How To Assess Matcha Powder Quality & Purity (& Why It Is Super Important)

The popularity of matcha tea has recently boomed in the western world, with many health-conscious people enjoying it for both its unique and refreshing taste as well as its many science-backed health benefits.

So let’s say you’ve recently had your interest spiked and you’re looking to purchase some matcha tea. Where is the best place to get it from?

And what are some of the common mistakes you can make when buying it?

There is now an almost endless list of options when it comes to matcha brands and producers, however, there is a huge gap in quality and purity between many of these brands, and unfortunately, also safety.

In this article, we’re going to give you a full overview of how you can source the highest-quality matcha tea powder possible.

We’ll highlight the top 5 most important criteria to look at and give you the tips you need for deciding on the best matcha for you.

What Makes Good Matcha?

Before we get to some of the common mistakes people make, we’re going to explain what generally makes a good matcha tea powder.

Origin:

The first thing you’re going to want to look out for is the country of origin.

Most of the world's matcha at this point is grown in China and Japan - and generally speaking, Japan has better growing, safety and quality assurance practices. This is not to say that good quality Chinese matcha doesn’t exist- it is just harder to find.

Stone Ground:

Another aspect to look at is whether or not the matcha has been ‘stone-ground’. As you can probably reason - this means that it has been finely ground in the traditional method using grinding stones which makes for a noticeably better texture and a more delicate taste.

Colour:

High-quality ‘ceremonial grade’ matcha should have a distinct, bright green colour.

If you open up a bag of matcha and you see that it’s a darker colour - this indicates that it's likely oxidised or that it has a low chlorophyll content and is ‘culinary grade’.

Culinary-grade matcha is ideal for cooking - but does not have a good flavour or texture for making matcha tea.

It’s small details like this that can mean the difference between an authentic matcha experience and a disappointing one.

5 Mistakes People Make When Buying Matcha

1. Matcha Purity

Matcha tea has some incredible health benefits when bought from a reliable source and prepared correctly.

The problem is that some questionable producers will find ways to bulk up their packets by adding additional ‘filler’ ingredients and still market it as ‘pure matcha’.

If you’re interested in making traditional matcha tea, you’re going to need to make sure you are sourcing 100% pure matcha tea - so always check the ingredients list and fine print carefully before committing to a purchase.

There is one additive that is worse than others, but we’ll go into that in more detail in the next section.

2. Matcha With Added Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is a common additive in many low-quality matcha tea products & often it will be the only other ingredient.

It is usually used as a thickening agent, or filler to increase the volume of anything it’s added to.

It’s one of the common ingredients you’ll find added to all manner of processed deserts and as a result, is something you should probably stay away from if you’re looking to drink matcha for its health benefits.

Like other carbohydrates or sugar, maltodextrin is notorious for causing spikes in blood sugar.

It’s particularly problematic for those who are on a weight loss diet or those who suffer from diabetes.

It’s perfectly healthy to drink a few cups of pure matcha tea per day, but if you’re also consuming maltodextrin then they’re likely to be a lot more taxing on your body.

3. Non-Certified Matcha

If you’re buying matcha of any kind - you’re going to want to make sure that it's certified and 3rd party tested.

If you’re buying Japanese matcha - look for the logo of the Japanese Agricultural Standard (often abbreviated as JAS) and you’ll know that it has been officially certified and tested for honest production and/or processing.

That’s not to say you can only buy matcha from Japanese sources, but there are products from other parts of the world where production is not so heavily monitored and has been known to contain nasty contaminants.

For example, a lot of blends produced in China are going to have dubious production histories and should be avoided–this is because production methods are not as heavily regulated in this part of the world.

4. Lead-Contaminated Matcha

Unfortunately, buying non-certified matcha can also leave you with blends that have excessive levels of heavy metals such as lead.

Lead is not something you ever want to consume in large amounts, and there are a lot of problems around the world with lead contaminating various forms of green tea.

Because Matcha is made from an entire leaf and then ground into a fine powder, you’re going to need to be careful about matcha that is contaminated with lead as it is concentrated and there is no way to avoid consuming it.

To keep yourself safe, it’s best to stick to certified matcha brands that are monitored and tested for lead levels - and show transparent results from 3rd party organisations.

5. Ceremonial vs Culinary

Matcha tea has a rich history in Japan and China where it was often used for traditional tea ceremonies.

The grade of matcha powder used for matcha tea is called ‘ceremonial’ and anything less than this is called ‘culinary’

Both products should only ever contain 100% stone-ground green tea leaves, however, the flavour of both products is vastly different.

Ceremonial grade matcha uses only the youngest and freshest shade-grown tea leaves with the stems and veins removed to produce a vibrant green powder that is smooth and refreshing.

Culinary-grade matcha still uses young green tea leaves - but often from the second or third harvest. It often contains the stems and veins still, and less chlorophyll. It generally has a more bitter and astringent flavour profile - perfect for cooking but not so great straight up as a tea.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! That was our short guide into what makes a quality matcha powder and how you can ensure you’re sourcing the best varieties you can.

Just remember that more expensive does not necessarily mean more authentic, and the most important thing you can do is keep a close eye on the ingredients list, testing certifications, colour and the country of origin.

We hope that this guide has helped you to understand the importance of checking the matcha blend you’re looking for before buying and that you now feel more confident about the whole process.

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