Certified Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder (16 oz BAG)

Red Tea Leaf (seller and distributor) seems to have dozens of mixed-in flavor versions of matcha tea on their website, and their Starter Grade seems to be equal to this particular listed product on Amazon. Price is better here for that product, but they don't list the other five major classes of pure matcha they usually sell (Classic, Royal, Imperial, Connoiseurs, Emperors, in ascending order of quality, and accordingly, price.) As others have mentioned, top-grade will be $30-40/oz. and quite different in terms of what beverage it produces. RTL sells all of the above, but the flavors all start with Classic grade, not Starter - which is what is listed here at 1/20th the price. This basic version is simply finely powdered green tea - similar to what would happen if you had a razor-sharp food mill capable of powderizing plain whole leaf green tea. You get a product with quite a bit of fiber, but for smoothies, and an instant iced green tea, it works fine. It just isn't that different from cold-brewing a pitcher of green tea using the leaves whole, just a little quicker to use (and oxidizes quickly, so keep it sealed and away from light and heat.) The nicer grades start with removing a lot of the stem and leaf vein fiber before grinding. Then each grind is carefully filtered to remove larger particles until a pure green tea cellular dust is produced. Finer grades involve careful aging and drying of the leaves before processing which can take months/years to get the flavors intense and deep (much like wine grapes.) If you purchase a small amount of a higher grade product and dump it in cold water exactly like you would this version, the taste difference is detectable, but probably unremarkable. Usually I find it tastes fresher, more intense, and has a little more "zip" to the flavor, with a very clear and clean aftertaste. However, if you start actually following tea ceremony practice ritual, even the basics with the fluffy bamboo brush and pure soft water (even distilled or rain), and use the significantly higher proportions used for ceremonies (1tsp/2-3ozs water, versus iced when I use maybe 1tsp/16ozs), there is an unmistakeable difference in qualities, foam, density of flavor, aroma, aftertastes, etc. But...this is a decent 100% leaf fine grind, perfectly okay for iced tea, smoothies, lattes, cooking, baking, or sprinkling on anything you like to try adding some anti-oxidant boost to (or for making things naturally green colored, like ice creams, or St. Patricks day baked goods.)

This is good grade matcha at an excellent price. Matcha is a wonderful choice for those mindful of their health; unlike other types of tea (green or any other) that is simply infused with the tea leaves possibly long after the plant was cut, decreasing nutriients, but with matcha, you’re drinking the actual leaves getting all of the nutrition. This miracle elixir has been consumed for over a millennium in the Far East, and is now considered to be one of the most powerful super foods on the market today for good reason! I put a tsp of matcha powder in my morning smoothie every single day, and if I miss a day I can really feel the difference in concentration, energy, and vitality. I love it for all of the protective health benefits, too. No wonder the Japanese are the longest living people on the planet! The health benefits of matcha are many: 1)Matcha is highly antioxidant, one tsp. provides over 5 times as many antioxidants as any other food – the highest rated by the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) method. 2) Matcha is scientifically proven to prevent prostate cancer (and no doubt most other types) because it is high in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg). Out of all the antioxidants, EGCg is the most widely recognized for its cancer fighting properties. Scientists have found that Matcha Green Tea contains over 100 times more EGCg than any other tea on the market 3)Chinese Daoists and Japanese Zen Buddhist monks as a means to relax and meditate while remaining alert. Now we know that this higher state of consciousness is due to the amino acid L-Theanine contained in the leaves used to make Matcha. L-Theanine promotes the production of alpha waves in the brain which induces relaxation; 4) Another effect of L-Theanine is the production of dopamine and serotonin. These two chemicals serve to enhance mood, improve memory, and promote better concentration 5) Increases energy more efficiently than coffee: Samurai, the noble warriors of medieval and early-modern Japan, drank Matcha Green Tea before going into battle due to the tea’s energizing properties. While all green tea naturally contains caffeine, the energy boost received from Matcha is largely due to its unique combination of other nutrients. The increased endurance from a bowl of Matcha Green Tea can last up to 6 hours and because of the effects of L-Theanine, Matcha drinkers experience none of the usual side-effects of stimulants such as nervousness and hypertension. It’s good, clean energy! 6) Helps weight loss. Drinking Matcha Green Tea has also been shown to increase metabolism and help the body burn fat about four times faster than average. Again, unlike many diet aides currently on the market, Matcha causes no negative side-effects such as increased heart rate and high blood pressure. 7) Improves immune system. The catechins in Matcha Green Tea have been shown to have antibiotic properties which promote overall health. Additionally, just one bowl of Matcha Green Tea provides substantial quantities of Potassium, Vitamins A & C, Iron, Protein, and Calcium. Further studies have even suggested that the nutrients in Matcha may have the ability to inhibit the attacks of HIV on human T-cells. 8) Detoxifies. The high levels of chlorophyll in Matcha Green Tea not only give this tea its beautiful vibrant green color. Matcha is also a powerful detoxifier capable of naturally removing heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body. 9 )Lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raised HDL (good cholesterol). Matcha Green Tea has a positive effect on cholesterol, studies of different populations have show that people who drink Match Green Tea on a regular basis have lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while at the same time displaying higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Men who drink Matcha Green Tea are about 11% less likely to develop heart disease than those who don’t drink Matcha. I am so glad that I found this certified organic matcha at such a great price! I am a regular customer, and will be for life!!

Great product..great quantity too

After looking around for quite a while I decided to go with this product. I've had 3 different kinds of matcha in the past. DO matcha's second harvest, Tao of Tea's liquid jade, and of course Starbucks matcha latte. If starbucks latte was a 10 on my taste scale, I would give my own homemade DO matcha a 9 and the Tao of Tea an 8. Now when I read the top reviewer's comment that this was more geared towards cooking and other treats, I got turned off from the product. However, being the heavy coffee drinker that I am, I knew another 3 ounce tin wasn't going to cut it as I'd have to order a new tin quite frequently. The price was very forgiving either way so there was no reason not to try it. When I got the package I quickly noted the color of the matcha was slighty darker than both DO matcha's and Tao of Tea's color. Once tasting it with the same ratio I always used with water/milk I was very surprised by the taste. Forgive me if my taste isn't very refined, but I felt tasting both the Tao of Tea liquid jade and the matcha I recieved that I could tell a very minute difference if at all. I expected this matcha to be much more 'grassy' and to leave some sort of aftertaste, but if anything I felt this matcha was smoother than the liquid jade. The only difference I could taste was Tao of Tea's more lingering aftertaste (not in a bad way). In conclusion I would give this matcha a 7.5 My only gripe with this product is the lack of any labelling of the sort. The consumer really has no idea where this matcha comes from or who processed it. Yes this isn't the best matcha I've had, but I'm very sure this is not as bad as the top reviewer claims for people who want affordable matcha to drink every day as a coffee replacement. If you drink this on occasion, then yeah, I'd bet you'd want to go with something like DO matcha's second harvest, but this is perfectly drinkable and is very enjoyable.

The package is huge and the price was amazing. However it’s a little bitter tasting so not great for drinking. But great value for baking or maybe if sweetened for a latte.