Matcha Color: How To Tell Good Matcha From Bad Matcha
If you want to feel trendy, simply pour yourself a cup of Instagram’s favorite cafe drink: matcha. This powdered green tea is known for its bright green color and umami flavor. However, matcha is more than just a selfie prop (although it does stand out on a screen) — it’s actually full of health benefits that can take you from slumped to pumped.
We’d never say to judge a book by its cover, but in the case of matcha, you really can tell a lot about the flavor and health benefits you can expect based on what color it is. If this sounds crazy, don’t worry. We’re here to share the hidden language of matcha so that you can get the best cup every time.
What Makes Matcha Green?
Matcha is made from the powdered leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is also used to make black, oolong, and green tea, opens in a new tab. However, while it’s technically made using the same plant, there are some key differences in how it’s processed.
Plants intended for matcha production spend their pre-harvest growing seasons in the shade. If you think back to elementary school biology, you’ll remember that plants use chlorophyll to transform sunlight into energy.
Because these plants are grown in the dark, they produce more chlorophyll, opens in a new tab to help capture more energy from what little sunlight they get. This also increases L-theanine, an amino acid that’s only found in tea plants and has a sweet, umami flavor. The result is a bright green tea powder that has the signature taste we all know and love.
Is Chlorophyll Good For You?
Increased levels of chlorophyll give matcha the bright color it’s known for, but is this actually good for you? As if matcha couldn’t get any better, this increased chlorophyll content can actually have multiple health benefits.
These include the following:
- Supports Detoxing: Chlorophyll can bind to toxins, opens in a new tab in the body and help the liver flush them out, supporting overall hormonal health.
- Provides Antioxidants: Chlorophyll is full of powerful antioxidants that can help minimize free radical damage in the body.
- Supports DNA: Chlorophyll can support the natural structure of DNA to help it stay intact.
- Encourages Weight Loss: Chlorophyll can support a healthy metabolism of fats, which can help with weight management, opens in a new tab.
- Supports Brain Health: This compound can encourage short-term memory and movement coordination in the body.
Ceremonial vs. Culinary Grade Matcha
There are two main types of matcha: ceremonial grade and culinary grade. Ceremonial grade matcha is held to a much higher standard and is made with only the youngest leaves of the plant. This difference might not seem like a big deal, but it actually makes a huge difference in the taste and color of your matcha.
Culinary grade matcha is made from slightly lower-quality leaves, making it a bit more bitter than ceremonial grade matcha. To be fair, culinary grade matcha is still much higher quality than your average green tea leaves — it’s just not as pristine as ceremonial grade.
Ceremonial grade matcha is best for when you just want to drink a cup of plain matcha. It tastes delicious all on its own and is far less bitter than regular tea.
On the other hand, culinary grade matcha might not be the best for drinking, but it is the best choice for baking and making matcha-flavored goodies. You can use either one to make a matcha latte, opens in a new tab, but we’re a little partial to ceremonial grade matcha for that.
What Does Good Matcha Look Like?
Now, let’s get down to business. The highest quality of matcha is easy to spot when compared to culinary grade matcha.
Ceremonial grade matcha is bright green with a very soft powder. It should look as green as it would if you’d ground up the leaves that morning. Conversely, culinary grade matcha can often be more muted and even have a brown or yellowish tint to the powder. The powder may also feel a bit more coarse.
Beyond this, if you see matcha that has a very strong yellow hue and tastes extra bitter, it might not be culinary grade matcha. Instead, it might be good matcha that’s sat on the shelf too long and oxidized.
Why Does It Matter?
So, why is it important to know what good matcha looks like? Unfortunately, not all brands that include matcha as an ingredient in their products are upfront about the quality they use.
At Everyday Dose, our Mushroom Matcha+ powder is made with 100 percent ceremonial grade matcha. When you open up our matcha, you can tell right away that we use only the good stuff because of how green it is.
How Else Can You Tell Good Matcha From Bad Matcha?
While color is one of the main ways you can tell subpar matcha from top-shelf matcha, it’s not the only thing to keep in mind when you’re matcha shopping. You should also consider the smell and taste of the matcha, opens in a new tab.
The highest quality of matcha should have lots of L-theanine in it because of how it was grown. This and the high chlorophyll content should give it a sweet, nutty flavor that is deliciously complex. In fact, high-quality matcha tastes so good on its own that Japanese monks used to meditate, opens in a new tab to the taste of it.
There’s also the smell to consider. If the matcha smells fresh and strong, that’s a good sign that you have some high-quality matcha on your hands. If it smells musty, it’s probably sat on the shelf for a little too long.
The Bottom Line
Matcha’s signature green color is more than just an eye-catching way to stand out at your local coffee shop. It’s also one way you can tell the quality of the matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha should have a bright green color, while culinary grade matcha can look slightly brown or yellow because it’s made from lesser-quality tea leaves.
At Everyday Dose, we’d never give you anything subpar. We make sure our mushroom blends contain only the best ingredients, and that includes using 100 percent ceremonial grade matcha. To learn more about matcha and all of its helpful benefits, visit our blog, opens in a new tab today.
Sources:
Tea Ceremony | Japan Guide, opens in a new tab
Liquid chlorophyll: The miracle green? | OSF HealthCare, opens in a new tab
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