Good Vs Bad Matcha
You’re not getting the most out of your Matcha. Here is why…
Contrary to popular belief, Culinary (aka Cooking) grade matcha should NOT be used in drinks... but we will get to that later.
Most people are drinking bad Matcha, and don’t even know it. I applaud those who drink bad matcha and still love it.
I struggled with finding good Matcha in the beginning. Everywhere I went to buy Matcha, it smelled amazing, but was a murky green color and tasted like shit (excuse my french).
I didn’t quit and eventually found out why the Japanese love Matcha. Good quality Matcha is amazing!
Matcha comes in all grades and can come from anywhere that has a green tea farm. Real, authentic, and truly delicious Matcha comes from Japan.
Just take a look for yourself.
Traditional Matcha 
Matcha Latte
Bad Matcha Latte - Brownish Green Color
Good Latte - Vibrant rich green color
What should you expect from Good and Bad Matcha?
Good Matcha is green, smells earthy and inviting, and tastes smooth and vegetal. It tastes great on its own, in a Latte and even sprinkled on ice cream if you want to take it to the next level. Good Matcha is a bit more expensive but well worth it.
Bad Matcha is swampy green, smells light and earthy, is really bitter and tastes like dirt. Bad Matcha is typically either expired Matcha, Chinese matcha or confectionary (Culinary/Cooking) Matcha. My frustration started when I realized some “Ceremonial Grade” Matcha I bought was really cooking Matcha disguised in a beautiful package and description.
A quick note about cooking Matcha –
Some people think you are supposed to use cooking Matcha for shakes and smoothies. STOP RIGHT NOW!
Cooking Matcha is meant for exactly that… Cooking. It’s only tolerable when you add lots of sugar (almost 33X more sugar than Matcha per serving just to fix it!).
How can you tell if it’s good or bad Matcha when you're in the store?
1) Is it Ceremonial grade? Good Matcha is a Ceremonial Grade Matcha. This means this Matcha is considered worthy to be used in the Japanese tea ceremony. The Japanese take their tea very seriously, so this is a good thing to notice right away.
2) Where is it made? Good authentic Matcha comes from Japan. Anywhere else is bad Matcha and may even contain harmful chemicals such as lead.
3) Is it expired? Check the expiration date, you would be surprised... If it’s expired, then It will taste horrid. *You can use expired Matcha as cooking Matcha.
Matcha is better bought online. Store brand Matcha is easily deceiving and most, if not all Matcha I ever bought in a store, was always bad Matcha.
Take one more, good look at some good Matcha!
