If you’re a tea lover, you may be familiar with matcha. Matcha is a green tea powder (with all the fantastic health benefits of green tea) made from the camellia Sinensis plant that gets fully absorbed by the water instead of just being steeped in it like leaves. The powder is the result of a special growing and grinding process which is used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. These days, you can also find it in cocktails and lattes, as well as in food. Powder used for tea is called ceremonial matcha, whereas powder used for food is called culinary matcha. Are you intrigued? Whether you’re new to matcha or a long-time fan, you probably want to know where to get the good stuff. Therefore, StudyFinds did some research to get you “all the tea” on the best matcha powders.
As mentioned earlier, matcha is a type of green tea and is oh so good for you! It contains antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and antiviral compounds. Studies show that a daily cup may improve brain function and support weight loss. Not only that, recent research suggests green tea could even hold the key to beating cancer! According to researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, green tea may switch on a gene called p53, which blocks the development of tumors.
In addition to doing so figuratively, green tea can literally save your skin as well. The report “Protective Mechanisms of Green Tea Polyphenols in Skin” published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity states that “GTPPs (green tea polyphenols) have important antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and photoprotective functions. Their ability to modulate critical biochemical functions through topical and oral formulations makes GTPPs a promising candidate for chemoprevention and treatment of disease” — meaning it can help protect you from harmful UV rays and thereby prevent sunburn and skin cancer.
Great reasons to try matcha, but maybe you don’t even need additional motivation? Whether you drink matcha for your health or just because you like it, take a look at our list below. StudyFinds reviewed ten expert websites to find the top five best matcha powders for you to try. Do you have any products to add? Please let us know in the comments!
The List: Best Matcha Powders, According to Tea Lovers
1. Ippodo Ummon Matcha
If your budget allows it, definitely try this high-end, authentic matcha powder. First off, Ippodo is the superstar of matcha tea brands. According to Organic Beaty Lover: “For the most authentic and highest quality matcha powder, try Ippodo Tea…Located in the heart of Kyoto, Ippodo Tea has been providing the highest quality Japanese green tea for nearly 3 centuries. […] Ippodo’s tea is mainly grown in the hills between the Uji and Kizu River basins […] This region is renowned for producing the highest grade of green tea in Japan, thanks largely to its mild misty climate, mineral-rich soil, and near-perfect balance of sunshine and rainfall.”
The tea experts especially endorse Ippodo’s Ummon matcha powder, since “this matcha powder, Ummon-no-mukashi, is the highest grade that [the company] offers. The vivid green color will strike you as soon as you open the lid, and once it’s brewed, expect a rich umami taste with an undertone of sweetness. Available in jars of 20 and 40 grams, it’s best enjoyed as usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea), though some customers mix the powder with milk for lattes,” explains The Spruce.
Because of its quality and price tag, this matcha powder makes a great gift for tea lovers, claims Food & Wine: “If you’re looking for matcha to gift to a loved one (or an indulgence for yourself), consider this Ummon matcha powder from Ippodo. It’s earthy, smooth on the palate, and complex with an umami flavor. This powder tastes best whisked with water until a frothy, thick consistency is reached, though it also works well sweetened or in a latte.”
2. Encha Matcha (Ceremonial Grade)
Another high-end powder is Encha matcha, particularly its ceremonial grade powder. “Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Tea is sourced from Uji, Japan and is a premium first harvest Matcha which is also USDA Organic Certified,” tells MatchaSecrets.
The company’s backstory, along with Matchaconnection‘s review, inspires additional confidence in the powder’s quality. “Encha Matcha was founded by Dr. Li Gong and is focused on the process of bringing Japanese Organic Matcha from the farm to cup. This process has resulted in complete control over the matcha and possibly the best brands of matcha powder that we have tried yet!”
If you like matcha lattes, Food & Wine claims you won’t go wrong with Encha: “The best matcha powder for lattes is a ceremonial-grade option that’s delicate enough in flavor to lack any astringent notes, yet potent enough to stand up against milk or sweeteners. This organic, stone-ground powder is harvested from Uji-grown tea leaves and has a mild, slightly bittersweet, nutty, and super smooth flavor. The bold green hue won’t lose its luster when blended with milk or creamer, and it produces a luxurious froth when whisked.”
3. Jade Leaf Organic Culinary Grade Matcha
You can drink matcha, but you can also eat it. Jade Leaf is the experts’ favorite option for culinary matcha powder. “Its Organic Culinary Matcha is a top pick for cooking,” says food expert Serious Eats. “It’s super affordable, too.”
“This culinary-grade powder is a perfect ingredient for healthy matcha treats,” agrees the Miami Herald. “The flavor is rich and vibrant and will leave a delicious aftertaste in your mouth every time. Manufactured under quality control measures, this matcha powder comes in an air-tight pouch which prevents oxidation from air and UV light. This provides a distinctive color and flavor to lattes, smoothies, and baked goods.”
Food & Wine even refers to this powder as the “best culinary” since “unlike other culinary-grade powders, which may have a lingering metallic or bitter aftertaste, this organic matcha powder tastes much closer to ceremonial quality. Its light yet earthy flavors are distinctive enough to stand out in any baked good. This bag will last 15 or more servings, depending on your serving size.”
4. Jade Leaf Organic Ceremonial Matcha
While Jade Leaf’s culinary powder got more recommendations, its ceremonial powder is worth mentioning as well. For The Strategist, this is the “best less expensive matcha powder for drinks.” They quote Asia Lui Chapa, author of “The Home Cafe” on its flavor — “It’s sweet, it’s balanced, and it has that vegetal quality” — and report that this “balance allows her to use it in many drinks, whether that’s straight with water in its purest form, whisked into lattes, combined with tonic water, added to smoothies, or even in a cocktail.”
Does less expensive mean less quality? It does not, per Organic Beauty Lover. This is “100% USDQ certified organic matcha” that’s “produced by the Kizuna Tea Collective, a thriving network of family-run tea farms across Japan’s premiere growing regions, who have been cultivating high quality matcha and supplying Japan’s domestic market since 1858.”
While its product is grown on traditional tea farms, Jade Leaf Matcha the company is relatively new. “Jade Leaf Matcha was started in 2014 by two guys that loved matcha and found it difficult to buy high quality matcha at reasonable prices. They set out to change all of that and Jade Leaf Matcha was formed,” mentions Matchaconnection and shares: “One of our favorite things about Jade Leaf matcha is that they test their matcha and publish the results, so you always know exactly what you are getting. Jade Leaf is also one of our favorite powders for matcha lattes!”
5. Golde Pure Matcha
Just like a low(er) price doesn’t equal low quality on this list, fewer recommendations don’t mean you should pass on a product. Gold Pure Matcha has the fewest recommendations of all the powders on this list but still receives high praise. For instance, it’s “made with 100% pure, shade-grown green tea leaves from Uji, Japan” and is “certified organic,” writes Organic Beauty Lover.
Food & Wine actually picked this powder as “best overall” stating that “the powder is a striking, vibrant green color with round, buttery, slightly grassy flavor notes, and some natural sweetness. This versatile matcha powder tastes great whisked in its traditional form or blended into a frappe […].”
And Serious Eats claims that “this simple, elegant ceremonial-grade matcha powder is a fantastic all-rounder […] Grown in the Uji Province of Japan, it is everything we like in a good matcha: delicately earthy and grassy, buttery, and with a hint of sweetness. […] You can’t go wrong with Golde’s ceremonial tea, which is a great option for daily matcha drinks, either iced or hot.”
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Sources:
- Food & Wine
- Serious Eats
- The Strategist
- The Spruce
- Forbes
- Matchaconnection
- Organic Beauty Lover
- Miami Herald
- The Cup of Life
- MatchaSecrets
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.
No mention of Tenzo Matcha, awesome especially when blended with Everyday Dose Mushroom Latte.