How to buy matcha powder ( and not get ripped off )

One of the most daunting things when taking the leap and trying something new, like having to go out and buy matcha powder, is the unknown. There are so many variables to take into account when looking to buy matcha tea powder- how much should it cost? How do I know if I’m getting ripped off? How do I know if it’s good quality? What kind or brand should I use? Here are our top tips to buy matcha powder and make sure that you get the most out of it (and not get ripped off).

1. Figure out what you are using it for

Sometimes getting ripped off is not actually because of the store or the shop but because you probably didn’t do the preparation needed before going out to buy matcha powder. Knowing exactly what you want to use the matcha for will determine the grade of matcha that you need. It’s a bit like a car- a formula 1 race car driver wouldn’t buy the latest hatchback city car to race in, and the average city slicker wouldn’t go off and buy a formula 1 race car to get to work every day. Thinking about what you need the matcha for and in what way you wanted to use it could save you a lot of money!

The easiest way to figure it out is to simply choose of the following

a) I will ONLY be using it to have matcha tea (matcha with hot water)

b) I will we drinking it, sometimes as a tea or sometimes as a latte or sometimes in smoothies, AND in some cooking.

c) I will ONLY be cooking with it.

2. Decide what grade you need

If you chose ‘strictly straight up matcha tea (matcha powder and hot water)’, you’re best going with ceremonial grade matcha. This is the highest grade of matcha that is used mainly only for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. We like to preserve ceremonial matcha for it’s traditional purposes! Ceremonial grade is the most expensive so if you don’t need it, we would say to save your coins!

If you chose ‘drinking as a tea, latte, smoothie AND also cooking’, you’re best to go with a premium grade. This grade not exactly ceremonial grade but also not cooking grade, it’s an in between, meaning that you get very high quality matcha to be able to drink but also not so high that you probably should save it and not cook with it! It’s our favourite grade! Premium grade, is the most affordable, given it’s attention still to quality.

If you chose ‘mainly just cooking and baking’, you’re best to go with cooking grade. It’s the lowest of the 3 but that’s not to say that you won’t get the nutritional benefits from matcha anyway. It’s a great way to hide matcha in baking goods as well as use it as a beautiful natural colouring! Cooking grade will always be the cheapest

3. Key things to look out for

Japanese: before you start looking for grades we would highly recommend to look for where the matcha is sourced! The best matcha is and will always be from Japan, where the traditional process of using a stone grinder is used and tea farming and harvesting is done very carefully. Other matcha that is cheaper might be sourced from China or Taiwan.

Organic: just like a lot of fresh produce or greens having choosing to buy organic matcha will always be a better option. It may be a little bit pricier but worth it for the peace of mind and added health benefits!

Pure matcha: you don’t want to go home to find that the matcha you have bought, although Japanese and organic, is actually a blend of matcha, sugar and other fillers. Sure it might be cheaper, but it’s cheaper for a reason. Try choosing a 100% pure matcha without a sweetener or any other artificial colours and flavours- this way you’re actually getting the full nutritional benefits of matcha and the pure matcha taste!

Our Matcha Maiden matcha is 100% pure green tea powder from Japan. It’s organic and PREMIUM GRADE! Get yours now www.matchamaiden.com

We get it. With all the new health revelations coming through in the last decade, trying to understand what most of them are and what they do seems like a daunting task. Does it even taste good? Is it even going to help me?