Biyori
Tea, Kimono, Wagashi & Culture
Ceremonial Grade Matcha — But Which Ceremony?
The other day, I overheard someone saying:
“The matcha here is good because they use ceremonial grade.”
And I remember thinking:
Do people actually know what “ceremony” means in tea ceremony?
Here in Germany — especially around cafés and social media — the phrase ceremonial grade is everywhere now. It has become almost synonymous with “good matcha.” Premium. Authentic. High quality.
But in Japan, things are not quite that simple.
First of all, ceremonial grade is not an official Japanese grading system. There is no national standard that defines what qualifies as ceremonial grade matcha. The term is mostly used for international marketing.
And honestly, the phrase itself feels a little strange to me sometimes.
Because when people say ceremonial, I wonder:
Which ceremony are we talking about?
Japanese tea ceremony — 茶道 (sadō) — is not simply about drinking expensive matcha from a beautiful bowl. It is a cultural practice shaped by seasonality, hospitality, atmosphere, movement, utensils, and human connection.
The matcha matters, of course. But tea ceremony is not built around a single “highest grade.”
In tea ceremony, the choice of matcha changes depending on the season, the school, the gathering, and even the sweets being served that day. Some occasions call for deeper, richer matcha. Others feel better with something softer and lighter.
There is nuance.
That is why in Japan, tea producers usually speak more specifically. They talk about origin, cultivar, blending style, or whether a tea is suitable for koicha or usucha. The conversation is often much more detailed than simply “ceremonial” or “culinary.”
Of course, that does not mean matcha labeled ceremonial grade is automatically bad. There are many wonderful matcha sold under that name. But sometimes I feel the term reduces a very deep tea culture into a simple marketing category.
And tea ceremony taught me that matcha is much more than a tier list.
Before I began studying tea ceremony, I mostly focused on taste too. Bitter or smooth. Strong umami or not. But over time, I started paying attention to different things: the feeling of the chawan in the hand, the sound of the kettle, the seasonal sweets, the flowers in the room, the atmosphere created between host and guest.
The tea itself became only one part of the experience.
Living in Germany, I also notice how many people first discover matcha through cafés and lattes — especially around Düsseldorf, where Japanese culture is already very present. And honestly, I think that is a wonderful starting point. Matcha does not need to feel exclusive or intimidating.
But I also think it is interesting to look beyond labels like ceremonial grade and ask where these ideas actually come from.
Because in the end, tea ceremony is not really about buying the “highest grade” matcha.
It is about awareness. Seasonality. Hospitality. And creating a meaningful moment, even through something as simple as a bowl of tea.
At my small studio near Düsseldorf, I host Japanese tea and matcha workshops inspired by traditional tea culture and seasonality.
Rather than focusing only on labels like “ceremonial grade,” I want people to experience matcha in a more personal and cultural way — through tea, wagashi, conversation, and the quiet atmosphere that surrounds it.
Leave a Reply