Matcha Grades Explained

Walk into any matcha shop and you’ll see labels like ceremonial, premium, latte and culinary. They sound official, but they’re mostly guides to how the matcha is meant to be used. The biggest clue to a matcha’s grade is when the leaves were harvested. Here’s what the labels mean and how harvest changes your cup.

The main grades

Ceremonial grade: Made from young, shade-grown leaves that are hand-picked and stone-milled into a very fine powder. It has a vivid green colour, a silky texture and a naturally sweet, umami-rich flavour with little bitterness. Best for whisking with water or making a latte.

Premium or latte grade: A step between the two. Slightly bolder and less delicate than ceremonial, so it holds its flavour against milk and sweeteners.

Culinary grade: Made from more mature leaves, with a stronger, more astringent flavour and a duller green. It stands up well in baking, smoothies, ice cream and cooking.

Harvest explained: first, second and third

Tea plants in Japan are harvested several times a year, and each harvest produces leaves with a different character. Exact timing varies by region and season, but the pattern is similar everywhere.

First harvest (ichibancha), spring:
Picked in late April to May, after the plant has rested all winter and stored up nutrients. The new shoots are packed with amino acids, especially theanine, which gives matcha its sweetness and umami. The leaves are tender, deep green and low in bitterness. This is where ceremonial grade matcha comes from, and it’s the most prized and usually the most expensive harvest.

Second harvest (nibancha), early summer:
Picked roughly 40 to 50 days later, around June to July. The plant has grown faster in warmer weather, so the leaves are larger and less tender, with fewer amino acids and more catechins. The result is a stronger, more astringent flavour and a less vivid green. Second harvest matcha is often used for premium, latte or everyday grades, and sometimes for culinary matcha.

Third harvest (sanbancha), late summer:
Picked around August. The leaves are more mature again, with a noticeably bolder, more bitter taste and a duller colour. This harvest is mostly used for culinary matcha, where it’s balanced by milk, sugar and other ingredients, and for other types of tea.

Some regions also take a fourth harvest in autumn, but it’s less common for matcha.