Best Ceremonial Grade Matcha (After Testing Hundreds)

Looking for the best ceremonial grade matcha? You’ve come to the right place! After testing hundreds of different kinds of matcha powder, we’ve come up with a list of our 5 favorites based on price, flavor and health benefits!

Let’s go through a list of the top 5 best ceremonial matcha and see why each one made the cut!

#1 Matcha Washimine - Best Matcha Overall

Right at the top of our list we have the Washimine Ceremonial Matcha Tea. This matcha is produced by the Nakai family, who has been proudly growing green tea without the use of chemicals for generations.

What makes the washimine unique is how smooth the texture and flavor is. There is absolutely no bitterness in this tea, it’s almost like you’re drinking a glass of milk!

#2 Noike Matcha - Best Matcha for the Price

I know what you’re thinking, these high quality matchas sure are expensive! This is where the Okumidori Matcha Noike comes in. Because it's made from the less bitter okumidori variety, it has the smooth flavor of a premium matcha, but for a fraction of the price.

It’s made by the talented farmer Mr. Noike and its grown on a small plot of land surrounding by a pinewood forest. These tall trees provide the tea with natural shading throughout the day, so the tea plants actually develop less bitterness.

#3 Matcha Koiai - Matcha with the most “Umami”

The Gokou Matcha Koiai has an attribute that is celebrated by matcha enthusiasts and that is “umami”. This word translates to “savory” and it is typically found in food dishes like soups and meats.

This unique flavor can actually find its way into tea if the leaves have a strong amino acid profile. The gokou tea variety is known for producing the most of this savory or “umami” flavor and the matcha koiai is a great example of that. 

#4 Kyoto Matcha Masudaen - Best Kyoto Matcha

The Kyoto Matcha Masudaen is grown in the area of Kyoto, which has a long and storied history when it comes to the production of matcha tea. This matcha is one of the latest in a long line of incredible Kyoto matcha teas, and it certainly lives up to the lofty expectations of the region.

What’s even better is that this legendary matcha comes with an affordable price tag. It comes from a small farm run by Mr. Masuda in the Japanese countryside. 

#5 Henta Matcha - Best Sweet Matcha

The Saemidori Matcha Henta is made to have a lighter and sweeter taste to it. It’s made from the Saemidori cultivar, a tea plant variety that is known for its lighter and sweeter flavor.

Mr. Henta is a master at using these tea plant varieties to produce unique flavors, and this tea is a testament to all of his hard work!

Another benefit to the saemidori cultivar is that it actually has a higher caffeine content compared to the more common Yabukita. If you want to learn more about the caffeine in matcha, you may find this guide very helpful: Does Matcha Have Caffeine?

Best Ceremonial Grade Matcha Sampler

If you still can’t make up your mind and want to find your own ceremonial grade matcha, we would highly recommend you try the Matcha Tea Sampler 21 Pack with Matcha Whisk and Matcha Bowl. 

This sampler not only lets you try 21 different kinds of matcha and find your favorite, but it also gives you all the tools you need to prepare the perfect bowl of matcha tea. These matcha sets really make a difference when it comes to getting the right flavor and consistency in your tea.

What makes a matcha the best?

Now that we’ve given you the list of the top ceremonial grade matchas, let’s talk about the criteria you can use to evaluate the quality of a matcha. 

By the way, before you buy a matcha, you may want to learn more about. There is a perfect article that can teach you everything you need to know about matcha in 5 minutes, and you can find it here: What is Matcha

Taste

The only true way to tell the quality of a matcha is by tasting it. A good quality matcha should have a rich smooth flavor with little to no bitterness.

Some high quality matcha can also have a complex variety of flavors, like steamed vegetables, oatmilk and even white chocolate. 

Interested in learning more about what matcha can taste like? There is a full guide that covers the intricate taste profiles of matcha tea, and you can find it here: What does Matcha Taste Like

Texture

In addition to having a smooth taste, the texture of a ceremonial grade matcha should be smooth as well. It should coat and soothe the palate as you drink it.

Color

The high quality matchas tend to have a vibrant green color to them. This will be the first thing you notice when you compare premium matcha to the dull, yellowish green low quality matchas. 

Health Benefits

If a high quality matcha is produced with care and attention to detail, it will also be rich in health benefits. 

These premium matcha teas will have a higher theanine content, giving you a longer lasting, calm alert feeling that lasts throughout the day.

How to make the Best Matcha

If you want to make the best ceremonial grade matcha, you need to have the right tools! One of the most important tools when it comes to making matcha is the bamboo matcha whisk, which creates a light, airy foam on top of the matcha.

How is the bamboo whisk made?

The bamboo matcha whisk, also called a “chasen” or “tea whisk” is carefully carved out of a single piece of bamboo. It can have as many as 100 thin bristles that move through the water and aerate the tea.

How the whisk makes the matcha better

The foam that chasen matcha whisks produce is not just for looks, it also adds a light and airy consistency to the tea. This foam makes the drink taste smooth and creamy, almost like a latte, but without milk or sugar. 

You may also want to invest in a chawan matcha bowl. This bowl is handmade out of thick clay to keep the matcha warm and it has a more cylindrical design that makes it easier to whisk the matcha without spilling.

How to use the bamboo tea whisk

During the tea ceremony, the tea masters whisk the bamboo carefully in a zigzag motion using their wrist. The goal is to keep the body and arm steady and keep the movements graceful and serene.

If you want to learn how to whisk tea like a Japanese tea master, you may want to check out this article: How to Use a Matcha Whisk