Jade Leaf Matcha Organic Culinary Grade Green Tea Powder - Farm Direct Second Harvest for Blending and Cooking - Authentic Japanese Origin (1 Pound Pouch)

Honestly love this matcha powder. Feels like I've had it forever and it's still good. I got a tiny bag to try it (both to drink and to bake with, and it makes really good matcha banana bread and matcha lattes), then got a big bag later. With the big bag, it came as a big resealable bag, and inside of that bag was a foil-sealed bag, so it's double the protection. I keep mine closed and clipped shut inside of the foil bag in a dark, cool cabinet, and I've had zero issues. No mold, bugs, rot, or musty tasting powder at all. It also isn't clumping or anything, it does great. A little does go a long way, be careful with measurements, and mix thoroughly, because it will clump up otherwise. I got the little bamboo whisk and it does help to blend it, but a regular whisk would do the trick, too. I've also added it to protein shakes and it blends well in the shaker bottle, too. Speaking from experience: accidentally ingesting a clump of matcha powder is pretty foul, so I recommend making sure you mix thoroughly. :) Tl;dr: great to drink, mix in protein shakes, or bake with. Mix thoroughly to avoid clumps. Keep tightly sealed and store in a cool, dark, dry place and you shouldn't have problems for longevity.

This is the best matcha for the price, regardless of which grade and size you are getting. And trust me, I've tried many brands, and grades! So, I'll organize my review into two categories accordingly: Traditionally Served Ceremonial Matcha: Teahouse Edition, 3.5 oz Comes with a white and green tin that seals really well for storage; I keep in the fridge. I follow the recipe on the side when I am fasting (1/2 to 1 teaspoon, froth with warm/cool water, add hot water). Super sweet matcha flavor, no bitterness, but it's not cheap! If you are going to drink it straight, though, without sweetener or milk, this is the one to get--it lasts a long time as you don't need so much matcha powder per serving. Strong honey latte: Culinary grade, 1lb size Because we like our lattes strong and go through it fast--for 2-3 people (always 2, sometimes 3 depending on who's around) it lasts us about a month--I have a 4-week autoship subscription on this. I've tried other brands' culinary grade and nothing except for Mighty Leaf is comparable to Jade Leaf in taste, but I prefer JL because of the 1lb size. I just go through ML too quickly. JL sometimes has a grainier consistency that settles out more, while other batches stay mixed better; it's a tradeoff. I've noticed the photos on this size show mainly a brown bag with black and green sticker on the front; what arrives actually looks like the photo of the back with recipes (black banner, green lower). My recipe is one heaping--and I mean heaping!!--spoonful (a regular kitchen spoon that some call teaspoon-sized, not a tablespoon-sized kitchen spoon), one scoop of collagen peptides, roughly 1-2oz hot water, same small kitchen spoon full of honey, roughly 2 cups milk. First, mix dry ingredients well. Pour in hot water, swirl, then stir thoroughly with spoon. Add honey, stir again, add milk. Can be served hot or cold, can use one of those frother stick blenders if you really want it mixed well but I don't bother. Some settling does occur while it sits, so I keep swirling it (or use a mason jar with lid and keep shaking it throughout breakfast). YMMV depending on how big your regular spoons are, sorry I don't use a measuring spoon for this, but it's fun to experiment and find out how you like it!

Quality

I found it to be too strong tbh. Not a matcha fan maybe. I'll keep trying to make it better but I don't think I'll be buying matcha again. Friends that tried it with me said it was good so maybe it's a preference thing. Color is great though and texture seems fine.

TL;DR: If you intend to drink Matcha as a tea, buy Jade Leaf's ceremonial grade powder. For that purpose, it is well worth the price, compared to both Jade Leaf's culinary grade and other brands' products regardless of grade. Consider drinking the tea at less than 65 degrees Celsius to be very cautious with your health. I have spent several weeks now with both the ceremonial and culinary grades of Jade Leag's Matcha Tea. The company attempts to set customer expectation with the following note in the item description: "What's the difference between Culinary and Ceremonial grades? Culinary grades are from later harvest tea leaves, have a bolder flavor meant for mixing into recipes as an ingredient, and are more affordable. Ceremonial grades are from first harvest leaves, have a smoother flavor suitable for traditional preparation as a tea (just mixed with hot water and whisked), and are more expensive?" Translation: if you're going to drink Matcha as a tea, order the ceremonial grade. That is the intended purpose of the ceremonial grade. The culinary grade may satisfy you as a tea, but it may not. Culinary grade tea' purpose is an ingredient in cooking or baking. Beyond the company's descriptions, which I find to be completely forthright and accurate, my experience is the ceremonial grade is more leafy, while the culinary grade is more chalky. Neither mixes completely into a tea, and neither stays mixed well for more than a few minutes. The ceremonial tea is absolutely delicious. If you have ever eaten Korean kim bap or Japanese sushi with seaweed you will have some idea of the earthy (or, more accurately, "rooty") aftertaste. Those not at all familiar with Japanese or Korean cuisine may find this taste unusual, but stick with it--it is an acquired taste. The culinary grade does not have this aftertaste; its aftertaste is chalky, consistent with its texture. The flavor is markedly different than the ceremonial grade, but not unpleasant (for me, anyway). I do not get the huge energy boost and focus others have described from the culinary grade powder, but I certainly do get those benefits from the ceremonial grade powder. I enjoy and derive greater benefits from both Jade Leaf grades than I have from other brands I tried previously. My final tip for product use is to keep the temperature below 65 degrees Celsius when drinking. Multiple studies in northern Iran, where tea drinking is a daily event for most of the population, indicate up to a 90% higher risk of esophageal cancer in those who consume extremely hot drinks regularly versus those who do not consume such hot drinks. European studies have not replicated the Iranian studies' findings, but I play it safe and drink the tea less than 60 degrees Celsius.