brand of matcha, you need to store it. Many matcha drinkers prefer buying matcha powder in bulk. This can be an economical decision, but it requires storing excess matcha powder.

You must consider three things when storing matcha: air, light, and temperature.

Matcha typically comes in airtight packaging with an oxygen preserver packet to help retain freshness. Store it in the refrigerator before you open it for the first time.

Once opened, place your matcha powder in a resealable plastic bag with the oxygen absorber packet, then in an airtight, darkly colored container. Place back in the refrigerator.

Storing your matcha this way keeps the powder cool, dry, and away from light.

Even when properly stored, consume all types of matcha within 2 months after opening for optimal flavor.

Enjoy All Types of Matcha

Drinking matcha is a more unique experience than enjoying other teas. It is robust, earthy, versatile, and contains a deep cultural significance intrinsic in its preparation and consumption.

Enjoy browsing through our selection of matcha in the Magic Hour Shop for your next delicious cup.