Japanese Premium Culinary Matcha

Purpose & use

• Culinary matcha is made for recipes. Its flavor is bolder and slightly more bitter, so it stands up to sugar, dairy, and heat—perfect for lattes, smoothies, cookies, cakes, frostings, and sauces.
  
• Ceremonial matcha is made for drinking straight (traditional whisked tea). It’s delicate, naturally sweet, and creamy when whisked with water.
  

Leaf selection & harvest

• Culinary: typically uses slightly older or later-harvest leaves, giving a more robust taste that cuts through other ingredients.
  
• Ceremonial: uses the youngest, most tender leaves for a smooth, umami-rich cup.
  

Flavor & color

• Culinary: pronounced green-tea flavor with gentle bitterness; color can be vivid to olive-green depending on the lot.
  
• Ceremonial: sweeter, rounder, high-umami; usually a brighter emerald color.
  

Grind & texture

• Both are finely milled, but culinary can be slightly coarser (still very fine) and benefits from sifting in batters.
  
• Ceremonial is milled ultra-fine for a silky drink.
  

Price & practicality

• Culinary is more budget-friendly for recipes where you use teaspoons at a time.
  
• Ceremonial commands a premium due to stricter leaf selection and traditional milling for sipping quality.
  

Can you swap them?

• You can drink culinary, but it’ll taste stronger and more bitter.
  
• You can bake with ceremonial, but its delicate notes may disappear