Ceremonial Grade Matcha VS Culinary Grade Matcha

Matcha Powder can be divided into Ceremonial Grade and Culinary Grade. They differs in shadowing time, harvest period, color, flavor and uses. Below is their detailed differences:

Shadowing

The shadowing time for Ceremonial Grade Matcha is about 3 weeks and for Culinary Grade Matcha is about 1-2 weeks. This timing affects the flavor of the Matcha.

Harvest

Young tea leaves and buds picked for Ceremonial Grade Matcha are harvested during First Harvest season, while tea leaves processed into Culinary Grade Matcha are harvested during Second and Third Harvest season.

Flavor

The starting materials of Ceremonial Grade are found at the very top of the tea bush and are extremely delicate, imparting a natural sweetness to Matcha due to its higher concentration of L-theanine and low bitterness because the shadowing suppressing photosynthesis which prevents amino acids in the tea leaves to convert into catechins (the antioxidant known to impart bitter qualities.)

Color

Ceremonial Grade Matcha is more vibrant and has a deeper shade of green as it’s made of the youngest tea leaves that have higher concentration of chlorophyll, also the shadowing process increases the amount of chlorophyll.

Uses

There’s no official definition or regulation around what Ceremonial Grade is. Generally, the Ceremonial Grade is best for drinking, while Culinary Grade is better for baking or cooking.

ACE Matcha is primarily cultivated from the east end of Yangtze-river basin, where there is the home of many top-brand green teas with its best suitable soils and climate for this plant (Camellia sinensis). Our Matcha green tea is picked from USDA Organic certified farms. We can provide Organic / Conventional Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder, Organic / Conventional Culinary Grade Matcha Powder. Please do not hesitate to tell us your request via info@ace-bio.com.