Before pre-ground matcha powder became the industry standard, traditional tea masters ground whole matcha leaves into powder just before serving. The drinker could experience matcha at the height of its freshness.
“Our team of chefs and sommeliers was so incredibly impressed with the flavor of Cuzen Matcha. The pure expression of the tea is amazing and it’s an outstanding way to taste matcha the way it’s meant to be enjoyed. We look forward to featuring the Cuzen system in our inn rooms for our guests to enjoy.”
Nobu Yamazaki
Owner and Chef, Sushi Taro, Washington DC
“Cuzen Matcha has a good combination of rich flavor, sweetness, with a nice level of bitterness. It’s well balanced and amazingly fresh. It’s beautiful and nice to show to my customers at the sushi counter.”
Color gives you a clue.
Because regular, pre-ground matcha powder is finely ground into small particles, more surface area is touched by oxygen than that of whole matcha leaves. This means pre-ground matcha powder oxidizes faster than whole leaves that are stored until grinding.
Freshly-ground
Pre-ground
Source: Our original study. Preserved at 73°F (23°C) for two months.
The above difference in color is due to whole matcha leaves keeping higher levels of chlorophyll a (thus its greener color) than pre-ground matcha powder.
Chlorophyll a Freshly-ground vs. pre-ground
Source: Our original study. Data collected at Japan Food Research Laboratories. Preserved at 73°F (23°C) for 3 months.
It’s higher in antioxidants, too.
Even after two months of storage, whole matcha leaves keep a higher level of antioxidants (ORAC* value) than regular, pre-ground matcha powder. This means that not only is a cup of freshly-ground matcha tastier and brighter, it packs more antioxidants, as well.
Antioxidant ORAC* value Freshly-ground vs. pre-ground
Source: Our original study. Data collected at Japan Food Research Laboratories. Preserved at 98°F (37°C) for two months.
*Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity
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