How to Choose Authentic Japanese Matcha
Not all matcha is the same. Here's what every matcha lover should know before buying.
Walk into almost any café or supermarket in New Zealand today, and you'll probably find matcha.
Its popularity has grown rapidly over the past few years, and with that growth has come an increasing number of brands.
Almost every packet promises quality. But what actually determines the quality of authentic Japanese matcha?
You'll often see words such as:
- Ceremonial Grade
- Organic
- Premium
- Direct from the Farm
They all sound reassuring.
But here's an important question.
These are all meaningful terms, and each can tell you something about a matcha. However, none of them tells the whole story on its own.
If you've already read our article "Why Is Japanese Matcha Becoming More Expensive?", you'll know that demand for authentic Japanese matcha is growing faster than supply.
But understanding why prices are rising is only part of the story. Price alone doesn't tell you everything about quality.
The next question is even more important:
How do you recognise genuinely high-quality matcha?
A Tea Field Is Only the Beginning
- Every year around May and June, social media fills with beautiful videos of Japanese tea fields.
- Fresh green leaves.
- Tea harvesting.
- Rows of vibrant tea plants stretching across the landscape.
They're beautiful to watch.
Many people naturally assume they're seeing this year's finished matcha.
In reality, they're seeing only the very beginning.
Harvesting tea leaves is simply the first step.
Before those leaves become the matcha in your bowl, they pass through a long series of carefully controlled processes.
From Tea Leaf to Matcha
Tea cultivation
↓
Shade-growing
↓
First harvest
↓
Steaming
↓
Drying
↓
Tencha processing
↓
Selection
↓
Quality evaluation
↓
Traditional blending (Gōgumi)
↓
Grinding
↓
Final quality checks
↓
Packaging
Only then does it become matcha.
A beautiful tea field tells an important part of the story. But it's only the beginning of the journey.
The quality depends on everything that happens afterwards.
Visiting a Tea Farm Doesn't Mean You're Drinking This Year's Matcha
During Japan's first harvest season, many brands share photos and videos from tea farms.
It's a wonderful way to introduce the origin of Japanese tea.
However, freshly harvested leaves don't immediately become finished matcha.
They first need to be processed into tencha, evaluated, blended and finally ground into matcha.
Only after these steps can producers properly taste and assess the new season's tea.
A visit to a tea field tells an important part of the story.
It doesn't tell the whole story.
A Great Matcha Is the Result of Many Skilled Hands
You'll often see the phrase: "Direct from the farm."
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Strong relationships with tea growers are incredibly valuable.
However, producing exceptional matcha involves much more than growing tea.
Many specialists contribute to the final product.
- Tea growers.
- Processors.
- Quality specialists.
- And one group of experts many people outside Japan have never heard of... Tea masters.
The Craft Behind Every Great Matcha
Every harvest is different.
Weather changes.
Growing conditions change.
Even tea from the same field can taste slightly different from one year to the next.
One of the reasons authentic Japanese matcha is so highly respected is the skill of experienced tea masters.
Using a traditional Japanese technique called gōgumi (blending), they carefully assess different lots of tencha and combine them to create harmony, consistency and balance.
The goal isn't simply to mix teas.
It's to create the best possible flavour every year despite the natural variations of each harvest.
This craftsmanship has been refined over generations and remains one of the defining characteristics of high-quality Japanese matcha.
How We Choose Matcha at More More Matcha
We're not tea masters ourselves.
That's exactly why we work with trusted Japanese suppliers and trading partners who have decades of experience and collaborate with skilled tea professionals.
Before launching More More Matcha, I spent many years working in supply chain and procurement.
Today, I communicate directly with our Japanese suppliers in Japanese, without relying on interpreters.
That allows me to ask detailed questions, understand exactly what we're sourcing, and build long-term relationships based on trust and transparency.
When choosing matcha, we look for clear standards, including:
- First harvest tea
- Japanese JAS Organic certification
- Trusted long-term supplier relationships
- Matcha selected and blended by experienced tea professionals
- Quality we feel confident sharing with our customers
We're not looking for the cheapest matcha.
Our goal isn't simply to find great matcha. It's to find matcha we're proud to share with our customers.
If you'd like to learn more about Japanese organic certification, you may also enjoy our article "Why Organic Matcha Can Taste More Delicate."
Five Questions Worth Asking Before You Buy Matcha
Choosing matcha doesn't have to be complicated.
Asking a few simple questions can tell you a great deal about the product you're buying.
- Is it made from first harvest tea?
- Does it carry Japanese JAS Organic certification?
- Is it selected and blended by experienced tea professionals?
- How does the brand ensure consistent quality?
- Can you tell me more about the producer or supplier behind this matcha?
A company that welcomes these questions usually understands its product well and values transparency.
If you're new to Japanese tea, our guide "What Is Ceremonial Grade Matcha?" is another helpful place to start.
Great Matcha Is Built on Trust
Great matcha isn't defined by a single word on the label.
It's built on knowledge.
Experience.
Craftsmanship.
And trust.
At More More Matcha, we believe understanding the journey behind your matcha makes every bowl even more enjoyable.
Because when you know the story behind what's in your cup, you're not simply drinking matcha.
You're appreciating generations of Japanese craftsmanship.
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