Matcha Shopping Guide

The Do’s of Buying Matcha Online

S A M P L E S

If a brand offers samples, this is an easy and usually a low cost way to find out if you like the product. Because samples are generally provided in different packages than the advertised product, some taste discrepancies may occur. If you don’t see a sample option on a website, it never hurts to send an email requesting one anyways.

(breakaway or smile tea)

W H A T ' S Y O U R L E V E L

As a matcha lover, I can comfortably say that matcha is an acquired taste and one that takes cultivation. Each blend is often intended for a particular preparation method, and this in itself tells us a lot about what to expect from its flavor profile. If a blend is recommended for koicha, and you are just at the onset of starting to drink matcha, it is likely you will spend a lot of money on a high quality product, but won’t actually enjoy it. These are the Grassy Notes’ tiers for identifying your matcha level.

Beginner

You likely prefer matcha lattes. When drinking lattes, you do not mind the more bitter or intense blends because their flavors give more substance to the drink. Every now and then you might enjoy a thin tea matcha, but in these instances you prefer smooth and mellow flavors. You likely use a low powder to water ratio, or prefer lots of milk in your drink. If this is you, embrace it! Don’t fight the fact that you like milky tea. It will save you a lot of money and grimaces.

(moo moo or third culture) 

Intermediate

You are fairly comfortable with drinking usucha matcha. You can tolerate and maybe even enjoy the variety of bitter, umami, and vegetal notes. You may still prefer a small amount of milk with your thin tea. You might be ready to explore different blends, but a more balanced matcha is of interest to you. As an intermediate level matcha drinker, you might enjoy experimenting with robust matcha in latte preparations. This level allows for a lot of flexibility and variation in different preparation methods.

( kettl saemedori or clear spring)

Expert

An expert palette finds ease in koicha, the most potent and strong matcha preparation. Milk is not in your matcha vocabulary. Blends labeled as robust, rich, and intense are your friends. You find joy in the sweet, savory, and deeply vegetal blends. A matcha tasting of the oceanic floor is your fantasy.

(breakaway se or ippodo ummon)

S I N G L E O R I G I N S

Generally, when a brand offers single estate and single cultivar blends there is a direct relationship between the owners and matcha producers. This often means higher quality products. Also, single cultivars have distinct flavor characteristics, which you can read about online to decide if it matches your preferences. The more specific and less generic information a website shares, the higher the chances for a quality matcha.

(mizuba uji hikari or kettl asahi)

N U T R I T I O N L A B E L

This is rare to find, but if a packaging nutrition label offers the information listed below you can actually calculate the zenergy of a blend (the mellow and focused state achieved after drinking matcha).  Follow this formulation, if the answer is 2 or greater, the blend has strong stress reducing properties and will be more savory and less bitter.

(Caffeine + EGCG) / (Theanine + Arginine) < 2

(matcha haven)

The “Hit or Miss” of Buying Matcha Online

W H O A R E T H E O W N E R S

Brands do not need a “face” to provide high quality matcha (e.g. saihōji), but often the more specifics shared, the better quality products the brand offers. I’m interested to know if the owner has a relationship with the farmers? If they have ever been to Japan and how much do they know about matcha itself?

I T ‘ S A L L I N T H E D E T A I L S

Similarly, the more information a company can offer on a blend (its particular tasting notes, harvest method, and how it compares to other blends) the higher the quality of matcha. Generally, companies that offer more than one unique blend are those with greater understanding of high quality products. A brand might even have farmers customize blends just for them.

(naoki chiran or breakaway blend 97)

M I C R O F O A M

You might see pictures on the webpage or social media showing off the fluffy foam achieved by whisking matcha. Good forthability, particularly the achievement of micro-foam, is a desirable quality in matcha. However, it is not a reliable predictor for high quality matcha. Amazing matcha can have poor froth, and acrid matcha can have superb crema. It’s a hit or miss factor in determining tasty matcha. 

B U T I T ' S H E A L T H Y

Brands that exclusively focuses on the “health” properties of matcha often don’t have the best product. Studies have shown high antioxidant content in matcha, as well as a positive impact on metabolism, but these effects are not significant enough for matcha to become an actual weight loss supplement. If you are drinking matcha strictly for health benefits, the more bitter tasting matcha will actually have higher antioxidant content due to prolonged sun exposure. Some brands exploit the idea that matcha can be stress reducing because of l-theanine content. Unless a brand is showing just  how much l-theanine their particular blend contains, the claim that matcha is stress-reducing is a shot in the dark. I’ve experienced jitters with more than a handful of matcha blends. 

S O C I A L M E D I A T O L D M E T O B U Y I T

I’ve been lucky to discover some of my favorite matcha brands through the use of social media. However, there is an unseen story to this strategy: the high price of discovering unpleasant tasting matcha. Social media offers amazing photos, often edited and filtered, with hyped-up reviews. “Great matcha!” or “My new favorite!” are exciting headlines, but they often fail to tell us the information needed to evaluate matcha quality for ourselves. Be a critical thinker when reading reviews. What makes this matcha great? What are the flavors? What do they mean by umami? Just because a blend is trending on everyone’s stories, doesn’t mean you need it. Use the tricks listed above to evaluate if it is indeed a blend worth investing in.

Thank You and Good Luck!

Thank you so much for reading through these tried and tested tips and tricks. I hope it helps you find the best tasting matcha, but if you do get a rough tasting blend, a latte is usually pretty good at making most things palatable. As always, I love swapping tasting notes and hearing your recommendations!