prashanti anderson

general thoughts

I tend to buy most of my matcha from Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen (preferably the second one). These are both non-trivial to get your hands on nowadays, although Ippodo is significantly easier (their US and Global shop restocks every day at 8am EST).

I typically don't drink matcha in a latte form and instead just whisk it with water. If you are planning to drink matcha with milk you will likely disagree with most of my opinions since matcha lattes require a strong and slightly bitter matcha which is less pleasant when drinking alone.

There are two main traditional preparations of matcha: usucha and koicha. I tend to lean towards usucha but certain matcha varieties are better suited towards one or the other and typically note this.

Small tea shop in Kyoto, Japan which I visited on my most recent trip to Japan.

matcha reviews

  1. Sumida Kouseien Komakage

    My favorite matcha of all time. I wish I knew a way to buy it online or in the US. It has subtle umami notes and a nice aroma. There is basically no bitter aftertaste, although the main flavor does have some notes of bitterness. It's perfect for drinking as usucha and is a refreshing start to the day while not being overly rich.

  2. Marukyu Koyamaen Kinrin.

    This is a strong and rich matcha. I really liked the flavor and thought it had a nice level of umami and frothed nicely, creating a thick foam layer on the top and creamy consistency. There was a slight amount of bitterness and astringency, although I likely would not have even noticed it without comparisons to other matcha varieties on this list.

  3. Marukyu Koyamaen Yugen.

    This is my favorite Marukyu Koyamaen matcha out of all the varieties I've tried. It's balanced without any noticeable bitterness and can seem slightly sweet at times, even without additional sugar. There's a slight amount of umami, which complements the flavor, but it's not overwhelming. It's also cheaper than Kinrin, so having tried both I would always just order Yugen if given the choice between them.

  4. Marukyu Koyamaen Isuzu.

    This is one of Marukyu Koyamaen's "less premium" matcha powders (although it is still a principal matcha). It has a strong flavor and much more noticeable bitterness than either Yugen or Kinrin. I suspect it would work well it lattes since it would be less overpowered by the milk than more subtle and delicate varities. However, I was not the biggest fan of the bitterness just drinking it by itself.

  5. Ippodo Sayaka.

    This is a very rich matcha with strong umami notes. It's amazing by itself, but I did not like it in lattes - it was somehow too rich in combination with the milk and also did not have much of the matcha flavor come through.

  6. Ippodo Ikuyo.

    My favorite of the Ippodo matchas. It's nice and balanced, with slight notes of umami and sweetness while not being overwhelming (definitely a lot more mellow than Sayaka). It also has the benefit of being less expensive- after I tried Ikuyo I can't imagine spending more for Sayaka if it's available.

I also have been to Setsugekka in NYC and really liked both the variety I tried in-store and one of their house matchas (which I bought in a tin). I don't remember the names of either of these, so I didn't include them in the list above, but I would highly recommend visiting Setsugekka if you are ever in NYC and like matcha/tea.

Updated April 2025.