There are two primary uses of matcha tea outside of Japan: sipping tea, and matcha used for including in smoothies, lattes and culinary confections. The sort of tea we are offering here is first and foremost for enjoying as a sipping tea. Because this is a true ceremonial grade tea that is packaged with a very special nitrogen flushing process that removes all oxygen (oxygen is the enemy of quality matcha), we have chosen to offer a much higher grade of matcha. We invite you to try our 20g matcha to experience the difference in taste, color and quality of our matcha, and perhaps come back for the larger bag when you’re ready.

Both of these terms are actually inventions of the western world’s marketing machine!

In our experience in the tea world, companies are very loose about calling their lower grade teas “ceremonial.”

The true rating system of matcha tea in Japan is graded A through D. A is the highest grade, and is picked on the first spring harvest. B is a blend of first and second harvest, and in The Way of The Tea in Japan, students of this process consume B as their daily drink of choice.

Our matcha is B graded, and this combined with our unique nitrogen flushing processes that ensures no oxygen is trapped in the package, we believe this produces one of the premier matcha teas. 

C and D grade are reserved for baking and cooking. An analogy that may be helpful is this: baby spinach leaves are akin to the type of matcha we offer. They are younger, more delicate leaves that are great to eat straight (like our matcha). With older spinach (C and D grade matcha) is best reserved for cooking and masking it’s astringency in smoothies and lattes.

In short, yes! All grades of matcha should be sifted before drinking. It’s a bit counterintuitive, because the higher grades of matcha are a finer powder, and the more likely they are to clump. This is because finer compounds have electromagnetic forces working on them, and when they get wet, they stick together because of the static.

A cup of sipping matcha is meant to have a “head” of foam, similar to what you’d found on a cappuccino or espresso. The best way to get this and to ensure no clumps (aside from sifting before) is to use a 100 prong matcha whisk to whip air into the matcha. Short note - if your matcha isn’t whipped into a froth, you could be doing it better!