Zen no Megumi Matcha powder Japanese Organic Gozen Made in Shizuoka Japan 3.53oz 100g Standard

I received the tea bag in good condition. When I checked the expiration date the ink stating month and day is washed out but the expiration date is due in 2021. Honestly this is very disappointing.

Zen no Megumi Matcha powder standard Japanese Organic Gozen Made in Shizuoka JapanNot bitter, but doesn't really have a matcha flavor to itI have a cup of matcha every morning. The matcha I have at home range from matcha that is comparable in price to this brand to ones that are cost up to 4x-6x as much (first harvest matcha from UJI). To be fair, I compared this next to the other brand which was only a couple more dollars than this brand for the same amount.Observations:This matcha really didn't smell as sweet nor smell as strongly next to the other brand I have. As if smell was indicative of what was to come in terms of flavor, this matcha had no bitterness, no sweetness, and pretty much not a lot of matcha flavor at all. Comparatively the other brand I have still has a matcha flavor to it. The color of this matcha was more of a tan green color than a vibrant green. When I whisked this, I ended up getting more lumps than the other brand as well.Overall this isn't a matcha that I'll add to my rotation of matcha's I use in every morning when I brew. I guess you could use this as culinary grade matcha... but I don't see the point if it isn't going to taste like matcha? There are other brands out there that are approximately in the same price range that will give you more matcha flavor.

This matcha powder did not state if it’s ceremonial grade or culinary grade. I would put it in between ceremonial grade and culinary grade. The color is not as bright green as ceremonial grade but greener than culinary grade. Pleasant matcha taste with slight bitterness. Not as bitter as culinary matcha powder. The matcha powder blends nicely in water with my matcha whisk. However, the reason I took two stars off is because it does tend to settle on the bottom of the cup. This means lot of the powder is wasted. Even my culinary matcha powder doesn’t settle on the bottom of the cup. Decent matcha powder for drinking, I'll probably use it for baking.

I'm looking at this matcha with several aspects in mind. The primary one is, of course, taste. This isn't ceremonial grade matcha so I can't expect it to taste like that much pricier version. When I tasted the powder, it is very sweet on the front end, earthy in the middle, and bitter on the finish. When used in a latte, I found that all of the bitterness was gone and it was mainly the earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness. It is pretty good for culinary grade and I'd rate this as being better than average for that type. I've tried a lot of culinary grade matcha and some of it really just tastes like dirt and is quite grainy. This is very fine and soft in texture and dissolves well with vigorous mixing. The color is more of an olive green than a bright, vibrant green and the scent is less sweet than ceremonial. The aroma is probably the only thing I was a bit disappointed in as it is strongly earthy without a hint of sweetness.I'm also looking at value and this is good value for this type of matcha, particularly for that which is made in Japan where one can be assured of good quality control in the handling and growth of the tea. I have faith that this isn't adulterated and does not contain harmful elements. It isn't the most budget-minded choice, but it is better than some of lower tier options. It will not fool anyone into thinking it is ceremonial grade though, but it is good for what it is.

I have been drinking and baking with matcha for about 6 years. I have tried so many brands just to see if their are any that can do better than the last. The best are ceremonial but those cost a pretty penny. This one is half that price has way more and can compete for one of those top spots.Pros:* Not bitter-Bitter matcha is not a good sign in matcha and bad matcha will be very bitter and it is horrible to drink. This one doesn’t even have a slight bitter taste. I always taste it alone without any milk or sweetener added to it so I can see what it truly tastes like when I try a new brand.*Bright color-This has a bright green color to it. Not as bright as a very expensive one I have bought before but it is pretty close. Dark green and especially color than looks almost brown is bad and a sign of bad matcha. These are ground up green tea leaves so you want to make sure the color is a bright green. This one is.*Smooth consistency-This is a very fine powder, it is not does not stick together, and it blends well. I do use a mini hand blender as the whisks some use for matcha just take too long for me. You can make it either way. If you use a whisk it is best to add just a bit off hot water to the matcha until you make a nice paste and then add then rest of the water in mixing as you go. If you don’t you might find yourself try to chance the little clumps of matcha left over so you can break them up and get them well blended.*Price to amount ratio-This is a large amount for the price especially compared to the tiny jars and baggies that I usually order for quality matcha. I don’t waste anything. I will add a little water and get all that matcha stuck to the sides off when I finish the bag and that will be enough to make another drink. You don’t need much for matcha. Only a small amount as instructed is enough.*Container-This bag is resealable and it seems to create an air tight seal and it is resealing each time I use it without difficulty.Cons:*No cons so far. I am glad I got it.Conclusion:This is a really good deal in price, amount, and especially quality. You don’t want to buy a large amount of cheap matcha and have it taste horrible. Trust me I did that once and no one drank it so I ended up throwing it out. The makers of this matcha know what they are doing and you can use it to bake if you would like but I think it would be a waste for this type of matcha which would be better spent as a drink or latte (my favorite). I definitely recommend this one without a doubt. It has everything I am looking for without the large price tag.