Matcha for everyone! The 6 grades of Matcha.

There are two or six grades of Matcha. That seems like a lot but here is what you need to know.

The two main categories are Ceremonial and Culinary and culinary can be broken down further.

Ceremonial is the highest grade, made form the youngest, softest and the most delicate plant leaves. It has no stems and the leaf veins are completely removed. Stone ground, bright green and very fine texture, it is the designer option of all of the Matcha options and has a designer price tag to go with it. This isn’t accessible for everyday drinking for everyday people.

Culinary grade is broken down into a few more categories, 5 in fact. The leaves that are used get older as you go down the list. The texture, colour and cost also changes, becoming coarser, duller and more economical.

1. Premium – This is the closest to ceremonial and wonderful for everyday drinking as it is also more affordable than ceremonial. Bright in colour and fine in texture (similar to powdered sugar). This is what you want to buy if you are looking for regular drinking. It has a gentle and pleasing taste on it’s own and does not need any milks or sweeteners, though you can add them if you like. This is the grade that Matcha Nude offers and how our company started. Amelia (our owner) was looking for an everyday drinking Matcha that was affordable and found it difficult to find in Canada. Long story short, Matcha Nude was born.

2. Café – Great strong flavour and good for making Matcha lattes, smoothies and wonderful for baking. It is still quite fine in texture and bright, though less so than Premium. It is still fine enough in texture to blend well and be enjoyed in your afternoon latte or morning smoothie.

3. Ingredient – This is perfect for cooking, it is a thicker consistency but still needs a whisk to combine to prevent lumpiness in your cooking.

4. Kitchen – The most economical, this grade uses less delicate leaves, has a coarser texture and a more astringent flavor that causes a lot of people to shy away from Matcha. It is often sold in bigger amounts and used in larger scale Matcha productions. It is a great option if you want to experiment with new recipes but don’t want to waste your good drinking Matcha.

5. Classic – The most widely available grade of Matcha and the best economically. It has a strong and distinct flavour.

So Ceremonial is the best but not great for the pocket if you want to drink it everyday, which you do. We will be doing another blog post in a couple weeks about benefits that you will want to check out. Premium is the sweet spot for high grade and affordable for every day drinking and then you get into café and cooking grades, which are better for mixing with other ingredients.

Happy Matcha buying babes!