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If you've ever considered buying and preparing matcha powder at home, you've probably realized that not all matcha powders are created equal – and this is intentional! There are actually a range of different types of matcha green tea powders available.

All the different grades of matcha have varying flavor profiles, colors, textures, and uses. Learning and familiarizing yourself with the different grades of matcha and their unique properties will help you find the best match(a), depending on how you plan to enjoy and use it.

The Different Grades of Matcha Green Tea Powder

There are three main grades of matcha: 4A-5A Grade (Ceremonial Grade), 3A Grade (Daily/Premium Grade), and A-2A Grade (Culinary Grade). Matcha green tea powder is placed into one of these three categories based on where the green tea plants are grown, how they are cultivated, the tea leaves' harvest period (or season), and the manufacturing process.

These factors, in turn, impact the color, texture, nutritional composition, taste, ultimate use, and the overall quality of the green tea powder produced. The three primary grades of matcha can also be further separated into more specific categories such as organic ceremonial matcha, premium daily sipping matcha, cafe barista matcha, chef's choice matcha, and food ingredient grade matcha.

4A-5A Grade Matcha - Ceremonial Grade

4A-5A Grade Matcha, hand-picked and made from the youngest first-harvest green tea leaves, is considered the highest quality matcha available. It is the grade of matcha chosen for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. The Mesh Size should be at least 800-1000M.

4A-5A Grade Ceremonial Matcha is delicately stone-ground into a fine powder, boasting a vibrant emerald green color, a fresh, sweet, earthy smell, a silky smooth texture, and a complex vegetal sweetness that leaves a creamy, delicate aftertaste on the tongue.

It also has a noticeably deeper shade of green compared to the other two grades of matcha due to its exceptionally high chlorophyll content. 4A-5A Grade Matcha also has the highest amount of L-theanine, a unique amino acid that brings out the "Umami" flavor and promotes a "calming alertness," allowing you to find harmony while savoring your tea.

When it comes to enjoying this ceremonial-grade matcha, it is often reserved for sipping in its purest form – whisked in a bowl with water without additional sweeteners or milk, then slowly savored from a teacup.

Some people also find that this high-grade matcha is wonderful to use in their matcha latte recipes. It can also be used for baking, but proceed with caution – its gentle and delicate flavor profile can be lost and underwhelming in recipes. It is often the priciest matcha, so it doesn't usually make for the ideal bulk baking or cooking ingredient.

3A Grade Matcha - Daily/Premium Grade

3A Grade Matcha, also known as premium or traditional grade matcha, is not too sweet or bitter — falling right between ceremonial and culinary matcha as the second highest quality grade of matcha powder. Its Mesh Size is generally around 500-800M.

It often has a richly balanced taste, a clean and crisp aroma, a smooth texture, and a luminous, joyful green color. It can be enjoyed on its own and pairs beautifully with milk, water, and sweeteners — making this grade of matcha an ideal choice for those looking for a dynamic matcha powder that can be prepared in various ways. It's also great for matcha newcomers.

It's often made from a combination of the first and second harvest or just the second harvest of young green tea leaves, giving it a slightly bolder taste than 4A-5A Grade Matcha. This makes it a favorite choice for matcha lattes, cocktails, and other beverage recipes.

It's also an excellent choice to enjoy 2-3 times a day since it's less expensive than ceremonial grade matcha, has a lower caffeine content, and still packs incredible flavor and supportive health benefits.

A-2A Grade Matcha - Culinary Grade

A-2A Grade Matcha, also often known as cooking grade matcha, kitchen, or chef's choice matcha, is intended to be used as an ingredient in cooking, beverages, baking, and supplements. It often has a savory edge and a robust flavor profile. Its Mesh Size generally ranges between 100-500M.

As the third highest quality matcha grade, A-2A Grade Matcha is a perfect choice for sweet and savory matcha recipes.

It often comes from older green tea leaves than those chosen for ceremonial or daily matcha – often from the second, third, or even fourth harvest. This means the young green tea leaves used to make A-2A Grade Matcha are exposed to more sunlight, which boosts the catechins' levels. The higher amount of catechins in culinary matcha impacts its flavor profile, giving it a more astringent, bold flavor with a bitter aftertaste and less sugary-sweet essence that shines through beautifully in baking and cooking.

You may notice your A-2A Grade Matcha is not a vibrant, bright green color like your 3A Grade or 4A-5A Grade Matcha – instead, it takes on a more subdued shade of green.

Because its processing is relatively rough, this gives it a larger particle size, resulting in a grainier, gritty texture that pairs well with recipes.

There is a common misconception that A-2A Grade Matcha is a low-grade form of matcha – but that's not actually true. It's specifically cultivated, harvested, and prepared for cooking and baking.

How to Assess the Quality of Your Matcha Powder?

To assess the quality of your matcha, you can use the finger test. Put a little matcha powder on a piece of white paper and then press your finger into it, proceeding to press, drag, and draw a line with it using your finger. Higher quality grades of matcha will be smoother and create a more solid, longer line than lower grade matcha.

You can directly watch the finger test performed by Matcha.com here, which will help you understand it better.

Which Grade of Matcha is Better for Your Health?

All three grades of matcha have a similar baseline nutrient profile, though 4A-5A Grade Matcha – produced from first-harvest leaves – has a much higher amount of L-theanine and caffeine. Meanwhile, 3A Grade and A-2A Grade Matcha – made from later harvest leaves – are often the highest in antioxidants and catechins.

How to Choose Which Matcha Grade is Best for You?

To know what matcha tea or different green tea powder you should buy, asking yourself a few questions can be helpful. For example, do you plan on drinking a traditional cup of Japanese matcha tea every morning as a daily ritual? Do you enjoy matcha lattes and adding a sweetener to your caffeine or energy beverage?

Do you plan to experiment in the kitchen by adding matcha to different baking recipes or your morning smoothies? Or maybe you plan on doing all of the above and more with your matcha powder!

The Bottom Line

We want to leave you with one final disclaimer regarding different grades of matcha: There is so much more to consider when assessing the grade and quality of matcha than just color. Much like grapes cultivated for different types of wine, matcha green tea powder has a range of quality levels, each accompanied by a corresponding scope of prices.

Instead, the quality of matcha hinges on several factors we've touched on, such as its place of origin, cultivation methods, harvest timing, and processing techniques. Also, remember that the classification of matcha grades varies from brand to brand.

At Laicuherb, we take immense pride in making high-quality matcha available around the globe that spans various grades, including our later harvest selections. All of our matcha comes from traditional organic tea gardens in China and is sourced in accordance with the highest standards of organic procurement.

Now it's time to browse the options and try different grades and types of matcha you think will work best for you!

To learn more about our AAA Grade Matcha Powder, please Contact Us at hello@laicuherb.com, or visit our official website at laicuherb.com. Let Laicuherb be your partner on your wellness journey!