Freshly-ground has always been better.

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.

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What experts are saying

  • SingleThread owner and chef, Kyle Connaughton, prepares food in front of a wall of donabe pots.

    Kyle Connaughton

    Owner and Chef, SingleThread, Healdsburg, CA

    “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.”

  • Sushi Taro owner and chef, Nobu Yamazaki, prepares a vegetable with a long knife.

    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.

  • A line of bright green, freshly-ground matcha powder next to a bowl of a deep green matcha drink.

    Freshly-ground

  • A line of oxidized, brown-tinted pre-ground matcha powder next to a bowl of a dull-colored matcha drink.

    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.

  • A chart showing that freshly-ground matcha contains much more chlorophyll a than pre-ground matcha does.

    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. 

  • A chart showing that freshly-ground matcha contains much more antioxidants than pre-ground matcha does.

    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