Matcha Green Tea Powder Reviews

First you have the ceremonial grade, which in the true sense of the word, is extremely expensive and rarely available outside Japan.

Second is the premium grade that is suitable for occasional and everyday drinking. They can also be called a Premium Ceremonial grade and could be used in a tea ceremony (See Review #1).

These matcha powders are high quality and widely available in the West. Some are relatively expensive (like Kenzo in Review #1) while others are surprisingly affordable (Ito En in Review #2).

These are discussed in more details in Matcha Green Tea Guide. Also, find out why matcha might not be more optimal than making freshly brewed tea. This is covered in Matcha Powder versus Green Tea.

Kenzo Matcha is a best-seller in Amazon.com and it is not difficult to see why.

Kenzo is an Australian company but this product is made in Japan.

The tea plants are grown in the Aichi region, famed for producing excellent matcha. Like the gyoguro, the tea plants are grown in shades and the young buds are handpicked, steamed, dried and graded. Stems and veins are removed before the they are stone ground into Kenzo matcha powder.

The product has undergone rigorous testing and the Kenzo is confident they are free of pesticide, heavymetals and radioactivity. The tea farm has also been certified organic by USDA.

They describe their product as "vivid green with fresh grassy aroma and subtle sweetness, giving you 4-6 hours of calm alert relaxing energy."

Caffeine is 25 milligrams per gram. Serving size is 1-2 grams. If you are consuming 2 grams, the amount of caffeine is equivalent to half a cup of coffee.

At $29 for 30 grams (1 ounce) this product is not cheap but quality matcha always come at a price.

20% discount is available when you buy three. There is also a 60-day Money Back Total Satisfaction Guarantee.

This tea is produced by Ito En, a well known Japanese tea company, and imported by Kirkland into the United States of America. I am attracted to it for a number of reasons.

First, this is a genuine Japanese product that is made from 100% Japanese green tea.

The tea has been imported into USA and would have been tested by FDA as this is an import from Japan. Also, Ito En has a policy of continuous testing all their products after the nuclear incident. See below:

ITO EN Quality Control Response to the Events in Fukushima, Japan

The tea has not been certified organic but given it has been produced in Japan where farming practices are highly regulated, I think it is okay.

Secondly, this tea, which is a blend of matcha and sencha, is said to taste "sweeter than other brands". Customers feedback, even from Japanese themselves, are good.

One thing to remember when brewing Japanese green tea is that because Japanese tea has been steamed, it can bitter easily with boiling water. You need to brew it at lower temperature.

Each serving is individually sealed to ensure maximum freshness. Nylon tea bag is provided for convenience of brewing.

Third, the price point is attractive. At $18 for 100 servings, it is a bargain. However, please note that it is designed to use in a Japanese cup, which is quite smaller. If you are brewing using a mug, you may need two servings each time.

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