1A
FOR BAKING
- COLOUR
- Grass green to emerald
- AROMA
- Pronounced grassy notes
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- Distinct tea character, lightly astringent. Evenly milled.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Everyday baking and heat-treated recipes
PURE MATCHA / THE GRADE GUIDE
One ingredient.
Different characters.
Choose by the cup you want to serve: a straight tea, a milk-based drink or a recipe of your own. Compare colour, aroma and texture before choosing a grade.
1A–6A describes this reference range, not an industry-wide grading standard. Reference sample photographs are shown without colour adjustments; lighting and screens can affect colour.
Showing all six grades.
2A
FOR MIXED DRINKS
- COLOUR
- Deep to fresh green
- AROMA
- Shade-grown tea aroma
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- A clean, straightforward tea flavour. Fine and even.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Milk tea, mixed drinks and coffee pairings
3A
FOR DESSERTS
- COLOUR
- Bright, fresh green
- AROMA
- More pronounced shade-grown aroma
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- Fresh and clean. Soft and fine.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Chocolate, mousse and finer desserts
4A
FOR TEA & DRINKS
- COLOUR
- Fresh to tender green
- AROMA
- Distinct nori-like notes
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- Fresh and rounded. Soft and fine.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Straight matcha and premium drinks
5A
FOR WHISKED TEA
- COLOUR
- Tender to deep green
- AROMA
- Rich nori-like aroma
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- Mellow, with a lingering sweet finish. Fine and silky.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Whisked matcha and fine cooking
6A
FOR WHISKED TEA
- COLOUR
- Bright, deep green
- AROMA
- Clean nori and young-leaf notes
- TASTE & TEXTURE
- Full-bodied, with a lingering sweet finish. Fine and silky.
A STARTING POINT FOR
Whisked matcha and fine cooking
Descriptions summarise this reference range. Higher-grade variants can differ in character. Final selection is made through sample tasting in your own recipe.
THE GREEN SIDE OF YOUR DAILY RITUAL
More than
caffeine.
A cup of matcha brings together naturally occurring caffeine and L-theanine. That combination is part of what makes tea an interesting alternative alongside coffee.
Caffeine
A stimulant that can increase alertness. The amount in your cup depends on the tea and the serving size.
L-theanine
Found naturally in tea and studied with caffeine for its role in attention during demanding tasks.
For a morning routine, a pause between meetings or a café’s next signature latte. Choose the tea, portion and recipe around the occasion.
A closer look at the research
A small randomised study of 44 adults found improvements on attention tasks after 97 mg L-theanine with 40 mg caffeine. It tested a measured ingredient combination, not an Etoile matcha serving. Results do not establish that matcha prevents jitters or lasts longer than coffee. Matcha contains caffeine; individual responses and amounts per serving vary.
COLOUR IS JUST THE START
Taste it
your way.
Tell us about your drink or recipe, your market and the flavour you’re looking for. We’ll help you choose samples to compare.