Look at enough matcha tins and you'll see the same two words: premium and superior. Here's what they actually mean, and why it matters for how your matcha turns out.
What "grade" actually means
There's no official body grading matcha. Premium and superior aren't defined or regulated terms, so any brand can use them however they like. What they usually signal, when a brand uses them honestly, is overall quality: harvest timing, how the leaves were handled, and how the tea actually tastes. But that's a judgment call each producer makes, not a fixed standard. The real way to know what's in the tin is to look at the specifics, or just taste it.
Superior grade
Superior grade comes from ichibancha, the first harvest of the season. These are the youngest leaves, picked in spring. Growers shade the plants for a few weeks before picking, usually three to five, which builds up chlorophyll and amino acids. That's where the bright green colour and the umami flavour come from.
Our Koharu no Shiro Matcha is a first flush blend of Samidori, Okumidori and Yabukita from Uji, rested for three to five months before milling. It's bright green, creamy, nutty, savoury up front with a light natural sweetness. Works as koicha, usucha, or a latte.
Use superior grade when matcha is what you're actually drinking: whisked with water, in a latte, or in a recipe where you want to taste it.
Koicha matcha
Within superior grade there's a smaller category made for koicha, the thick style of tea used in tea ceremony. It's usually sourced from tea plants over 30 years old, while regular usucha-style matcha typically comes from younger plants. Koicha is made with far more powder and far less water than usucha, so it's much more concentrated, which means any bitterness or roughness in the leaf gets amplified. Only very clean, smooth matcha holds up at that strength.
Our Kyou no Mukashi Matcha is a first flush blend of Samidori and Saemidori from Uji. Deep emerald green, velvety, sweet, deeply umami and rich with no bitterness. It works as usucha too, but it's made for koicha.
Premium grade
Premium grade is still drinking grade, not a step down into cooking-only territory. Where our Premium grade matcha stands out is that it's mostly first harvest, blended with some second harvest. It's vibrant green, smooth, has balanced vegetal flavour, with a light umami and a touch of natural sweetness, not the flat, bitter powder that gets sold under the same name elsewhere.
Our Premium Matcha – High Grade Blend – 40g Tin is built to be drunk, just from a wider harvest window. Use it anywhere you want good matcha without paying first-flush prices: in a latte, blended into a smoothie, or baked into something. It's also the practical choice for high-volume use, like a café running matcha lattes all day.
Which one to buy
Drinking it on its own, or making a latte where you want it to actually taste like matcha? Get superior grade. The flavour difference is worth the price difference.
Want something more affordable that still tastes good on its own or in a latte? Premium grade holds up.
Want to know what matcha can taste like at its best? Try koicha grade at least once, even if you just prepare it as usucha.
Browse our matcha range and find the right tin.
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