You wake up in the morning after (hopefully) at least eight hours of sleep and you stretch, working your muscles to get rid of the stiffness. You head into the kitchen, grab your breakfast, and then you pause. What are you going to drink? You need a jolt of energy to get you going, so regular tea is not an option (neither is no drinks), but coffee leaves you feeling jittery and hurts your stomach.
If you have found yourself in this situation— or, frankly, if you just want to try some tasty new beverage— matcha powder green tea is the way to go! This drink is sort of like tea, only better: its taste has a strong personality and it gives you lots of energy. It is healthy, too! But what is this mysterious matcha drink?
What Is Matcha, Exactly?
First, I’ll tell you what it is not. It isn’t a regular tea in that it comes in the form of a powder, instead of presenting as whole leaves or a teabag. Also, it’s a tea that is not harvested in the usual way.
Matcha is, essentially, the finely ground, powdered Tencha tea leaves. These are grown, during their last few weeks on the plant, covered by a cloth. The darkness means that the tea leaf will contain more chlorophyll and more amino acids (such as theanine), which will make it taste stronger and deeper.
After harvesting the leaves, producers lay them flat to dry in the shade and, afterward, take off their stems and veins. Finally, the leaves are ground with stones into a fine powder in a slow process. Only 30 grams of matcha might take hours to grind by hand!
Why You Should Totally Use Matcha Green Tea Powder?
Matcha green tea powder is versatile, tasty, and undoubtedly useful. The traditional way to drink it— the Japanese tea ceremony called Chanoyu or Sado— uses matcha tea as its focal point. It’s a great activity for those who are interested in Japanese culture and tradition, and even for those who just want a calming ritual for drinking their tea.
You will probably love the taste of matcha. It is nothing like other types of tea: intense, fresh, and sometimes grassy, matcha has a whole personality of its own. You would find it refreshing to take it with your breakfast.
You can also use it as a healthier alternative to replace coffee: as it stores the caffeine in your body for longer, matcha gives you energy without the unpredictable spikes and crashes of the darker drink. Besides being a mood booster, it is also good for supporting your immune system and promoting weight loss. An all-around winner!
Comparison of 9 Best Matcha Tea in 2022
When you are getting started in the world of matcha, it can be somewhat confusing to pick one product to commit to from among the very many that are available. That is why I have used my experience as a professional cook and a heavy tea-drinker to compile a list of the best matcha tea products. Take a look!
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Jade Leaf Matcha |
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Jade Leaf |
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Kirkland Signature |
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TEAki Hut |
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Kenko Tea |
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Enzo’s Private Selection |
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Matcha Organics |
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DoMatcha |
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Taste of Kyoto |
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Top 9 Best Matcha Tea Reviews in 2022
Now that you have all the specs for the 9 best matcha tea products, you are ready to read about the pros and cons of each. Pay close attention!
1. Jade Leaf Matcha Green Tea Powder
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Jade Leaf has created a solidly good option for culinary grade matcha. This product comes in a re-sealable bag and contains a large amount of tea. It is sourced directly from organic farms in Japan and is all-natural! Plus, it comes with a Recipe Guide! Even if you’re new to the fresh green world of matcha goodness, you would be off to a smooth start thanks to this guide.
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- One of the best options in culinary grade matcha
- Matcha Recipe Guide convenient for beginners
- The re-sealable bag is great for keeping your tea in good condition
- It tends to settle too quickly if taken by itself
2. Jade Leaf Organic Matcha Latte Mix
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If you’ve sampled a matcha latte at your favorite café and now really want to make this at home or work, this is the perfect mix for you! For that perfect café taste, just mix it with hot or cold milk of your choice. This offers a lovely, sweet taste. The sweetness comes from organic cane sugar, which is as healthy as sugar can get.
Some customers complained about an overly sweet taste. However, for a sweet-tooth like me, that’s a non-issue. Unless you are used to very low levels of sugar in your drink, you’re going to love this latte mix. Also, the texture of this latte, when made, is not quite smooth but actually grainy.
In my opinion, that’s a good thing as it gives the taste an interesting twist! Although, the only downside to this product is that it’s not a traditional matcha product and cannot be used to make pure matcha tea.
- Very similar to a café matcha latte taste
- The sweetness is perfect for a sweet-tooth
- Made from organic matcha and cane sugar
- Has an interesting grainy texture
- Can be made into hot or cold beverages
- The package contains too little product
3. Kirkland Ito En Matcha Blend Japanese Tea
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The Kirkland Ito matcha is actually not pure matcha— it is a blend of this green powder with traditional Sencha (a different type of green tea). It also has an unconventional presentation: it comes in teabags! These are 100 per package.
The fact that it comes in teabags means that it is easy to portion: you won’t be fidgeting around for exact measures. Great for time-poor folks. However, if you want absolutely pure matcha taste, you better look elsewhere!
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- Comes in handy teabags
- The mix with the Sencha is intriguing, to say the least
- Mild flavor
- If you are in it for the typical matcha experience and taste, you will not like this
4. TEAki Hut Organic Matcha Green Tea
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The TEAki Hut Organic Matcha is, as most people who have tried it say, great for increasing your metabolism and supporting weight loss. It’s my go-to matcha for adding an energy boost to my smoothies.
It is organic and non-GMO certified. This means it also has not been contaminated with harmful chemicals. Solid, healthy choice. The serving size of this package is also huge, meaning that you have matcha to last you for a while. Minimizing those grocery store trips is always a plus!
- Contains no chemicals or GMO material
- Provides a whopping fifty servings
- Organic
- The taste is too bitter and astringent
5. KENKO Matcha Green Tea Powder
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The ceremonial grade matcha produced by Kenko is soft in texture and perfect in taste— you can almost taste the pure greenness! It’s made using the best and most tender leaves of the harvest in the Japanese Nishio region. This is certified organic by the USDA. The importance of this can never be stressed enough!
The green color of this matcha is unrivaled. The best Japanese matcha green tea powder. It’s quality is apparent. When you add it to a smoothie or a latte, it froths beautifully.
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- Certified organic
- Vibrant color
- It’s super easy to get it to froth
- The taste is not as complex as with other ceremonial teas
6. Enzo’s Private Selection Matcha Green Tea
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This organic certified matcha tea by Enzo’s has a unique milky taste that makes it ideal for a good cup of matcha latte. It’s regularly tested for lead and comes with a fun recipe book with over 50 kitchen projects. It has proven that it has the best health-enhancing qualities of good matcha. Also, it tastes strong and flavorful. Although, if you like the more dainty flavored match, this might literally not be your cup of tea!
- It can help you lose weight and even improve the appearance of your skin!
- It’s strong
- Comes with a recipe book
- The flavor can turn chalky and unpleasant
7. Matcha Organics Premium Japanese Tea
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Why do most people veer towards drinking matcha? While a lot of people want a taste of this unusual type of tea, most want the health benefits. And this Matcha Organics tea provides all the anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties you could hope for. This is the highest quality Matcha derived from the first harvest (in Spring) and is classified as Ceremonial grade.
Aside from reducing stress and anxiety, this also helps to cut down fat and speed up metabolism, while enhancing energy and memory. Moreover, this best Matcha tea is fit for drinking in the traditional way, in smoothies and lattes, and you can easily integrate it into baking. You really can use it in any way you want as this Matcha powder virtually has no shortcomings.
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- Sustainably sourced from Japan
- Produced from first harvest leaves
- Very smooth tasting Matcha
- No extra additives
- Quite expensive considering the quantity
8. DoMatcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha Tea
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The authentic matcha powder by DoMatcha comes from Kagoshima, Japan, and is fully certified as organic. The company claims to use premium production methods to keep the best possible taste. And I definitely believe them! Japanese, organic matcha green tea at its best.
This tea feels great in the mouth, and there will be no lumpy surprises at the bottom of your cup. I’m very partial to the fabulous packaging — almost a good reason for purchase in itself!
- The texture is fine and uniform
- The taste is rich and intense
- The packaging is very attractive
- This matcha is a really vibrant, glowing green
- The aftertaste of this matcha can remain slightly bitter
9. TASTE OF KYOTO Matcha Green Tea
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Taste of Kyoto brings us a matcha version that uses 100% organic leaves that are selected to be sweet and deep in flavor and color. The product comes in a small 60-gram tin. It works both as a culinary and ceremonial matcha. As a drink, I really like its features: the foam is easy to create, it looks bright and nice in color, the taste is also not too bitter.
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- Good quality all-around
- The scent is subtle and heavenly
- The package is not re-sealable
The Difference Between Culinary Grade Matcha and Ceremonial Grade Matcha
All good and well, but what does “ceremonial grade” and “culinary grade” quality mean? Isn’t all matcha tasty and awesome? Well, the answer is more complicated than “yes” or “no”. While you can find the best matcha tea that tastes good all across the type spectrum, there are some fixed differences that determine grade and— yes— overall quality.
Ceremonial grade matcha is the most traditional, upscale version of the drink. It is created from the youngest and most tender leaves in the plant and, because of this, it has a delicate and sweet flavor. It is intended to drink alone, whisked with hot water until it looks foamy. Ceremonial grade matcha is ideal for those tea lovers looking for the ultimate green tea experience: it’s delicious, complex, and ritualistic.
Culinary grade matcha, on the other hand, is not meant to be drunk with water alone. It is made from the older, coarser leaves of the tree plant and has a more bitter and astringent taste. However, culinary grade matcha is perfect if you want to use the tea powder for cooking smoothies, muffins, cakes, cookies, desserts, and much more.
The Japanese Matcha Tea Ceremony
Matcha is the traditional type of tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony or chanoyu. This ritual is many hundreds of years old— the earliest records of it go back to Japan in the ninth century. Essentially, it is a very ritualized and aesthetically conscious experience.
Part of its meaning is learning to appreciate the beauty in imperfection and to be present in the “here and now”. It’s very deep stuff! If you want to develop a personal tea ceremony practice, you should buy the best matcha tea you can get. After all, it’s important to be authentic.
Other Uses for Your Matcha Green Tea Powder
Beyond its traditional uses, there are many matcha green tea recipes! You can get smoothies that combine matcha powder with yogurt, spinach, and watermelon. You can also mix your matcha with hot, foamy milk to make a latte. Also, baked goods are a good showground for this versatile green powder.
Using matcha as an addition to your cakes, cupcakes, or others will give them a sophisticated and fresh touch. If this is you, choose a culinary grade matcha product. Although you still want to pick the best of the lot for your recipes, you just don’t need it to be super fancy stuff.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Which One Is Better: Matcha Tea or Green Tea?
A: Both have so many health benefits, and if you have to choose between these two then Matcha tea wins as it provides more benefits and is considered a stronger version of Green tea. The main reason for this is that it is made when its powder is mixed in the water; it means you are experiencing the whole leaf and its elements.
Q: What Is the Right Amount of Matcha Tea You Should Drink Every Day?
A: Matcha Tea is much healthier than other beverages because it contains a high amount of Flavonoids and L-theanine, which revive the brain cells and relax the body. Although the right amount of Matcha tea to drink in a day depends upon the individual but to be on the safe side, you should drink one to two cups every day to get the advantage of the tea without risking your health.
Q: What Is the Right Time to Have Matcha Tea?
A: As Matcha tea also has caffeine just like coffee, so it is better you drink your best Matcha tea at a specific time and not too much. The best time to drink is in the morning just right before breakfast. If you want to get more health benefits from it, you can always drink it before or after an hour of every meal.
Suppose, if you are tired of all the work you have done and still it is the middle of the day; you can have a cup of Matcha tea after the meal to pick yourself up.
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Heat Up, Mix, and Enjoy!
Lots and lots of possibilities! Whether you are looking to kick your cooking game up a notch or to explore new areas of tea deliciousness, matcha tea has a lot to give.
Now that you know which the best matcha tea products are, you can get that weight loss support, great taste, and calming energy any time you want. So, pick your favorite, get some hot water ready, and enjoy your new-found matcha love! Also, if it’s not to your taste and you’d rather have more coffee in your life, we have you covered!
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