The word matcha is everywhere today.

On menus, on shelves, on social media. This omnipresence has a downside: a dilution of meaning. Not all green powders are matcha, and not all products called "matcha" respect its origin, quality, or function.

Authentic matcha isn't judged by its packaging or a marketing promise. It's recognized by precise sensory and technical criteria, directly linked to its cultivation and processing.

Color: the first non-negotiable indicator

Color is the most immediate signal.
Quality matcha has an intense, vibrant, almost luminous green. This shade comes from the high concentration of chlorophyll, which is induced by shading the tea plants for 20 to 30 days before harvesting.

Conversely, a dull green, yellowish, or khaki powder indicates:

• a late harvest
• oxidation
• or overly aggressive industrial grinding

Good matcha doesn't cheat visually. Its color is a direct reflection of its quality.

Taste: sweetness, umami, and length on the palate

Taste is often misunderstood. Many associate bitterness with the "strength" of matcha. This is a mistake.

Quality matcha is naturally sweet, round, with a pronounced umami presence. It can be vegetal, slightly briny, sometimes almost sweet, but it should never be harsh on the palate.

Pronounced bitterness is generally a sign of:

• matcha made from older leaves
• low L-theanine content
• or a culinary use diverted into a drink

Well-selected matcha stands on its own, without sugar or milk.

Texture: fineness and mouthfeel

Texture is an often-overlooked yet crucial criterion.
Quality matcha is ground very slowly, traditionally with a stone mill. The result: an extremely fine, almost impalpable powder.

In the mouth, this translates into a silky, homogeneous, grain-free sensation. A sandy or granular texture reveals rapid mechanical grinding, which is more economical but destructive to the product's fineness.

Origin and harvest: where it all begins

True matcha is Japanese.
This is because Japan concentrates the historical know-how, terroirs, and methods adapted to this production.

High-quality matchas come from the first harvests, when the leaves are young and rich in amino acids. These early harvests partly explain the higher price of ceremonial matcha: the yield is low, the demands maximal.

Nutritional density: what quality reveals

The quality of matcha is not only seen, but also measured in its composition.
High-end matcha contains:

• up to 10 to 20 times more antioxidants than an infused green tea
• approximately 60 to 130 mg of EGCG per cup, compared to 10 to 15 mg for a classic green tea
• an L-theanine content up to 6 times higher, promoting more stable energy and better nervous tolerance

This explains why two matchas can produce radically different effects on the body and mind.

Price: an indicator

Quality matcha cannot be cheap.
Between prolonged shading, manual harvests, slow grinding, and limited volumes, the production cost is incompressible.

Too low a price is almost always synonymous with compromises on raw materials. Matcha is no exception to a simple rule: quality comes at a price at the source.

At Supramatcha, these criteria are not theoretical. They guide every selection.
Our Origin Saemidori matcha (the one at the top of the photo) is chosen for its vibrant color, its bitterness-free sweetness, and its silky texture, resulting from an early harvest and artisanal work in Japan. No additives, no correctives, no camouflage.
Only a matcha that respects what it is meant to be: an exceptional powder, discernible by taste and by its effects.