Japan has no legal grading system with names like “ceremonial” or “premium”. These are trade terms, and each supplier uses them a little differently. Treat them as a starting point and let a sample decide.
What the names usually mean
- Ceremonial: typically first-harvest tea with the brightest green, low bitterness and strong umami. Made to drink with water alone.
- Premium or latte grade: chosen so that color and tea flavor still come through in milk. This is the usual choice for café lattes.
- Culinary or food-processing grade: often later-harvest tea with more bitterness and a slightly olive tone. Used in baking and ice cream.
How to test a sample
- Look at the dry powder. Fresh, good matcha is a vivid green. Aged or degraded matcha turns reddish or brown.
- Drink it with water alone. Whisk 2 g with 60 ml of water at 70–80°C. Check bitterness and aroma.
- Make your actual menu drink. Use your own milk, your own ratio and your own cup. Check that the color and flavor hold.
- Do the math. Compare the cost per drink, using the grams your recipe really uses.
We carry matcha from the highest ceremonial grade to latte grade. Request a sample and run these same tests.
Sources
Taste it in your own drinks
Request a sample, or ask about pricing and pack sizes.