The green tea plant, called Camilia sinsnus, is like a sponge and strongly absorbs everything in its environment. This, combined with the fact that with matcha you consume...
The green tea plant, called Camassia sinsnus, is like a sponge and absorbs a lot of everything in its surroundings. This, combined with the fact that with matcha you consume the entire leaf, makes it essential to drink high-quality matcha. So, how do you know if you are consuming the best quality matcha?
Here are 5 ways to tell:
1. Soluble
This means you know that the stems and veins have been removed from the tea leaf and that you are consuming a product of the highest quality. In fact, matcha particles should be about 5 microns in size, similar to talcum powder. Compare that to a human hair, which is about 75 microns thick, and you'll understand how fine good quality matcha is. It should be soluble in both cold and hot water and should dissolve without clumps in a water bottle after shaking it for about 15 seconds. When matcha is this fine, you know that the stems and veins have been removed and that you are drinking the best part of the green tea leaf. Lower quality matcha needs to be whisked in a bowl to remove clumps before it can be consumed, and this prevents most people from enjoying matcha outside the home. Nobody wants to whisk matcha at the gym or at work!
2. Taste
Loose leaf green tea tastes bitter. The same goes for most matcha products, many of which contain added sugar or artificial sweeteners to mask the bitterness. The best quality matcha has a smooth, sweet, non-bitter taste, with no need for additives to mask it. It has all the flavor of green tea without the downsides. Even kids will love it!
3. Grade
It's easy to tell good matcha from bad once you've opened the package. However, unless you have the opportunity to taste it before buying, you'll probably have to rely solely on the information on the package. In this case, it's always advisable to choose organic "ceremonial grade" matcha. There are lower grades of matcha, such as culinary grade, which are much cheaper and lumpier. These are great for saving money when cooking in large quantities, but ceremonial grade matcha will always taste better. If the package doesn't indicate the grade, it's most likely a lower grade and should cost much less.
4. Sourcing
The best matcha needs no additives. It is made from young tencha leaves, which are naturally sweeter and have a delicate fruity flavor. Tencha leaves must be shade-grown to increase their chlorophyll and antioxidant content, before undergoing a rigorous refining process to ensure the highest quality and best-tasting matcha is produced. It must be 100% organic and tested for heavy metals and radiation.
5. Color
Fully certified organic matcha powders often don't have the vibrant green that high-quality non-organic matcha can have, and are often slightly duller. This is due to the fertilizers used during the shade-growing of the tea leaves. Since matcha doesn't get its energy from the sun, additional fertilizer is given to produce the high levels of chlorophyll, which enhances its natural sweetness and gives it its incredible jade green color. Certified organic fertilizers do not provide the same amount of energy and nutrients that a non-organic fertilizer can provide.
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