For the past few months, news has been circulating on social media claiming that matcha is "running out." This has generated a wave of reactions among regular consumers, who have started stockpiling it to avoid missing out on the precious tea we all love so much.

In addition, social media has been flooded with matcha recipes—especially the popular matcha latte—as chefs, pastry chefs, health coaches, and influencers share preparations ranging from desserts and chocolates to functional beverages. They all seem to agree on one thing: matcha is not only trendy, but also valued for its benefits, since consuming the whole leaf provides all the plant's properties.

In short, matcha is the thing to do!

The problem—if you can call it that—is that in this world of fast and accessible information, misinformation abounds. We share what we take as fact and think we know on social media, with friends and family, simply because we read it or saw it in a reel. This creates a tangled web of information that, over time, ends up obscuring the truth.

What do I mean by misinformation? Join me as we review some of the most repeated claims about matcha and discover what's really behind them.

1. Only “ceremonial matcha” is “good”; it is the only one you should use to get benefits and good flavor.

You don't need to use "ceremonial" matcha to prepare your drinks. There's a common belief that ceremonial matcha is "the best" and therefore the only one worth consuming. However, in Japan, the term "ceremonial" isn't used to classify matcha. Each producer works with different grades, determined by factors such as:

• harvest time,
• the cultivation area,
• the Camellia sinensis varietal used,
• and the grinding method.
  
  

Tea masters who practice cha no yu—the traditional Japanese tea ceremony—select the highest quality matcha for their rituals. This is the origin of the term “ceremonial matcha,” which has been adopted in the West to categorize the highest quality matcha and make it more understandable for consumers.

At EURO TE, we're no exception: we call what our supplier classifies as "Matcha C"—our highest quality selection—"ceremonial matcha," and what we call premium matcha, he sells us as "Matcha A." Although the taste and aroma profile of each matcha can be different, the reality is that in the West we consume so little matcha on its own (since we often drink it with milk) that it's difficult to notice the difference between one matcha and another.

Our recommendation at EURO TE is to drink ceremonial matcha with just water, prepared in the traditional way—in a chawan, whisked with a bamboo chasen—because that's how you truly appreciate its aroma and flavor. For everything else—lattes, lemonades, pastries, desserts, chocolates, etc.—we suggest using premium matcha, as it's an excellent option: versatile, functional, and more affordable.

Some brands even offer a matcha they call "culinary," this is a category also created in the West; this matcha is generally cheaper and therefore of lower quality (but not bad).

In conclusion: if you use authentic matcha of acceptable quality, that is, if it is a fine powdered green tea made in Japan under Japanese standards, shaded and with the appropriate varieties for this type of tea, and above all, that it is not expired (stored incorrectly or very old), you will obtain all the benefits of matcha that are so widely talked about.

How can you identify expired matcha?

If, instead of a bright green, you notice a dull green with brown or gray tones, it's very likely that it has lost its freshness or has been improperly stored. Remember to keep your matcha refrigerated and away from light, heat, and humidity.

2. It is believed that there is matcha from other countries outside of Japan.

There may be brands that try to sell you a pig in a poke, as it's easy to claim something is matcha when in reality they're offering ground green tea from other countries like China or Korea. But why aren't ground green teas from countries other than Japan considered matcha? 

• Because they are not made with the Camellia sinensis varieties proper for matcha (which grow only in Japan).
• Because they lack the characteristics of Japan's "terroir," with its climate, humidity, soil minerals, and distinctive local agricultural practices. Terroir refers to the combination of natural and human factors that influence the characteristics of an agricultural product depending on where it is grown. This results in unique and distinctive flavors that cannot be exactly replicated elsewhere, even using the same plant. Therefore, terroir is said to give a product its identity and authenticity.
• Because they don't put the crops in the shade, therefore, they don't have the same amount of nutrients as real matcha, since when placed in the shade, the plant "concentrates its nutrients and increases chlorophyll" as it senses that winter is coming.
• Because they don't "devein the tea leaves before grinding them," as they do in Japan when processing tencha (which precedes matcha).
• Perhaps they don't grind the tea slowly in granite mills either.
  

To give you an example, it's like being sold champagne that isn't from the region of France and is made with grapes that don't grow there. If it were made in Spain with Macabeo grapes, then it would be Cava, not Champagne. In the case of wine, there are regulations to prevent this from happening; there are designations of origin and much more expertise than in the case of tea. So, unfortunately, this can happen with tea. But don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that tea from China or Korea is bad; it's simply different. Therefore, these brands should highlight what makes these ground green teas unique, but not call them matcha.

3. There is said to be a shortage of matcha.

The reality is that there is indeed a shortage of the matcha used in Japan in cha no yu ceremonies, since these very high quality matchas are reserved for these rituals, which are not celebrated daily nor do they generate large consumption, so producers have a certain amount of this quality of matcha and as demand grows so much in the West, the tea they produce of that quality is not enough.

On the other hand, tencha (destemmed green tea), which precedes matcha, is only produced in large volumes in a few parts of Japan. The machinery is very sophisticated, and at the moment, they don't have the capacity to increase production further, even though the West "demands" it. That's why some producers, like our matcha supplier in Japan, have developed a new ground tea called "arabiki cha." This tea is made from the first harvest of tea leaves and is ground after being processed as green tea, but the leaves are NOT destemmed; in other words, it's not made into tencha. Let's see if this type of tea permeates our culture in the future.

I hope all this information helps you make a more informed decision about which matcha to buy, depending on how you intend to use it, and allows you to confidently choose "non-ceremonial" matcha, knowing that as long as it's authentic and of acceptable quality, it will provide all its benefits.

Are you already familiar with the different qualities of EURO TE matcha? You can find all our matcha products, information about their properties, and some recipes by visiting the Matcha Collection.

In addition, I invite you to discover other powdered teas and herbal infusions with different and magnificent properties by clicking here.

Olivia Medina
Tea Master, EURO TE