Organic Matcha Powder, USDA & JAS Certified, No Sugar Added, Authentic Japanese Cafe Grade Matcha Green Tea Powder Perfect for Matcha Lattes, Smoothies & Baking, 3.5 oz/100g

I’ve got years of experience drinking matcha pretty much daily. I’ve tasted ceremonial grade in Japan and at a Japanese tea ceremony decades ago. I’ve had delicious matcha lattes in Korea. I’ve tried at least half a dozen culinary-grade Matcha brands from Amazon, as well as at Star Bucks, Pete’s coffee, and Whole Foods. For the price, this one is it! (IMO, the Whole Foods selection of Matcha have been terrible, so far, smelling rancid and being super bitter — if you can even swallow it!). Quality-wise, I put this AprikaLife Matcha in the same category as Eco’s premium culinary grade Matcha (on the left in the photo). They’re both very close to ceremonial-grade. AprikaLife doesn’t have a very strong fragrance like the Eco brand (which has a smell that reminds me of fine black tea before it has been brewed), but it still smells fresh, not rancid like some culinary-grade matchas. It also dissolves quite well (I just use a spoon to mix in a small amount of water before adding more liquid). Use an egg-beating type of motion with the mug tilted for better mixing. A bamboo whisk would of course work best, but I don’t want to bother having to clean that every day. As you can see from the photos, the color is excellent and slightly darker than the Eco brand. Both of these matchas have a far superior color compared to other culinary-grade matchas, others being more yellow or ashy in color. When mixed with milk, it is a beautiful light vibrant green, a sign of quality. I detect no bitterness when drinking it as a latte in organic 2% milk. I add about 1/4 teaspoon organic ginger powder and a tiny spritz of organic powdered cardamom to the dry mix, add a very small amount of moderately hot water (155F) until it’s completely dissolved, mix in a small teaspoon of honey, then fill the rest of the mug with the milk. This is all the caffeine I consume for the entire day, and I work really long days! No jittery spike followed by the dragging crash. No gastritis, but it does help your system work! In fact, my advice is that if you tend to get irritable bowels, start really light at about a 1/4 to a 1/3 tsp per moderately large mug, at first, then work your way up. Matcha does have caffeine, but it also has L-theamine, which causes a “slow-release” effect on the caffeine. I took a chance and got the 1lb bag of this Matcha due to the great reviews. For the price at 1lb, I’m not aware of any better deal at this time! Well worth it and I put this one on an automatic re-order. Update 4/23/2022: I’m not going to any other brand and have this on auto-order. I have yet to get a single disappointing batch! Fantastic job Aprika! 😄 Update 1/9/2024: I just tried another matcha (VitaXtra) because I miscalculated the timing of the auto-delivery for the Aprika Life and needed something to tie me over. Aprika Life is still my favorite compared to at least 7 (likely more) other brands that I’ve purchased/ tried over many many years, now. Only some ceremonial matchas that I tried in Japan and at a Japanese tea ceremony in the US in years far past surpassed Aprika Life, which is impressive considering this is their culinary grade!

UPDATE: added details for the ceremonial grade version. Cuilnary Grade: Great quality for culinary grade matcha. The matcha powder is very green, but it wasn’t a very vibrant green. It’s good that it’s not brown in color. Taste-wise, it’s bitter (I see this as a positive) and has your typical green tea aroma. The only downsides with this matcha is that it’s a little chalky and doesn’t foam as easily as some other matcha brands I’ve used (also culinary grade), like Ito En’s. Ceremonial Grade: The matcha has fresh green color, although it's a dark green rather than a bright, vibrant green. It mixes very well in warm water and isn't chalky, and has a "leafy" and pleasant smell. It tastes rich and has noticeable umami, with an almost unnoticeable bitterness. It does not have a creamy texture like some of the very high quality ceremonial grade matcha though. Overall, this matcha is a relatively good ceremonial grade matcha.

I've used this brand for over a year now and I've been very happy with it. I was ordering the smaller bags but now I buy the 1 pound bags that last me around 5/6 months (store tightly in a dark, cool place). I really like my matcha lattes strong and use 1 tablespoon per two cups. It's very bright, grassy, and has just the right amount of bitter for culinary grade, good value for the price. My matcha latte recipe (makes 2 cups): - 1 tablespoon matcha - 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract - a dash of cinnamon - honey to taste - 1 cup of water - 1/2 cup oat milk - 1/2 cup ice - Optional: Collagen powder I highly recommend using a frother with a small amount of water in a small cup to help blend, it's natural for matcha to clump and it needs a lot of blending. After blending the matcha, add in the cinnamon and vanilla extract (plus collagen powder if you are adding it) to the matcha. Then add honey, you may need to blend this with a fork before using frother since it's thick. Once it's all combined stur the slurry into a cup with water, oat milk, and ice. This drink would probably cost $7+, but making it at home is a fraction of that.

If you like matcha, try it. I ordered the 1.1 pound, best value so far. I’m satisfied with my purchaser. I store the bag inside a plastic ziplock bag. Other than that, enjoy 🤗

I use this to make my matcha cookies or just to bake with in general, it’s amazing quality!