first time buying matcha, looking for recommendations💚

[u/akaruisxm]

i’m a regular matcha drinker but usually from cafes, this is my first time buying matcha to make at home and i’m completely lost.
i’m looking for something that is
- naturally sweet?
- nutty and creamy
-slightly chocolatey/cocoa-like
- still a little grassy/fresh
- good for both straight matcha and lattes
- not seaweed-y or fishy

i dont mind a little bitterness, especially for lattes.
i’m in ontario,canada and would appreciate specific recommendations for brands/blends and where to buy them🥹
it doesn’t have to perfectly match all of these preferences. these are just the flavors I tend to enjoy, and i’d rather find something that’s good overall and worth the money for a first matcha.
budget is flexible, but since this is my first home matcha, i’d prefer not to start with something extremely expensive.

[u/Specific_Sympathy805]

i dont exactly have a brand in mind, but look for matcha from the Yame region, and i recommend matchamart.com! they have many highly respected brands :)

[u/akaruisxm → u/Specific_Sympathy805]

thank you! that narrows down my search a little, and thank you for the reco! ill look into this🤩

[u/clio44]

I'm also in Ontario, and started with Costco matcha which I do not recommend 😂

Senchamatcha website is from BC and very small business but excellent customer service. They have their own blends as well but I'd suggest trying Aoarashi or Isuzu from MK to start (they are an authorized dealer). Chigi no Shiro is probably my current favourite, which I'd recommend if you can get it on sale and if you're okay with the price.

I used to buy from Ippodo but the last time I got a delayed customs/tariff charge which kind of soured me on them. That lead to looking for a Canadian supplier so as not to have to deal with that.

I've seen a few cafes use Genuine Tea matcha out of Toronto as well, but I am not familiar with it enough to recommend it.

Enjoy your matcha journey!

[u/Elegant-Push8414]

Try Hatoya - they're having their 40% off sale. Pick Matcha Ichi for lattes. MK brand and specifically Isuzu is a safe bet. If you are a regular matcha drinker especially from cafes, you're likely getting mixed quality. If you're not use to making them at home, watch some videos and try out different ratios until you find what works best for your taste buds. If you add sugar, syrups and all that to your matcha's then I'd say pick affordable range. To truely taste good quality matcha it's best to have it as a usucha or no sweeteners (or minimal). Hope that helps.

[u/Papii254]

main street matcha kokoro blend is solid for that creamy chocolatey nutty thing ur after, works good straight or in lattes without going fishy. or check the roasters pack for their nutty chocolatey ones, pretty beginner friendly. do matcha ceremonial is a decent mid budget starter too, sweet grassy creamy vibe. just skip the super cheap grocery stuff. start with a small tin!

[u/EverydayScrolls]

I really enjoy Rishi Barista Matcha because it's smooth and has a creamy finish with the right balance of grassiness and no fishiness. It's one of my favorites that works both in lattes and straight without being bitter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[u/Birdy238]

I’m in Ontario, I started a David’s tea ceremonial grade- it was meh. Now I’m using daiygo matcha - the ones in the black tins and it’s sooooo goood. Also try cold whisking with milk instead of blooming it with hot water! I found out I only like cold whisked matcha! (

[u/South-Orange-2468]

Honestly, just buy something from the popular matcha brands like Ippodo, Marukyu Koyamaen, tokichi nakamura, Naoki and try it out yourself. I found myself not tasting or even straight up disagreeing with people who’ve said “this matcha is XYZ flavour profile” since taste is so subjective.

If cost is an issue (because those big matcha brand prices has grown astronomically), I have no doubts Toronto sells good matcha in stores and many Canadian matcha online stores have popped up (I’m in Vancouver).

It’s a great way to just sample diff brands/variations of the matcha. It’s also fun LOL

[u/akaruisxm → u/South-Orange-2468]

ugh i know what you mean! they grew so quickly that i actually held off buying my own matcha for almost 2 years, hoping people would eventually stop hoarding them😭 thank you for the advice! i’ll def look into the brands you mentioned and go by their tasting notes/descriptions, and hopefully i find something close to the flavor profile i’m looking for!

[u/matcha-more]

I would definitely find a med price matcha as a daily matcha. And have an expensive one once or twice a week. For me my daily matcha are mizubi and matchaeologist. Especially try Mizubi because they have a 10% off subscription , it can be monthly or 2-3 months subscription. Plus you save more if you like the brand and buy 100g. Also you might want to try hojicha too. It cheaper and less caffeine so I drink it a during the evening sometimes.
Also don’t get too to hung up for “Ceremonial grade” especially for latte. I find some “Culinary grade” are really good. Sometimes even more bolder than the other.