Introductory Guide: Difference Between Matcha Grades and Colors

Genuine matcha has a vivid green color. However, the color of matcha can vary from a light yellow-green to a deep forest green, depending on the quality of the leaves and the processing method. The age of your matcha powder can also impact its color. 

In this article, We will focus on the relationship between matcha grade and color. If you are interested in this topic, you are on the right page!

Different Grades of Matcha Powder

1. Ceremonial Grade

The main purpose of a ceremonial grade is for drinking. Because it is the best grade of tea, traditional Japanese tea ceremonies have been using it for centuries. It can be consumed outside of tea ceremonies too. 

The youngest tea leaves are used to make this grade. After removing the stems and veins from each leaf, the leaves are ground up with stone. Ceremonial-grade matcha tea powder's vivid green color, fine texture, naturally sweet flavor, and pure taste are all influenced by the leaves used and the powder-making process. This grade should never feel gritty, but it smells like freshly cut grass in powder and tea form.

Because of this grade's purity and naturally sweet taste, it is counterintuitive to add sweeteners or other additional ingredients. Instead, expect a thicker green tea when drinking this form.

2. Culinary Grade

By no means, is culinary, or food-grade tea of low quality. Compared to ceremonial-grade matcha green tea, this variety is simply made differently and has different uses and flavors. Culinary grade is intended for use in baking and cooking, as its name implies.

Although you can drink this grade, it's best not to because its potent, slightly bitter flavor is meant to be mixed with other ingredients in recipes for food and drink. Culinary grade blends well with a variety of smoothies and other milk-based beverages because of its mildly astringent flavor.

In addition to having a soft texture, this less expensive food grade will smell like fresh grass. It's still a fairly bright green, even though it's not as vivid, and culinary grade has more antioxidants than ceremonial grade.

Different Color on Matcha: Why does that happen?

Chlorophyll Gives Matcha Its Vibrant Green Color

The amount of chlorophyll in the tea leaves determines how vivid the matcha's color is.

Plants need chlorophyll, a green pigment, to carry out photosynthesis; the more chlorophyll present, the more vividly green the leaves will become.

What causes more chlorophyll, then?

The "shaded cultivation" method of matcha cultivation is crucial.

The practice of covering the entire tea tree for an additional 20 days or so before harvest is known as "shaded cultivation." Because it must carry out photosynthesis with little light to survive, the tea tree produces more chlorophyll, which gives its leaves their vivid green color.

Tencha, the raw ingredient for matcha, is grown using this fundamental technique. It's interesting to note that this cultivation technique has another effect. Because of decreased photosynthesis, it inhibits the conversion of L-theanine into catechins. The amino acid L-theanine is responsible for matcha's umami and sweetness.

Generally speaking, the more successfully shaded cultivation is done, the more chlorophyll and L-theanine are produced, resulting in deeply green leaves that are sweet and umami.

Nevertheless, there are some yellowish matcha that are unquestionably of inferior quality.

Let's get into this next!

The Color of Matcha Green Varies Over Time

As time passes after the matcha is ground, the amount of chlorophyll varies.

Compared to sencha, a type of green tea, matcha tends to produce a relatively significant color change because it is a micro-powder with a large surface area.

The 'fading' of matcha is the term used to describe this transformation.

Over time, the matcha's greenish tint gradually disappears and turns a faint shade of yellow.

Matcha undergoes several internal chemical reactions during storage that impact not just its color but also other characteristics.

Compared to the fresh scent when it was just ground, the aroma changes to a slightly dusty one.

One could characterize the taste as disagreeable. With time, an aftertaste with undesirable bitterness and off-flavors that weren't there in freshly ground matcha starts to appear.

These flavor shifts happen in proportion to the color shifts. (The flavor shift is even more pronounced than the color shift.)

Consequently, matcha loses its original flavor when it has turned yellowish due to the passage of time since it was produced.

This change in quality is noticeably worse than the grade variations previously mentioned. It's just a matter of getting older. 

Summary: Relationship Between Matcha Grade and Color

Ceremonial matcha with its rich flavor and vivid green hue is highly prized and sold for a high price.

Conversely, culinary matcha with less chlorophyll, which gives it a slightly yellowish hue, is comparatively inexpensive.

Let's clarify, though, that this does not imply that the latter matcha is of low quality.

Matcha comes in a range of grades, and different products are available based on the intended use.

Ceremonial grade is the range that is sold for use in tea ceremonies.

Conversely, less expensive ones might be marketed as culinary grade.

Despite being slightly more yellow than ceremonial grade, culinary grade matcha is still good quality. 

Regardless of grade, matcha can have a refreshingly delicious taste despite being bitter if it is made fresh.

As long as it hasn't gone bad since it was made, you can still savor its clean, delicious, and bitter flavor despite its slight yellowness. That is the nature of matcha. 

However, it could be old matcha or indicate a problem with the matcha's distribution if you're unhappy with the yellowish matcha or if you notice a difference from what you expected when you bought it.

It's common in the food industry for flavors to gradually deteriorate after they are produced. This change is particularly noticeable due to matcha's fine particles and large surface area, as was previously mentioned.

FAQ

How long does matcha last?

Matcha can last up to two years if properly stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, though the tea's flavor and quality may deteriorate with time. You have to check the smell, color, and texture to consume safely. 

How can I tell whether matcha goes bad or not? 

Japanese matcha green tea powder does not expire, but improper storage can cause it to spoil. These are the top three indicators that your matcha has deteriorated or begun to lose its quality.

• Color Shift
  A color change is one of the most obvious indicators that your matcha is bad. Your matcha green tea has probably gone bad if its bright green color has diminished or changed to a yellow, brown, or black tint. The majority of the time, the color shift is brought on by oxidation, which occurs when air enters the matcha and breaks it down, depleting its nutrients and flavor.
• Smell Change
  A change in the aroma of your matcha is another obvious indication that it has gone bad. Matcha has most likely gone bad if its usual grassy-fresh scent has become musty or sour. If matcha is not stored properly or is exposed to air, bacteria or mold may grow on it, causing a bad odor.
• Texture Change
  The texture of fresh matcha should be smooth and powdery, just like other kinds of powdered tea. Your matcha has probably gone bad if it has become lumpy, hard, or clumpy. Lumpy matcha green tea powder is the result of the matcha breaking down and losing its nutrients and flavor due to moisture.