Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea Powder

Ceremonial grade matcha is made from the youngest, most tender tea leaves from the first spring harvest, shade-grown before picking and stone-ground into a fine, vibrant green powder with a naturally sweet, smooth flavor that needs nothing added to be drinkable. Crop by Pop sources this as USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO verified, and Vegan, packed fresh in the USA in a resealable bag. Ingredients: 100% Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder. Certified Organic by: Natural Food Certifiers. Processed in a facility that also processes Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Soy, and Wheat. 1.06 oz per bag, 15 to 30 servings depending on preparation strength. For the full Crop by Pop range of USDA Certified Organic specialty ingredients, browse the Organic Collection.

What You're Buying - Ceremonial Grade vs Everything Else

Crop by Pop is the USDA Certified Organic line within the Nut Cravings family. Every product in the range carries USDA Organic certification, Non-GMO verification, and Vegan status as baseline standards applied consistently across the full lineup.

Matcha grade is determined by leaf age, harvest timing, and processing method. Ceremonial grade refers to matcha made from the youngest first-harvest leaves, shade-grown for three to four weeks before picking. Shading the tea plants forces the plant to produce more chlorophyll to capture the reduced light, which simultaneously intensifies the green color of the leaf, increases L-theanine concentration as the plant redirects its metabolic processes, and reduces the development of catechins that would otherwise accumulate under direct sunlight and produce bitterness in the finished powder. The result is a leaf with a composition distinct from an unshaded tea leaf of the same variety. First-harvest shade-grown leaves produce matcha with three identifiable characteristics lower-grade matcha cannot replicate: a vivid, saturated green color from elevated chlorophyll content; a smooth, naturally sweet umami flavor with minimal bitterness when whisked with hot water alone; and a finer powder particle size from stone-grinding that dissolves completely without gritty sediment at the bottom of the cup.

Culinary grade matcha uses later-harvest leaves with higher catechin concentrations. Those catechins produce bitterness that makes culinary grade unpleasant when drunk straight but workable when surrounding recipe ingredients - sugar, milk, flour - mask the bitter notes. Ceremonial grade is made to be drunk as tea, whisked with water, without anything masking the flavor because the flavor itself does not need masking. If the intended use is baking, ice cream, or high-flavor recipe applications where strong surrounding ingredients dominate the cup, culinary grade is the more practical and cost-efficient choice. If the intended use is drinking matcha as a tea, latte, or morning beverage, ceremonial grade is the correct choice.

Lab tested for purity: Each batch of Crop by Pop ceremonial matcha is tested by independent third-party laboratories in the United States for lead, heavy metals, microbes, pesticides, radiation, and additional contaminants. The USDA Organic certification confirms that the growing operation meets National Organic Program standards prohibiting synthetic pesticide and fertilizer inputs, verified through annual third-party inspection by Natural Food Certifiers. Both the organic certification and the independent lab testing are active on every batch of this product.

Matcha naturally contains caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea plants that promotes relaxed alertness and modulates the stimulant effect of caffeine. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine present in the same serving is specific to tea-based beverages and is the characteristic behind matcha's reputation for a focused, calm energy response rather than the jitter-and-crash pattern associated with higher-caffeine sources.

Nutrition Per One Half-Teaspoon (1g)

Per one half-teaspoon serving (1g): 15 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium (0% DV), 1g total carbohydrate (0% DV), 1g dietary fiber (4% DV), 0g total sugars, 0g added sugars, 1g protein. Vitamin D: 0mcg (0%). Calcium: 10mg (0%). Iron: 0.2mg (2%). Potassium: 80mg (2%).

The nutrition panel reflects the dissolved powder contribution to a prepared beverage. At one gram per serving, the calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and sugar contributions to a prepared matcha tea are minimal. The dietary fiber at 1g per half-teaspoon (4% DV) and iron at 2% DV per serving reflect the naturally occurring composition of the ground tea leaf itself. Matcha delivers the full ground leaf in every serving, not just the water-soluble compounds extracted in steeped tea, which is why the per-gram fiber and iron contribution appears on the panel where they would be absent from a standard brewed tea product.

How to Prepare Organic Ceremonial Matcha

Traditional Whisked Matcha (Usucha)

Sift one gram (approximately half a teaspoon) of matcha powder into a matcha bowl or a small mug to break up any clumps before adding liquid. Add two ounces of hot water at 70 to 80 degrees Celsius (160 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit). Water above 80 degrees Celsius degrades the L-theanine content and produces a more bitter, less smooth result than the lower temperature range. Whisk briskly in a W or M motion using a bamboo matcha whisk or a small electric frother for 20 to 30 seconds until the powder is fully dissolved and a light foam forms on the surface. Drink immediately. The resulting two-ounce concentrated serving is traditional usucha, thin tea. For a fuller cup, add an additional four to six ounces of hot water or plant-based milk after the initial whisk to extend the volume without diluting the preparation beyond a single serving.

Matcha Latte

Whisk one gram of ceremonial matcha with two ounces of hot water at 70 to 80 degrees Celsius as above, until fully dissolved with a light foam layer on top. Steam or heat six to eight ounces of milk, oat milk, or other plant-based milk separately. Pour the hot milk over the whisked matcha shot. The foam layer from the whisked matcha rises through the poured milk and creates a layered finish. Optional: a small amount of honey or maple syrup. Ceremonial grade specifically suits this preparation because the natural sweetness of the powder requires significantly less added sweetener than culinary grade, which needs considerable masking to be drinkable in a latte format.

Cold Matcha

Whisk one gram of matcha with two ounces of room-temperature water until the powder is fully dissolved. The finer particle size of stone-ground ceremonial matcha dissolves in room-temperature water more completely than coarser culinary-grade powder, which is why cold preparation works with ceremonial grade and is more difficult with culinary grade. Pour the dissolved matcha over ice and add cold water or cold milk to fill the glass. Cold preparation reduces any perceived bitterness further and produces a clean, refreshing drink that works without any sweetener added.

Morning Routine Addition

One gram of ceremonial matcha blended into a morning smoothie, stirred into a protein shake, or whisked into warm water before other preparation provides the caffeine-L-theanine combination in the fastest possible format without requiring a dedicated brewing setup. For buyers who want the functional qualities of matcha as part of an existing morning routine rather than as a separate beverage ritual, blending the powder directly into whatever is already being prepared in the morning adds the full ground-leaf composition to the serving with no additional time investment.

About the 1.06 oz Bag

Each bag contains 1.06 oz (approximately 30g) of ceremonial matcha powder. At one gram per serving, the standard single-cup preparation, one bag provides approximately 30 servings. At one and a half grams per serving for a stronger preparation, approximately 20 servings. At two grams per serving for a double-strength cup, approximately 15 servings. The 15 to 30 serving range reflects this preparation-strength variation.

For daily single-cup use at one gram per serving, one bag lasts approximately one month. At that consumption pace, the bag is finished well within the room-temperature freshness window described below, and refrigeration is optional rather than necessary. For less frequent use or for buyers purchasing in advance of a regular routine, refrigerating the sealed bag from the day of arrival is the better approach to protect the color and flavor quality over a longer timeline.

Storage

Matcha powder is sensitive to light, heat, air, and moisture. Exposure to any of them accelerates chlorophyll oxidation, which turns the powder from vibrant green to dull olive-brown and degrades the flavor from smooth and sweet to flat and stale. Press the resealable bag seal closed firmly after each use and store in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight. A cupboard away from the stove and oven is preferable, as ambient heat accumulates in those areas even when appliances are not in active use.

• Room temperature, sealed resealable bag, away from light and heat: up to 3 months of peak color and flavor.
• Refrigerated in the sealed bag: up to 6 months. Allow the sealed bag to reach room temperature before opening to prevent condensation from forming inside the bag when warm air contacts the cold powder.
• Freezing is not recommended for matcha powder due to the moisture risk during repeated thaw cycles.

Organic Ceremonial Matcha Guarantee

Every Nut Cravings order is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If this organic ceremonial matcha arrives with any quality concern or falls short of expectations, contact the team and the issue will be resolved promptly with no complicated return process required.