Sun Goddess Matcha Tin

Our general recommendation to make your matcha in the traditional way, we suggest putting the powder in your cup and then adding hot or cold water and mixing it right away for the best results. We recommend using a bamboo whisk for a frothy traditional matcha, but you can also use a kitchen whisk or a fork with good results. Here's a video of our founder, Simon, preparing ceremonial matcha:

You can also put your matcha powder in a bottle of water (cold if preferred) and shake it to mix for an on-the-go option. Water temperature will make a big impact on the taste of our teas. Ideal hot water temperature for matcha is between 140°-150°F and we strongly recommend not using water any hotter than 170°F.

Most people find matcha to have a strong, savory, grassy flavor, similar to wheatgrass or even spinach. However, premium matcha like our Sun Goddess Matcha is less grassy and has balanced flavors with layers of unfolding nuance and complexity. There are a lot of factors that differentiate premium matcha from common matcha. For more information about premium matcha, please check out our Insider's Guide

Both matcha and green tea begin as the Camellia Sinensis plant. The main difference starts with how the plant is grown and processed. Matcha tea is shade grown and ground to a fine powder – you are essentially consuming whole tea leaves. The plant intended for green teas, on the other hand, is traditionally grown and harvested. Once harvested, the leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and then dried. The dried leaves are broken up for tea bags or carefully packaged as loose leaf tea, ready to steep. For more information about this, please visit our article 5 Key Differences Between Matcha and Green Tea.

If preparing matcha the traditional way does not work for you as a beginner, we recommend starting out by getting your palate accustomed to matcha. You can make matcha flavored drinks such as our Sun Goddess Matcha Latte You can also find other matcha recipes here.

Though matcha powder grades are not regulated and therefore may be inconsistent, the two categories you’re most likely to come across are culinary and ceremonial grades.

Culinary matcha powder is meant specifically for use in food, like in desserts, or other baked goods. It is typically less expensive since it’s intended for use in food or recipes, not drinking. The flavor profile is not as good as ceremonial grade since you want a different flavor result when baking or cooking with matcha. It’ll provide the color and flavor, but the quality of the plant, the growing practices, and the process of grinding it into powder will not be as high of a standard as ceremonial.

Ceremonial grade, on the other hand, is meant to be drunk on its own, whisked into hot water the way that traditional matcha is prepared in Japanese tea ceremonies. Ceremonial grade matcha indicates higher quality and better drinking experience.

Our Sun Goddess Matcha is sourced from a lush valley at the southernmost tip of the Japanese island chain, and is a ceremonial grade matcha. It is the furthest distance from environmental toxins and neighbors with Okinawa (home to some of the longest living people on Earth). The source of our matcha is more pristine and untouched than any other. We collaborated with Mr. Mori, a 9th-degree teamaster, to ensure you get only the ceremonial grade matcha following a scoresheet designed by them. It is also screened for heavy metals, toxic molds, pesticides, and radioactive isotopes.