Matcha is finely ground green tea, usually made from tea leaves grown specifically in the shade. Unlike regular green tea, we consume matcha with the entire leaf, as the powder is whisked into water rather than just steeped and strained. This makes the quality of the leaves, their harvest, grinding method, color, taste, and freshness extremely important.
The main thing to understand is that not all matcha is the same. Some are meant to be drunk purely with water, while others are for lattes, desserts, or food. More expensive matcha is not necessarily always the best choice if you are going to use it with milk or in baked goods.
Matcha by Harvest: First, Second, and Third Harvests
One of the most important quality distinctions is when the leaves were picked. In the world of Japanese tea, terms like ichibancha – first harvest, nibancha – second harvest, and sanbancha – third harvest are often mentioned.
First Harvest Matcha
First harvest matcha is made from young leaves picked in spring. This is generally considered the highest quality raw material. Such leaves are softer, sweeter, have more umami flavor, less bitterness, and a brighter green color. Ceremonial matcha is usually made precisely from first harvest leaves.
Taste: smooth, sweetish, creamy, with a pronounced umami.
Color: bright green, vibrant, sometimes even intensely emerald.
Best for: drinking purely with water, preparing in the traditional way, making high-quality matcha lattes when a delicate taste is desired.
Less suitable for: lattes, baked goods, or desserts, as expensive matcha can get "lost" among sugar, flour, milk, or other strong ingredients.
It is worth choosing first harvest matcha when you want to experience the true taste of matcha and drink it without additives.
Second Harvest Matcha
Second harvest matcha is typically harvested later, when the leaves are more mature. It often has a stronger, more intense, and more bitter taste. Such matcha may be less subtle than first harvest, but it can still be very good, especially for lattes or daily consumption.
Some producers create premium or daily-use matcha by blending first and second harvest leaves. Such tea can be a good compromise between quality, taste, and price.
Taste: stronger, grassier, may have more bitterness.
Color: green, but often not as vibrant as first harvest.
Best for: matcha lattes, iced matcha, smoothies, daily drinking.
Less suitable for: very delicate traditional preparation with only water, if an extremely mild taste is desired.
Second harvest matcha is often a practical choice for someone who wants good matcha daily but doesn't want to pay for the highest ceremonial quality.
Third Harvest Matcha
Third harvest matcha is made from even later-picked, more mature leaves. Such leaves typically have a stronger, coarser taste, are less sweet, less umami, and more bitter. Some sources indicate that high-grade matcha is usually made from the first harvest, while later harvests are more often associated with lower quality or culinary use.
Taste: more bitter, earthier, less delicate.
Color: can be paler, yellowish-green, or even brownish if the quality is poor.
Best for: baked goods, desserts, ice cream, cocktails, sauces, recipes where matcha is mixed with other ingredients.
Not suitable for: drinking alone with water, if you want a delicate, pleasant experience.
Which Matcha to Choose - Ceremonial, Daily, or Culinary?
Below you will find the main descriptions of matcha and how they differ. We want to emphasize that there is no such thing as "the one and only best" matcha. All have their pros and cons, and this often depends on how we intend to use it (only with water, with milk, mixed, or sometimes to enhance a milkshake). Therefore, when choosing matcha, don't be afraid to experiment, as sometimes the most expensive tea is not necessarily the tastiest for you.
Comment on matcha tea names: You will often see words like "ceremonial" on packages. It is important to know that these names are not strictly legally standardized. Especially the term "ceremonial" is widely used as a quality mark and is often secretly used to describe cheaper daily matcha tea. Therefore, it is always worth relying on the harvest and the actual appearance and taste of the tea, rather than the heading.
As you will see, matcha descriptions usually refer to the harvest. Since we have already discussed the differences between harvests, these names should now be self-explanatory.
Ceremonial Matcha
This matcha is considered the highest quality matcha, usually intended to be drunk pure – with water only. It is typically made from the youngest, first harvest leaves, often very finely ground, smooth, bright green, and less bitter. Among Feel Brill matcha teas, this would be our Premium Ceremonial Matcha Tea, which you can find here. We recommend drinking it only with water, as its taste is too delicate to fully enjoy with milk.
We also have Ceremonial Matcha tea, but its taste is slightly more pronounced, so we consciously recommend it to people who want ceremonial matcha tea (more umami and brighter color compared to our daily matcha tea), but want to drink it with milk.
Daily Matcha
Daily matcha is often an intermediate option between ceremonial and culinary, usually designed for regular consumption. It may have a slightly stronger taste, be more accessible than ceremonial, but still perfectly suitable for beverages.
Most often, it is made from second harvest, or a blend of second and third harvest leaves. However, it can also be made from first harvest, as is our Daily Matcha Tea. The most important thing to understand is that the name "daily" often means a stronger taste (suitable for drinking with milk), a cheaper price, and in the case of our Daily Matcha tea, a more versatile and accessible taste for beginners. However, as with ceremonial matcha teas, the names can mean different results among manufacturers.
Culinary Matcha
Culinary matcha is intended not so much for pure drinking, but for use in recipes or with additives. It often has a stronger, more bitter, less subtle taste, but this is not a bad thing – precisely because of its stronger taste, it "cuts through" milk, sugar, flour, chocolate, or other ingredients better. Our Culinary Matcha is second harvest and is recommended for baked goods, desserts, cocktails, and lattes when a more pronounced matcha flavor and a larger quantity at an affordable price are desired.
