Matcha Grades Guide
Which matcha grade is right for you? This guide explains what each grade means, how it is made, and what to use it for.
What matcha grades actually mean
Matcha grade is not a formal industry certification. It is a descriptor used to communicate the quality level, intended use, and flavour profile of a particular matcha. The main factors that determine grade are: when in the growing season the leaves are harvested, how old the leaves are, whether stems and veins have been removed, and how the powder is milled.
Higher grades use younger, first-harvest leaves with stems and veins removed. This produces a naturally sweeter, more delicate flavour with a vivid green colour. Lower grades use older, later-harvest leaves and have a stronger, more robust taste suited to recipes and cooking. Both can come from the same plant. The difference is in the timing and the processing.
Drinking straight, whisked with water, traditional preparation
Ceremonial Grade
Ceremonial grade is the highest quality matcha available. It is made from the youngest leaves of the first harvest of the year, with stems and veins removed. The result is a naturally sweet, smooth flavour with a vivid green colour and a low bitterness. Because the flavour is delicate, ceremonial grade is best prepared with hot water only. Milk, sweeteners, and other additions are not needed.
Whisk with 70-80 degree Celsius water. No milk or sweetener required. Traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies.
Organic Ceremonial Grade Japanese Matcha — available in 60g retail size and with starter packs.
Matcha lattes, iced matcha, smoothies, high-volume service
Cafe Grade
Cafe Grade is Matcha Samurai's most popular grade. It is smooth, versatile, and bold enough to cut through milk without losing its flavour or colour. It sits between ceremonial and culinary in terms of quality: better than culinary for drinking, more practical than ceremonial for daily or high-volume use. It can be enjoyed straight with water but is particularly well-suited to lattes and milk-based preparations.
Works well both straight with water and with steamed or cold milk. The standard choice for cafes and home baristas.
Cafe Grade Organic Matcha — available in 60g and bulk 500g / 1kg
Everyday drinking, lattes, modern recipes and budget-friendly option
All Purpose Ceremonial Grade
The All Purpose Ceremonial Grade is a non-organic matcha designed for daily use. It does not carry the JAS organic certification, but it is bead-milled rather than stone-ground (organic ceremonial grade), which makes it more versatile for modern preparations: smooth enough to enjoy on its own, and blends well into lattes, iced matcha, and recipes. It is the most affordable option in the Matcha Samurai range and is well-suited to people who want to drink matcha every day without the premium price of the organic ceremonial grade.
Use as you would ceremonial grade. Suitable for straight preparation and milk-based drinks.
Ceremonial Grade All Purpose Matcha — available in 60g
Baking, cooking, recipes where matcha is a primary ingredient
Culinary Grade
Culinary grade matcha is cultivated later in the growing season. The leaves are more mature, which gives it a much stronger, more robust flavour. It is typically too bitter to drink straight, but that intensity is exactly what you want when it is going into baked goods, ice cream, pastry, or savoury recipes. The flavour holds up when combined with butter, sugar, cream, or other ingredients in a way that ceremonial grade does not.
Our culinary grade is only available in bulk bags starting from 500g, and must be ordered on request.
Not recommended for straight drinking. Best used in baking, cooking, desserts, and recipes where matcha is combined with other ingredients.
Culinary Grade Organic Matcha — available in 60g and bulk 500g / 1kg
MATCHA GUIDE
Find Your Matcha
Compare our matcha grades and choose the one that best suits your daily ritual.
| Grade | Best For | Flavour | Organic | Milling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremonial Grade | Drinking straight with water | Sweet, smooth, low bitterness | Yes — JAS certified | Stone-ground |
| Cafe Grade | Lattes, iced matcha, smoothies | Bold, clean, good milk integration | Yes — JAS certified | Bead-milled |
| All Purpose Ceremonial | Everyday drinking, lattes, budget option | Smooth, versatile | No | Bead-milled |
| Culinary Grade | Baking, cooking, recipes | Strong, robust, more bitter | Yes — JAS certified | Bead-milled |
Swipe to compare →
Questions. Answers.
Everything you need to know before your first order, and a few things our regulars still ask us.
Ceremonial grade uses the youngest first-harvest leaves with stems and veins removed, producing a naturally sweet, smooth flavour suited to drinking straight with water. Culinary grade uses more mature, later-harvest leaves with a stronger, more robust flavour suited to cooking and baking where it is combined with other ingredients. They come from the same plant; the difference is when and how they are harvested.
Cafe grade is the most practical starting point for most people. It is smooth enough to enjoy straight, bold enough to work well in lattes, and more affordable per cup than ceremonial grade. If you want to try traditional matcha preparation as it is done in the Japanese tea ceremony, ceremonial grade is the right choice.
Technically yes, but it is not necessary and not cost-effective. Culinary grade is specifically chosen for cooking and baking because its stronger flavour holds up when combined with other ingredients. Using ceremonial grade in recipes wastes the qualities that make it worth paying for: the delicate flavour is lost once it is mixed into a batter or dough.
Stone-ground matcha is milled using traditional granite millstones that rotate slowly. The slow process avoids heat buildup, which preserves the delicate flavour compounds and nutrients in the leaf. Bead-milling is a faster, industrial process. It produces a not as fine powder, but a powder that more easily mixes in liquids, which makes making drinks like matcha latte easier in modern applications.. However, it can affect the aroma and flavour profile. The Matcha Samurai organic ceremonial grade is stone-ground. All other grades are bead-milled.
Organic matcha carries JAS certification, which means it has been grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers and independently verified. Whether that matters to you depends on your priorities. The flavour difference between organic and non-organic matcha of the same grade is less significant than the difference between grades themselves. Our All Purpose Ceremonial Grade is non-organic but is a high-quality product at a lower price point.