Lion select said

Matcha lovers! What matcha brand do you like?

I’ve been a lot more into matcha lately than usual and I think I’m still kind of a matcha noob. I tend to buy ceremonial grade as opposed to culinary, even though I use it more often for matcha latte than I do for making it with the traditional method. I’ve struck a bit of a compromise between the two styles where I prepare the matcha the traditional way in my chawan (with one chashaku/scoop of matcha more than usual), whisking it with a chasen til it’s frothy and well-blended, then I add in soy milk and a bit of simple syrup to make it a latte. I do this b/c as much as I love the art of the ceramic bowl and bamboo utensils, I’m not as in love with the strong and sometimes bitter taste of traditionally prepared matcha. Ones that taste really good that way and lack bitterness are usually pretty expensive.

I think I’m curious to try a new matcha each time I run out so that I can get a taste for some diversity. I always try them unadulterated first to get a good impression and review them here on Steepster.

Any of you drink matcha regularly? What one do you like to buy? Are there any you’ve had recommended to you? How do you drink your matcha? I’m curious to know!

Also are there any companies you know of that provide samples of matcha, or have some cheap samples you can order?

If there are any good ones you like on Amazon I’m interested too, b/c I’m pretty keen on “free” fast shipping with Amazon Prime, though I’m also very interested in small-company single-origin matchas, of course, and I doubt there’s much of that on Amazon.

19 Replies

I found Jade Leaf Matcha’s high end to be surprisingly very good. They have a neat sampler pack on Amazon.

Lion select said

Thanks for the recommendation!

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MrQuackers said

Buy your matcha from Japan, have it shipped ems. You will probably want a stronger matcha to make lattes.

My own opinion is that matcha is best made traditionally with a shot glass of water and a bamboo whisk. I like to add sugar or to have a sweet treat with it.

Let you know later, if I like this years.

By the way, if you can buy 200g of matcha shipped for $70 bucks and it’s a great pruduct for lattes then why spend $40 for 40 grams?

MrQuackers, do you have a preferred seller? Where can you find 200g/$70?

MrQuackers said

Flyawaybirdie.. Last year, I bought matcha and like it, but the reviews were fraudulwnt.

Flyawaybirdie.. Last year, I bought matcha and like it, but the reviews were fraudulwnt.This year, I have been using David’s Teas matcha.

Flyawaybirdie.. Last year, I bought matcha and like it, but the reviews were fraudulwnt.This year, I have been using David’s Teas matcha.I’m expecting some spring matcha. In a few weeks, it will be first harvest time. 250g of new harvest for 80 or 90 Cdn.

Flyawaybirdie.. Last year, I bought matcha and like it, but the reviews were fraudulwnt.This year, I have been using David’s Teas matcha.I’m expecting some spring matcha. In a few weeks, it will be first harvest time. 250g of new harvest for 80 or 90 Cdn.I’m currently searching for new matcha providers (from Japan).

Flyawaybirdie.. Last year, I bought matcha and like it, but the reviews were fraudulwnt.This year, I have been using David’s Teas matcha.I’m expecting some spring matcha. In a few weeks, it will be first harvest time. 250g of new harvest for 80 or 90 Cdn.I’m currently searching for new matcha providers (from Japan).

Lion select said

Buying directly from Japan is a good idea, for freshness. I just need to find the right company to buy from, I suppose.

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WabiSabi said

Hi Lion! We are Wabisabi tea company from Japan.
Our tea products are made in Uji city in Kyoto prefecture.
Uji is the true birthplace of Japanese tea,and uji matcha is a very famous in Japan.

Hope you enjoy this.
Matcha
https://wabisabi-tea.com/shop-cat/matcha/
Matcha latte powder
https://wabisabi-tea.com/shop-cat/sugar-for-matcha/

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Javan said

I am by no means a matcha expert, but I have purchased and enjoy the organic “starter matcha” (culinary grade) from Matcha Outlet on Amazon which is inexpensive, has free Prime shipping, and is perfectly suited to making frappachinos (sp). Theoretically this is made from very young plants in China. I’m sure there is better matcha (like from Wabisabi above) but this suits my needs at present.

MrQuackers said

YUCK!

Lion select said

Good to know. It’s all a matter of budget and personal preference really, and there’s definitely more latitude when using it for lattes since the sugar and milk help smooth out the flavor.

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LuckyMe said

Same here, I always look for new brands of matcha every time I buy. However I seldom drink matcha on its own. I use it for matcha lattes and sometimes will add a pinch of it to other green teas. Because of that, the top-grade ceremonial stuff isn’t worth it to me. Mid-range matcha and even a good culinary matcha work well.

Do-Matcha on Amazon is a good choice if you’re after the better stuff. Also, Matcha Outlet has a huge selection of different matchas – flavored and unflavored- including Chinese matcha. I think they offer samples too. For culinary grade matcha, Den’s restaurant matcha is excellent. And good old Teavana actually has offers a quality ceremonial matcha.

MrQuackers said

They sell do matcha here in stores, as well.

Lion select said

Thanks for the recommendations!

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teepland said

Hello, Lion!

Like Javan, I am also not an expert on matcha tea and have only recently started tasting them. One of the best I have found recently was one I ordered on Amazon: Naoki fine Uji matcha: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2GW7SI/

The powder is extremely fine and whips up cleanly—no clumping. It has a strong, vegetal taste, reminding me of seaweed or spinach. The container is small but should last for the next few months of regular drinking (a few times a week). I would recommend it, especially as a fairly inexpensive, excellent quality matcha available on Amazon.

Hope this helps! Please share with us if you find a matcha which you recommend!

Lion select said

Thanks for that recommendation. I may have to give this a try next time. :) I’m all for buying the best matcha I can find, but I also have been drinking it pretty regularly lately and definitely have a lower budget than a real matcha enthusiast would. I love matcha, but I don’t think I’m very purist since I don’t like the traditional prep enough to drink it more then every once in a while. It’s like green tea espresso, in a sense. Very strong and a big hit of caffeine/energy for me.

teepland said

Glad that the suggestion was helpful! Besides the flavor, I especially appreciate that it qualifies for Amazon Prime so shipping is very quick.

I know what you mean about having a lower budget than what a real matcha enthusiast would — that is how I feel about my teas in general — not just matcha! :) It’s hard to be a tea enthusiast while also maintaining a monthly budget. I like your description of matcha as “green tea espresso” — that has been my experience with it as well.

Cheers!

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I drink matcha just about every day. Occasionally I’ll have a latte but most of the time it’s straight up, just hot water and matcha whisked with a chasen. Some of my favorite brands are:

Encha
http://www.myencha.com

Mizuba Tea Co
http://www.mizubatea.com

Yunomi
http://www.yunomi.life

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XIGUABoy said

Yamamasa Koyamaen from japan. I get them from rakuten

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ashmanra said

Kai Matcha Premium was really good but seems to stay sold out more than in stock. I like D25 from Matcha Outlet and DoMatcha well enough, and Nuvola actually had a very inexpensive green tea powder that was great for lattes for the price, but I don’t usually drink lattes.

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