What Is The Best Brand Of Matcha Green Tea Powder

Zen Spirit Matcha Green Tea Powder

This is the one I was excited about trying even though its technically a Culinary grade, it still offers the taste and color of a Ceremonial grade Matcha.

If youre looking to start your day with something that will give you tons of energy, improve your concentration and add a lot of organic nutrients, this one might be the right choice for you.

The fresh, vibrant color, silky texture, and taste richer than any other product currently available on the market make this matcha a high-quality product.

You need to pay attention to product information, though, so you wont be surprised at how small the package is. I would say its a good size to get a few servings and decide if you like the brand or not before buying a larger package.

Other than that, the package itself is resealable and seems pretty durable, which is crucial when it comes to preserving the freshness of your matcha powder.

Even though there are some cheaper Matcha powders on the market , the rich taste and the vibrant color you get from this one are worth the price.

My family agrees with me on this one, which is a pretty big deal because theyre just now learning to appreciate Matcha with its many benefits.

Pros

Ceremonial Grade Vs Culinary Grade

Youll find that for the most part, matcha is divided into two categories: ceremonial grade and food grade. Not only can you drink it, but depending on what kind of matcha you purchase you can cook with it as well. Keats explains that culinary grade matcha is the best type of matcha for cooking and baking. It generally has a very fine grind that blends well and retains its color and flavor even while baked at high temperatures.

As Vanessa Proctor Wall explains, if youre looking to drink matcha, then what you want is ceremonial grade powder. Proctor Wall runs operations at some of Los Angeles most popular restaurants, like Son of a Gun, Jon & Vinnys, and Petit Trois. She began drinking matcha over a decade ago, and shares that as she began experimenting and moving through the different tiers of matcha, she fell in love with the earthy, umami notes in ceremonial grade matcha.

As I moved to the ceremonial grade, I realized that much like any other tea, matcha could take on so many flavor profiles. Some are buttery and rich, some foam up better than others, and you can really see how a certain kind might lend itself better to a certain application, such as making a latte.

Keats adds that when looking to drink matcha lattes, youll want to use ceremonial grade matcha thats at least as fine as powdered chalk, if not finer. The finer the grind, the easier it will blend into your milk and leave you satisfied, without the grittiness of a poorly ground tea.

It Is Packed With Antioxidants

As mentioned, it is a concentrated form of green tea and can have up to 137 times the antioxidants bringing many potential benefits for immunity, detoxification, anti-aging, and general wellbeing. Unlike what you might expect, it outperforms the sources of antioxidants like blueberries or pomegranates that we turn to more often it may have even up to 20 times more !

Among these antioxidants, catechins are the kind that is most potent and beneficial and one particular kind called EGCg makes up about 60% of the catechins in it. EGCg is widely recognised for its possible cancer fighting abilities and potential to fight free radicals in the body that disrupt our health . It is also rich in fiber, chlorophyll and other vitamins such as vitamin C, selenium, chromium and zinc.

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The Matcha Green Tea Powder Buying Guide

Many people approach matcha green tea powder shopping incorrectly by considering only the price or choosing materials and technology touted in an ad. But that approach might land you a not-so-good matcha green tea powder that you could regret buying.

The advice in this guide will show you a better way to buy the matcha green tea powder. This guide builds on our hours of research to help you find a matcha green tea powder that you will be happy with for a long time.

Texture Of Matcha Green Tea Powder = Smooth And Silky

The best matcha tea powder will be always stone milled, so good quality matcha tea needs to be smooth and silky when you rub it between your fingers. You can do the paper test grabbing a pinch of matcha tea and smearing it onto a piece of white paper if it leaves a long, clean line that means it is good quality. Rocky versions wont dissolve as good and are an indication of bad quality matcha tea. This is also the result of being leaves that are lower in the plant, and therefore thicker.

Why does the texture matter? You want a good quality matcha that is smooth and dissolves quickly, so you do not have lumps on your tea.

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What To Look For On A Matcha Tea Label/package

Ceremonial grade matcha

As mentioned above, ceremonial grade is considered the highest quality tea. Also make sure it is labeled matcha tea, not powdered green tea or green tea. This means that the product is not from Japan and the quality is questionable.

Shade-grown, shaded

Real, quality matcha plants are shaded before they are harvested. This helps to increase the chlorophyll and amino acid content.

Organic

Organic matcha tea means that the product is free from harmful pesticides and herbicides that are often used by farms in the growing process.

Toxin-Screened

A toxin screening process ensures an even higher quality product since this often means that the matcha is third-party tested for toxins like heavy metals, fluoride, and mold.

What Kinds Of Matcha Can You Buy

There are two grades of matcha you can purchase: ceremonial and culinary. If you want to make a drink using matcha, youâll want to use ceremonial, and if youâre baking matcha into something such as bread youâll want to opt for the culinary grade.

âThe higher quality the tea, the sweeter and smoother it is. Your matcha should be a vibrant green color, and it should taste good,â Kavaliunas says about ceremonial grade matcha powder.

Now if the matcha powder is dull in color or smells like burnt grass, she recommends you include it into something sweet such as a gluten-free coconut cake, for example, to mask the bitter flavor.

âUnfortunately, there is no regulation surrounding the use of the word matcha or ceremonial, so make sure you are buying from a trusted source,â she advises.

Now, here are the 7 best matcha powders you can purchase on Amazon.

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How To Make Matcha Green Tea

If you already got the Matcha Green tea and if you are not sure about how to make it then here is the process of making the Matcha Green Tea

• The first step of the process is to heat the water. You can use a regular stove to heat the water.
• Now, add a spoon of matcha green tea powder to a cup and add a few drops of hot water to the cup. Mix it thoroughly so as to make a paste of this matcha green tea powder. This will ensure that there are no lumps in the tea.
• In the final step, you just have to mix the water into the paste and whisk it properly to make the tea

If you are concerned about the intake of the Matcha Green Tea then you must know that the ideal intake of this tea powder is half teaspoon to 2 teaspoons and you must avoid consuming tea more than this. You can take your daily cup of matcha green tea every day in the morning after getting up. This will help you in detoxification of your body and in addition to this, you will be able to lose weight. In addition to this, as per the general recommendations, you must avoid having Matcha Green Tea at end of the day because caffeine in the tea will make you hyperactive. In addition to this, the side effect may include insomnia, vomiting, and headache.

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Matcha Green Tea Powder Grades

Matcha green tea powder is categorized broadly into three main grades. The grade depends on the position of the leaf on the plant and also the blend that the leaf has been sorted into.

All matcha tea is a blend of tea leaves which may come from a variety of tea farms in a region. After the tea leaves are picked they are immediately steamed to lock in their enzymes. Once steamed the tea leaves are sorted into a blend based on the colour, aroma and flavour profile.

The freshest and youngest leaves are close to the top of the tea plant and form the higher quality blends. The leaves from the base of the tea plant are usually reserved for culinary matcha.

Its important to note that there is no governing body to regulate the use of grades by different companies. Many companies might say ceremonial grade but they are actually selling premium or culinary. Ensure you educate yourself on matcha properties in the information above and be wary of any price that is lower than they guide weve offered below.

Chefs Choice Culinary Matcha

Chefs Choice Culinary Matcha is a traditional culinary matcha tea. It is an affordable choice for baked goods, with sublime and bold flavors. Recommended for those who prefer an astringent taste profile, or as an accent flavor in sweet lattes. It is a higher grade than ingredient grade matcha.

Generally not a sipping matcha, but comparable for matcha health benifits because of the EGCG antioxidant. Caffeine content is about 30mg per serving.

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Akira Matcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha

Brand – Akira Matcha from Matcha Konomi

Akira Matcha is the Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha available from the Matcha Konomi Company. All of their matcha is from first harvest green tea leaves from farms in Uji, Kyoto, Japan. Matcha Konomi ensures the freshness of its matcha by only making enough for a 4 month supply, so they will sometimes be out of stock. We were very impressed with the bright green color and ultra fine ground of this matcha. The taste was not as bold as we prefer, but is sure to please a lot of matcha lovers. The only thing we didn’t like about this matcha was the packaging. The pull tab on the lid could be difficult to open for those with less agile hands, but besides that we highly recommend Akira Matcha.

Origin -Uji, Kyoto, Japan

The Bottom Line Ready To Drink Matcha Everyday

Now that you know the varieties of matcha tea, you can choose which one to bring into your day. If you still have questions, you can take the Matcha Quiz, and review our Ultimate Insider Guide to Matcha Green Tea.

Also, be sure to check out the 15 Most Common Matcha Questions for quick answers.

-Team Matcha Kari

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Best Matcha Tea Brands 2022

In the current scenario where no one is allowed to go out of their home for a healthy run or exercise or to the gym, its becoming a little challenging to keep your body fit. So what it is that can keep you fit with this current lifestyle? It is easier to switch over to a healthier version of diet because at least food is something you can choose. The best trending method that you might have seen invading even on celebritys Instagram posts is including different beverages in their diet. Once such a favorite celebrity beverage is a green tea and the most trending one out in that category of green tea is the popular Japanese green tea called Matcha Tea or Matcha Green Tea. Lets find out more about this trending Matcha tea that has even occupied a place in the Starbucks menu list with the name called Matcha latte. So after 2 days of extensive research, we were able to cover few of the most important details about Matcha tea after selecting a few of the Best Matcha Tea Brands with lots of benefits. Matcha tea is quite different from a regular green tea.

How To Buy Good Quality Matcha Green Tea

Recognizing good quality matcha tea is easier than you think! It is just a matter of learning how to do it. That is why we have compiled this 9 tip guide on how to buy good quality matcha green tea, to help you buy the best matcha tea powder.

Recognizing good quality matcha tea was one of the things that overwhelmed me the most when buying matcha tea, like a matcha green tea consumer I did not know how to recognize good quality matcha tea and was often confused with so many options!

Sometimes I even encountered flavored matcha or even worst, matcha with fillers such as sugar or powdered milk. If you identify yourself with this struggle, hang in there! Learning how to recognize good quality matcha tea is very easy and here are the tips on how you can buy the best matcha tea powder from now on.

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Where To Store Matcha Powder

Matcha should be stored in a cool, dark place. The important thing to remember is to keep your matcha away from light, heat and especially moisture. I have seen some websites recommend storing your matcha in the refrigerator, but I don’t recommend this. Putting a metal container into a cold refrigerator can cause condensation and the last thing you want is moisture in your matcha.

I also make sure that I consume my matcha powder within one month of opening. I always use ceremonial grade matcha, which comes in small metal tins, so it is easy to consume it all within one month.

What Is Matcha Green Tea Powder

Matcha has quite a history that most people are unaware of. In fact, many individuals who are familiar with green tea, have yet to be enlightened to the facts surrounding the centuries old marvel of matcha.

Dating all the way back to 7th century China, matcha was produced for use in tea ceremonies, and eventually was used in Japanese tea ceremonies during the 12th century.

Present day matcha is still used in traditional ceremonies however, its uses have vastly expanded into other areas. For instance, a different grade of matcha, typically known as, “Food Grade Matcha”, is used as a dye in various foods and confections.

What makes matcha special lies in the method in which it is cultivated. Weeks before green tea plants are set to harvest, growers cover the plants so that the remainder of the growth cycle takes place in the shade. By preventing the direct sunlight from reaching the tea leaves, the growth slows and an increase in the production of chlorophyll begins. This in turn gives the tea leaves a deep green color and increases the amount of amino acids found in the leaves. Only the youngest leaf buds are picked, then dried, and ground into a fine powder, retaining all of their nutrient goodness. The final result being matcha green tea powder.

Matcha has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants found in any food source!

That is one of the many matcha benefits of this amazing superfood.

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Matcha Konomi Akira Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Color vibrancy: 4.5 Deep green apple color. Slightly more green than yellow.Aroma: 5 Very sweet on the nose, almost has a rose scent, subtle vanilla note, and cacao undertone. Probably the sweetest Ive smelled. Intoxicatingly sweet in a good way.Texture: 4.25 Easy to whisk, but it does leave a little graininess on the edges of the bowl.Flavor: 4.5 Well-rounded bitterness. Very subtle sweetness detectable. Peppery and really pleasant.Overall thoughts: 4.5 Exceptional color and aroma. Wish it was a slightly smoother texture, but really enjoyed the flavor.Approximate cost per ounce: $25.00Grade: CeremonialLocation of origin: Uji, JapanAdditional claims/perks: Premium quality, stone ground.

Overall score: 22.75/25

Color vibrancy: 4.75 Quite a vibrant green, maybe slightly less than Kyoto Dew.Aroma: 4.75 More peppery aroma. Quite a bit of sweetness.Texture: 4.75 Very silky. No visible bits. Very slight coating on sides of bowl with slight graininess.Flavor: 4.25 Subtle bitterness that drops off. Classic green tea flavor. Pleasant, with more intensity on the front that drops off toward the end.Overall thoughts: 4.25 Noticeably high quality. Would do very well as a daily matcha as its easy to blend. Pleasant flavor. Not the best, but very good.Approximate cost per ounce: $24.95Grade: CeremonialLocation of origin: Uji, JapanAdditional claims/perks: Shade grown, stone ground, small batch, family-owned farm.

Overall score: 22.75/25

Overall score: 22/25

How Much Caffeine Is In Matcha Tea

One of the key benefits of matcha is its high caffeine content. A cup of matcha tea can contain up to 70 milligrams of caffeinethat’s more than a cup of coffee.

However, it’s important to note that the caffeine in matcha differs from the caffeine in coffee. The caffeine in matcha is released more slowly, so it doesn’t cause the same “jittery” feeling as coffee.

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