What is ceremonial grade matcha?
This article is written by Seiya H.
No matter how skilled one is at whisking or brewing tea, it is difficult to enjoy it if the quality of the tea itself is not consistent.
In the case of matcha, lower-quality matcha (mainly harvested after summer) is often used for confectionery (though it may also be sold as tea ceremony-grade). The matcha we use for tea ceremony purposes is always made from the first harvest of tea leaves (typically from May to early June).
At this point, there is no official standard that defines what level of matcha can be called ceremonial grade, so the matcha sold as ceremonial grade can vary between shops. When you visit a tea shop in Kyoto, most matcha is blended in-house, and some products may contain a mix of first and second harvest matcha.
For tea ceremony grade matcha, it is sometimes labeled as "for usucha" (thin tea) or "for koicha" (thick tea), but both are sold as tea ceremony grade at those stores. The matcha for koicha is considered the highest grade. Additionally, most matcha blends have specific names such as:
- ○○ no Shiro (for usucha)
- ○○ no Mukashi (for koicha)
These names often appear on the packaging. Depending on the shop, blends that are favored by tea masters may be sold as "Gokemoto-gonomi" (favored by the tea master) and are typically high-quality, luxury matcha that are popular at tea ceremonies. When I attended tea ceremony school, I enjoyed the matcha blends favored by various tea masters from different shops.
During a tea ceremony, there is a moment when guests may ask the host about the matcha. The name of the matcha is referred to as ocha-mei (tea name), and the shop is called otsume (the tea store).
As mentioned, if the tea is labeled with the names above, it is usually an indicator of good matcha. However, if the labeling is not present, you might need to taste it to determine its quality. Even if you purchase good matcha, its quality can deteriorate if exposed to oxygen, heat, or light, so proper storage to avoid these elements will help maintain its quality.
One way to distinguish high-quality matcha is by its vibrant green color. The more vivid the green, the more likely it is to be a high-quality matcha.
