Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am a matcha powder lover, enjoying at least one cup per day. With so many different matcha types, brands, and varieties, I have tried several different brands and done a huge amount of Internet research on Matcha. Overall, this uVernal brand is pretty good in my opinion, certainly not my favorite, but not bad. It does have a bitter taste (as some other reviewers have mentioned), but also provides a pretty good energy boost after drinking it, and the flavor is tolerable with added fruit or sweetener. The biggest issue (other than the bitter taste) that I had with this product is the lack of information on the packaging and the color (see the unlabeled photo attached and compare to labeled photos). This uVernal brand is actually the 8th matcha powder brand I have tried, and the remainder of this review contains a summary of Matcha research results and a side-by-side comparison of the 8 Matcha powder brands I tried: Midori Spring; GreenHouse; Paleo Green; Jade Leaf; Matcha DNA; Legend Organic; ONE ORGANIC; and this uVernal brand. _____________ MATCHA POWDER GRADES: Matcha powders are generally categorized by grade, either ceremonial or culinary/cooking. Ceremonial Grade- This is the highest, most premium and pure quality of Matcha powder, and therefore is usually more expensive than Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha. This Matcha is intended for whisking with water and drinking straight - as done in a traditional Japanese Matcha tea ceremony- and NOT meant for blending or mixing with any other ingredients. Ceremonial grade Matcha should be a smooth textured, fine powder with a bright, vibrant, rich green color. The recommended serving size is typically ½tsp, or 2 grams. Culinary/Cooking Grade – This Matcha is named for its purpose, cooking! Culinary/Cooking Matcha is great as an ingredient in recipes, and is NOT intended for straight drinking due to its characteristic bitter and potent flavor. Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha is not synonymous with low quality, and some brands can still be superior even with this classification. Higher quality Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha will still be fine in texture and green in color, though not quite as vivid as Ceremonial. Lower quality Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha will often appear tinted with brown or yellow coloring and the texture can be clumped or grainy. Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha is typically much less expensive than its ceremonial counterpart. The recommended serving size is also larger, usually 1-2tsp for mixing with a beverage, or 1-2tablespoons for baking/cooking. _______________ SUMMARY BREAKDOWN- The following is a summary breakdown of the 8 compared products: This Brand: uVernal Organic Matcha Grade: Available in both Ceremonial and Culinary options on Amazon, but not indicated on the package. Country of Origin: Not indicated on the package. Certified: USDA Organic, Good Manufacturing Product, Kosher Price Per Gram: $0.18 (Amazon Price at Time of Review) Recommended Serving: 1tsp Ingredients: Not indicated on package (though listed as “100% PURE ORGANIC GREEN TEA POWDER” on Amazon product description) Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + 100% satisfaction money back guarantee - Nutrition Facts, Caffeine Content, & Ingredient List Not Indicated - Lacking Brewing/Preparation Directions on Product - Bitter flavor - Not the most vibrant green color ***** Brand: PaleoCrazy Organic Matcha Japanese Tea (See, http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B011M6BTFU?ref_=cm_rdp_product ) Grade: Cooking (indicated as Cooking grade, yet provides directions for drinking it mixed with water straight). Country of Origin: Japan Certified: USDA Organic Price Per Gram: $0.20 (Amazon Price) Recommended Serving: 1tsp Ingredients: (organic*) green tea* powder (Questionable ingredient list- What do the asterisks signify, and why is the term “Matcha” missing?) Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Excellent energy boosting results + Quality, professional packaging + Deep green color + Mild flavor (less bitter than some other brands) - Nutrition facts not indicated - Caffeine content not indicated - Clumpy ***** Brand: Midori Spring Organic Ceremonial Matcha - Gold Class - Premium Japanese Green Tea Matcha Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2L5XJR3SXK6MN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00TSSDLGK ) Grade: Ceremonial Country of Origin: Japanese Certified: USDA Organic, Vegan, Kosher, GMO Free, Gluten Free Price Per Gram: $0.90 (Amazon Price) Recommended Serving: ½tsp Ingredients: 100% Pure Organic Match Green Tea Powder Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Fantastic Energy Boosting Results + Quality Container and Packaging + Bright Green Color - Bitter flavor - Caffeine content not indicated ***** Brand: Matcha DNA Certified Organic Matcha Green Tea (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R23OIQ4YG6Z5EF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm ) Grade: Culinary Country of Origin: China Certified: USDA Organic, Good Manufacturing Practice, Vegan, Gluten Free Price Per Gram: $0.09 (Amazon Price) Recommended Serving: Ingredients: 100% Organic Green Tea Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Sustainably Grown + Clearly indicated ORAC antioxidant value, + Great Energy Boosting Results - Bitter flavor - Nutrition facts & caffeine content not labeled - Not clearly stated as ceremonial or culinary grade ***** Brand: Jade Leaf - Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2IU6ABQUEUTPD/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm ) Grade: Culinary Country of Origin: Japan Certified: USDA Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free Price Per Gram: $0.20 (Amazon Price) Recommended Serving: ½tsp Ingredients: 100% Organic Japanese Matcha (Stone Ground Green Tea Powder) Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Delicious bold flavor, not at all bitter + Quality packaging, functional & VERY informative + Clearly indicated nutrition facts, storage instructions & directions - Minimal energy boost ***** Brand: ONE ORGANIC Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2IOXQYLRAGTS4/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm ) Grade: Culinary Country of Origin: China Certified: USDA Organic Price Per Gram: $0.07 (Amazon Price at Time of Review) Recommended Serving: 1tsp Ingredients: 100% Organic Matcha Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Fantastic Energy Boost - Bitter Taste ***** Brand: Greenhouse Superfoods (See, http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W2ZGBNQ?ref_=cm_rdp_product ) Grade: Ceremonial Country of Origin: Japanese Certified: USDA Organic, Non- GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free Price Per Gram: $0.71 (Amazon Price at Time of Review) Recommended Serving: 1tsp Ingredients: 100% Pure Organic Matcha (From Amazon Description- Not Indicated on Product Package) Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Fantastic Flavor + Admirable Company (Proceeds towards cancer cure research) - Minimal Energy Boost ***** Brand: Legend Organic Premium Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014RDF7Z8keywords=legend%20matcha&qid=1445231795&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 ) Grade: Ceremonial Country of Origin: Japanese Certified: USDA Organic, Non- GMO, Vegan Price Per Gram: $0.82 (Amazon Price at Time of Review) Recommended Serving: ½tsp Ingredients: Not Indicated Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities: + Rich Green Color + Mild, non-jittery, ‘clean’ energy boosting results + Smooth texture- blends/whisks well (not “clumpy”) + Manufacturer money back guarantee - Nutrition Facts, Caffeine Content, & Ingredient List Not Indicated - Lacking Brewing/Preparation Directions on Product (Though Indicated on Amazon Description) - Bitter flavor ******** ____________________ PRICE PER GRAM: UNIT: The following is the Amazon price per gram (at time of review) of each of the 8 compared brands, separated the price comparisons by grade for more accurate comparisons, in order of least to most expensive: Ceremonial Grade Brands: • GreenHouse - $0.71 • Legend - $0.82 • Midori Spring - $0.90 Culinary/Cooking Grade Brands: • ONE brand - $0.07 • Matcha DNA brand - $0.09 • uVernal brand - $0.18 • Paleo Green- $0.20 • Jade Leaf brand - $0.20 OPINION: In this reviewer’s opinion, all of these Matcha powder brands are pretty good. It really depends on personal preferences and values. Personally, price is an important consideration, as I tend to use more than the recommended serving size and consume quite a bit of Matcha Daily. While some brands have differing instructions, I personally use (and highly recommend) ceremonial grade Matcha for teas and lattes, and culinary grade Matcha for baking and smoothies. RATING: I have rated most of these products three or four stars, as I have enjoyed them all, yet they all have specific, individual, notable cons. (Still hopeful to find that 5 star Matcha Brand!) I have attached unfiltered photos indicated a side-by-side color comparison of the 8 Matcha powder brands that I have personally tried. I have also reviewed each of these products separately. * I am committed to providing completely honest and unbiased reviews, regardless of how I obtained the product. I was fortunate enough to receive this product at no cost in exchange for my honest review. This and all of my reviews contain only my personal, sincere opinions. Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful (or not), or have any questions. I welcome and appreciate feedback regarding my reviews. Thank you for reading! *