Where do you buy your matcha green tea? Whether you're buying it online or offline, do you know if you're getting a good or bad one? This vibrant green tea powder comes from Uji, Kyoto Japan. It is famous for being delicious and a house of goodness. With all its benefits we should know if what we're buying is well worth our every penny. That is why I want you to know these 5 things before you ever buy your matcha online or offline.
1. Grades- Know the two grades of matcha.
A. Ceremonial Grade -Japanese tea ceremonies uses only the highest quality of matcha. Farmers chose the youngest of the tea leaves. They then remove the stems and veins to achieve a smooth and rich flavor. This grade can be expensive but is very well worth every cent you spend.
B. Cooking Grade Matcha- Be careful, this is often disguised as ceremonial grade matcha. This is often more bitter and rough in texture. This is only advisable to use for culinary use. It usually requires a large amount of sugar (33x) to balance the bitterness.
2. Authenticity- Check the label, it should be from Japan, particularly in Uji, Kyoto, Japan. That's where authentic and premium high-quality matcha comes from. If it's from anywhere else, you might be buying one that contains even harmful chemicals. This is why it's better to buy matcha online, you want to be sure that your matcha is from Japan. But buying online or offline, you need to be extra keen on details or you might end up buying cooking grade matcha.
3. Date of Harvest- You should know that the older the matcha, the more it has lost on its beneficial prowess. To preserve the benefits of the matcha make sure to keep it in airtight storage.
4. Know Where You Should Buy- I say this is important. Buy your matcha from a reputable seller. I say you buy it from a direct seller: like a tea shop or go to a seller's website and buy from there. See the dedication that the seller puts into providing quality, ceremonial grade matcha.
5. Look Out For The Price- It's an investment to buy ceremonial grade matcha but you still need to check the pricing. If it's too cheap that could mean then it is low grade and may not even contain a real matcha powder. If it is too pricey it could mean an unreliable seller who is only after profit.
If you like to drink your matcha as a latte in the morning or tea in the evening, you want to get the best you can get from it. So when you buy your matcha, keep in mind these guidelines that will save from wasting your money on bad matcha. After all, we're all matcha lovers who want better things in life.