YOUR OAT MILK
CAN’T READ
THE LABEL.

Two words are not a taste test.

Ippodo Tea says it does not use “ceremonial grade” to describe its matcha. It describes the phrase as marketing terminology for the West, while saying its matcha is used in tea ceremonies.

That is Ippodo’s explanation of its own approach. It does not mean every tin using those words is bad. It does mean the words alone cannot settle which tea you should buy.

A useful description gives you something to work with: where the tea is from, what it tastes like, how to prepare it and what the seller recommends it for.

“Premium ceremonial” is less useful if you still cannot work out whether it will make the latte you like.

Use your usual milk. Obviously.

If the drink you buy every morning is an iced latte, judge a candidate tea in an iced latte. There is no prize for choosing the one you prefer with water, then disliking it in the drink you actually make.

Make the first comparison without the tins in front of you. Ask someone to label the cups A and B. Keep your milk, water, ice and sweetness the same, and weigh the powder.

Use comparable products. A sweetened blend against pure matcha is also a test of sweetness and concentration. You can prefer either, but you have not isolated the quality of the tea.

For a first comparison between two pure matchas, use the same dose. Then try each with its supplier’s recommended recipe. Write down which version you prefer and how much powder that version needs.

This is a home buying test, not a laboratory result. You are finding your own favourite, not issuing a verdict on everybody else’s taste.

Would you finish it?

Start there. Before you reach for words like umami, ask whether you want the rest of the drink.

Can you taste the tea through your milk? Is there a dry finish you dislike? Did you add more sweetener to make it enjoyable? Would you make the same recipe tomorrow?

Leave some in the cup and come back to it. Your iced latte will not stay in its freshly whisked, perfectly lit state for the whole morning. Judge it as you drink it.

If the more expensive tea is clearly your favourite and you can afford it, buy it. If you prefer the other one, you are allowed to buy that without passing a matcha exam.

Give the price difference a job.

Compare the cost of the recipe you liked. A tin price tells you very little if the tins are different sizes or you need different doses.

Divide the pack price by its grams, then multiply by the grams in your drink. That is your powder cost per cup. Milk and extras sit on top.

For example, a hypothetical A$30 tin containing 30g gives you 15 drinks at 2g each. That is A$2 of powder per drink. If you use 3g, it gives you 10 drinks at A$3 each. These are example numbers, not our prices.

Now you have a real question: is the version I prefer worth that amount to me?

Much easier to answer than whether your oat milk deserves a more important-sounding tin.