How to tell good matcha from bad.

The 30 second answer

Why quality shows up in the bowl

You do not need a lab. You need to know how matcha is made. Every test below follows from it.

Test 1: colour

Put a little matcha on white paper in daylight, next to one you know is good. First flush ceremonial is a bright, almost electric jade. Culinary grades from later harvests are deeper and less vivid. That is normal.

What is not normal is khaki or yellow. That means old powder, light and air damage, or coarse late season leaf.

Test 2: aroma and taste

Open the pack and smell it straight away. Good matcha smells fresh and sweet. Sometimes steamed greens, seaweed or cream.

Then whisk 2 g in 60 ml of water at 75°C and taste it plain. Sweetness and savoury depth should come first. Bitterness, if any, only at the end. Bitterness that hits first means late harvest leaf or water that was too hot.

Test 3: texture and foam

Rub a pinch between your fingers. Stone milled ceremonial is extremely fine, about the texture of eyeshadow. It whisks into a fine, even foam that holds for minutes. Big bubbles that pop fast point to coarser milling or older powder.

Test 4: the label

1. Country and prefecture. Uji (Kyoto), Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Nishio (Aichi). Japan alone is a start, not an answer.
2. Harvest. First flush (ichibancha, 一番茶) for ceremonial.
3. Best before date. Six months or more away is a good sign.
4. Packaging. A light proof tin or foil pouch. Clear bags let light destroy the colour.
5. Testing. A brand that tests for heavy metals and residues will tell you, with numbers.

Test 5: the price

Price is not proof. It is a sense check.

Add milling, sorting, freight, cold storage and testing. A genuine first flush ceremonial matcha cannot be the cheapest powder on the shelf. A ceremonial label at a culinary price is worth questioning.

Test 6: real vs fake matcha

Fake is a strong word. Most cheap matcha is real powdered green tea. The questions are where it grew and how it was made.

1. Ground sencha sold as matcha. Unshaded, rolled leaf milled to powder. Duller green, more bitter, grainy. Japan does not call this matcha.
2. Matcha from other countries. Legitimate powdered tea, often from China. A different product, not Japanese matcha. Labels must not mislead about origin.
3. Blends with fillers. Latte mixes with sugar, milk powder or flavour. Check the ingredients line says green tea only.

Why matcha goes dull, yellow or brown

Chlorophyll and fresh aromas break down with light, heat, oxygen and moisture. A pack left open on a sunny bench can lose its colour in weeks. Keep it sealed, cool and dark. Finish an opened pack within about a month.