Matchaful: 8 Best Matcha Powders Available In India

You will read the word 'grade' on every product label when you are buying matcha powders, so it's best that you learn about the fuss around it before buying because no one wants their money to go waste on tea they don't like.

The different grades of matcha have varying flavour profiles, colours, textures, and even uses. So, here's some basic information to find your perfect match(a).

There are three main grades of matcha – ceremonial, daily, and culinary. Matcha green tea powder is placed into one of these three categories based on where the green tea plants are grown, how they are cultivated, the tea leaves's harvest period (or season), and the manufacturing process.

Ceremonial grade matcha is hand-picked and made from the youngest first-harvest green tea leaves. It is considered the highest quality matcha available. This is the grade of matcha used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.

Ceremonial matcha, which is delicately stone-ground into a fine powder, has a vibrant green colour, a fresh, sweet, earthy aroma, a silky smooth texture, and a complex vegetal sweet and umami flavour that leaves a creamy, delicate aftertaste on the palate. 

It also has a noticeably darker shade of green than the other two grades of matcha due to its exceptionally high chlorophyll content. When it comes to enjoying ceremonial-grade matcha, it is often reserved for sipping in its purest form – whisked in a bowl with water without additional sweeteners or milk but we honestly love it for our matcha lattes. 

Slightly expensive but totally worth the buck if you take your matcha seriously and don't want to compromise even a bit on its multi-faceted flavour profile.

Daily matcha, also known as premium and traditional grade matcha, is neither too sweet nor too bitter, ranking second only to ceremonial and culinary matcha in terms of green tea powder quality.

It has a well-balanced flavour which is clean and crisp. It can be enjoyed on its own or with milk, water, and sweeteners, making daily matcha an excellent choice for those looking for a versatile matcha powder.

Daily matcha is typically made from a combination of the first and second harvests of young green tea leaves, or only the second harvest. It has a slightly bolder flavour than ceremonial grades of matcha but is great for sipping mixed with milk and sweeteners or for adding to different recipes.

Culinary matcha is typically made with older green tea leaves than ceremonial or daily matcha, often from the second, third, or even fourth harvest. This means that the young green tea leaves used to make culinary matcha are exposed to more sunlight, increasing their catechin levels.

The higher the catechin content in culinary matcha, the more astringent and bold the flavour, with a bitter aftertaste and a less sugary-sweet essence that shines through beautifully in baking and cooking.

You may notice that your culinary grade matcha is not as vibrant and bright green as your daily or ceremonial matcha, but rather a more subdued shade of green.

Slightly expensive, Tasse de Thé is known for their luxurious selection of teas and teaware, and their matcha powder is no less. The taste is as good as it gets — starting with a refined and mellow flavour, gentle notes of a grassy, earthiness makes its way to meet slightly sweet umami undertones. If you like your matcha pure and of the highest grade, then this is one brand to check out.

Karma Kettle's matcha tea powder is imported from Shizuoka, Japan. Their matcha is 100% stone-ground so expect a finely milled powder with a dark green hue. We love their Matcha Berry powder which is a berrylicious take on matcha with jammy notes from blackberries, blueberries and cranberries. This one's especially great if you are not fond of the savoury after-taste of matcha since the sweetness of the berries balances that quite well. 

If you are new to matcha, a premium grade matcha (also called daily grade matcha) is the best for starting out. is not too sweet or bitter — falling right between. This one from Heapwell has a richly balanced taste, clean and crisp aroma, smooth texture, and luminescent, joyful green colour. It is made from carefully chosen leaves of first and second harvest leaves of Shizuoka and Kagoshima regions in Japan and is great for using in smoothies, lattes, baked goods, and other dishes. 

KimiNo's premium grade matcha powder is made from organic green tea leaves and stone-ground to ensure the taste and colour are intact. Since it is of the second best quality, don't expect it to be extremely rich and nutty in taste. The flavour is quite balanced and perfect for those who like their matcha slightly less intense and herby or for beginners who want to try an affordable matcha powder for giving it a shot. Use it for making smoothies, lattes, desserts, cakes and just about anything you want to add matcha powder to!

Vahdam's matcha is of culinary grade (the third highest grade) and is quite nice if you like your matcha slightly more intense.  Since culinary grade matcha is specifically cultivated, harvested, and prepared for cooking and baking, the flavour profile is quite robust. The addition of vanilla is delightful and cuts down on the savoury notes beautifully. The fresh vegetal notes of matcha with an enchanting creamy, nutty flavor of vanilla makes the cuppa more delicious than it is! 

Tencha is a homegrown matcha brand that's making matcha available to everyone in fun, interesting and newer ways, thanks to the versatility of the Japanese green tea. From matcha pre-workout powder to matcha blends for lattes, they have just about everything to make your matcha dreams come true. They have both ceremonial and culinary grades available so you can choose the one you prefer. Our pick is the ceremonial (obviously) since we love the bitter-sweet grassy notes but if you are just starting out, get the culinary one instead.

Luxmi Estate's matcha powder is one of the best we have tried! Their organic premium ceremonial grade Matcha is produced in the Shizuoka region of Japan. With a smooth natural flavour and vibrant green colour, your matcha breaks deserve a high-quality matcha powder like this one! Their website claims that their Pure Matcha is made from the best Tencha leaves under the guidance of several tea masters, monitoring the process and maintaining the characteristics of the matcha grade—and we can vouch that the stunning taste does match these claims.