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Best ceremonial matcha in the UK: how to choose
What actually makes matcha good: first harvest, shade-grown, single origin and milled recently. An honest guide from a London matcha company.
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The Journal
The Raku Matcha Journal is our library of plain guides to matcha and hōjicha: how to choose it, how to make it, how much caffeine it holds and where it comes from. Every guide is written in our London studio, where we pack the tea each week.
01
Choosing matcha
What makes matcha good, what the grades really mean, and how to tell before you buy.
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What does ceremonial grade matcha actually mean?
Ceremonial grade is not a regulated term. How to judge matcha quality yourself: first harvest, shading, origin, colour, taste and freshness.4 min read -
Ceremonial vs culinary vs supermarket matcha
Ceremonial matcha is first-harvest leaf for drinking; culinary is later harvest for cooking. A plain explainer, and why freshness beats grade.3 min read -
Why matcha fades, and why we pack weekly
Matcha fades from the moment it is milled: colour dulls and bitterness rises. Why it happens, where the time goes, and how to keep your tin fresh.2 min read -
Where to buy good matcha powder in London
Buy first-harvest ceremonial matcha from a London company. Packed weekly in East London, free UK delivery over £25, dispatched within 48 hours.3 min read
02
Making it
Dose, water, temperature and whisking. The bowl first, then the latte.
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How to make matcha, and how much to use
Use 3g of matcha with 48ml of water at 80°C and whisk for twenty seconds. Dose, temperature, technique and storage, step by step.3 min read -
How to make a matcha latte, hot or iced
Sift 3g of matcha, whisk with 48ml of water at 80°C, add 150 to 200ml of milk. The full method for hot and iced matcha lattes, plus the best milk t...3 min read -
How to make a hōjicha latte
Whisk 3g of hōjicha with 60ml of hot water and top up with 150 to 200ml of milk. A toasty, low-caffeine latte, hot or iced, with the best milks to ...2 min read
03
Recipes
Four ways we drink it in the studio, hot and over ice.
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RecipeCeremonial, the pure bowl
The pure matcha bowl: sift 3g of Hikari, add 48ml of water at 80°C and whisk until frothy. The traditional way to drink ceremonial matcha.1 min read -
RecipeIced matcha, straight up
Iced matcha, straight up: whisk 3g of Hikari with 48ml of water at 80°C, then pour over ice and 200ml of cold water. Bright, clean and easy.1 min read -
RecipeCoconut water matcha cloud
A coconut water matcha cloud: Shōgun matcha over coconut water and ice, topped with a soft cream cold foam and a touch of maple.1 min read -
RecipeIced lemon tea matcha
Iced lemon tea matcha: 3g of Hikari whisked with 48ml of water at 80°C, then poured over ice with fresh lemon and cold water.1 min read
04
Caffeine and the body
How much caffeine is in a bowl, how it compares to coffee, and what the research says.
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How much caffeine is in matcha?
A 3g bowl of matcha holds roughly 70mg to 90mg of caffeine, against 90mg to 110mg in a cup of filter coffee. The full range, and why first harvest ...3 min read -
Matcha vs coffee: what is the actual difference?
Matcha has less caffeine than coffee plus L-theanine, which most people find steadier. Taste, bitterness, and which one to drink when.2 min read -
Is matcha good for you? What the evidence actually says
What is in a bowl of matcha, what research on focus and health actually shows, UK rules on health claims, and how much caffeine is too much.5 min read
05
Origin and craft
Where the leaf grows, in Uji and Yame, the bowl it is whisked in, and the ceremony behind it.
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Why does the best matcha come from Uji?
Uji near Kyoto has grown tea for eight hundred years and developed the shading that defines matcha. What the valley does to the leaf, and what Uji ...2 min read -
What is Okumidori matcha, and why Yame?
Okumidori is a tea cultivar registered in 1974. Our single-cultivar Okumidori matcha comes direct from a family farm in Yame, Fukuoka: nutty, sesam...3 min read -
What is hōjicha, and how is it different from matcha?
Hōjicha is roasted Japanese green tea: toasty, nutty and lower in caffeine than matcha. How it is made, how it tastes, and how it compares to matcha.3 min read -
What is a chawan, and does the bowl matter?
A chawan is the wide bowl matcha is whisked in, and the width matters. Kiyomizu ware from Kyoto, keshiki glazes, and how to care for one.2 min read -
What is the Japanese tea ceremony?
Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, is the practice of preparing matcha for guests. Its history, Sen no Rikyu, and koicha versus usucha explained.2 min read
From the studio
News, notes and press from Raku Matcha.
Taste what you have read about.
First-harvest matcha from Uji and Yame, packed in London every week. Free UK delivery over £25.