Grades Maccha

Grades Maccha/ Matcha Tea

Just like fine wine uses the best grapes, fine maccha uses the best leaves. These are found in the tips of the green tea tree (Camellia Sinensis) and subsequent grades are harvested from lower, more mature leaves, giving them a sometimes earthy bitter flavour. The stone grinding itself is an art form, as is storage, compro- mising otherwise prime maccha. Oxidiza- tion smells like hay, another factor in choosing quality maccha. Oxidization is a bad thing. Old maccha is no longer vital tasting.

Younger leaves are more tender, making for a smoother texture. They have more chlorophyll, and are thus more vibrant. Chlorophyll changes into tannin,a compound in green tea that makes it earthy brown green. Tannin also makes for more pucker. High grade maccha tends to have more amino acids and thus taste sweeter, fuller, and rich.


The better the maccha, the:

• sweeter it is (more amino acids)
• better it froths up when whisked
• more vibrant it is
• the "greener" it tastes (chlorophyll)
• fuller it feels in the mouth