How do I tell good Matcha from bad?
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the popularity of Matcha has increased worldwide and has long been promoted as a true health booster. A drink traditionally made in Japan that is certainly a better alternative to coffee.
But Matcha isn't always Matcha. Today, many companies are trying to capitalize off the Matcha phenomenon, often offering tea blends rather than pure Matcha powder to remain competitive. As a result, the quality and taste of the product often suffer. This can quickly be unmanageable for us consumers, which is why we are collecting the most important facts here.
What actually is Matcha?
Matcha is green tea in its purest form. Its special characteristics, such as the striking green color, are a result of the traditional production method. The best Matcha is from Japan, where it has been cultivated for centuries and is part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
How is Matcha different from regular green tea?
When we drink Matcha, we are consuming the whole green Tencha tea leaves. As a result, we provide our body with all the nutrients contained in tea (amino acids, minerals, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants). When you prepare regular tea and simply brew it in hot water, as it's the case with green tea, only 10-20% of these components (depending on the type of tea) enter the body, because most of the substances are not soluble. Here the benefits of Matcha are explained more detailed.
So how do you recognize good Matcha?
- Origin: Authentic Matcha is always from Japan.
- A good quality Matcha impresses with its almost neon green colour.
- The powder is smooth and silky.
- An average Matcha has the tendency to have a slightly yellowish color and is often grainy.
- Taste: A good Matcha has a slightly sweet and soft flavor. If it tastes too bitter, this is a sign for a mixed product.
- Price: There is no such thing as cheap Matcha! Low prices are a safe indicator for bad quality.
- Organic Quality: Since the whole tea leaves are used to make Matcha powder, it’s extremely important to consume a product with an organic certification.
- Some brands mention on their packaging that their product is a tea blend. This can by no means be pure Matcha.
- Vietnam or China are not authentic locations for Matcha tea.
With these indicators, a high-quality Matcha can be recognized very quickly and easily. This saves you time trying a possibly rather inferior product.
You can find a Matcha in premium quality, sustainably produced and certified organic in our shop. Traditionally, Matcha is consumed as a warm tea beverage. Nowadays there certainly isn't a lack of creative ways to use the powder.
Matcha also goes well with various sweets such as cookies, donuts or cakes. Matcha recipe ideas can be found here in the Health Bar App.
My recommendation: Matcha latte in combination with our vegan donuts with matcha chocolate topping. The duo is unbeatable.
Get inspired and give it a try!