Is That Really Ceremonial Matcha? The Truth Behind the Label

When you shop for matcha in Europe, you can find many products labeled as Japanese Ceremonial Matcha.

But I have some questions about them.

When I started Matcha Lab, I visited Kyoto and spoke directly with several matcha manufacturers.

Uji, Kyoto, is one of Japan’s most famous matcha-producing regions. High-quality Uji Matcha is produced in limited quantities, and even in Japan, it is not cheap.

There is another challenge when bringing Japanese matcha to Europe. Matcha sold in Japan does not automatically meet the EU’s pesticide residue standards.

Even so, you can find Japanese Ceremonial Matcha in Europe at surprising prices.

If you find Ceremonial Matcha for less than €0.80 per gram, take a closer look at who actually made it.

In this article, I will explain why selling high-quality Japanese matcha in Europe is not easy, based on actual matcha prices in Japan and what I learned while sourcing matcha for the European market.

What Is Ceremonial Matcha?

Outside Japan, matcha is often sold in two main categories: Ceremonial Grade and Culinary Grade.

In general, these terms are used as follows:

• Ceremonial Grade: High-quality matcha intended to be whisked with water and enjoyed on its own.
  
• Culinary Grade: Matcha mainly used for lattes, desserts, baking, and cooking.

However, there is something you should know.

Ceremonial Grade is not an official matcha grade in Japan.

There is no official standard that defines which matcha can be called Ceremonial Grade. In most cases, it is up to the seller to decide whether to use this label.

This means that a product labeled Ceremonial Matcha is not necessarily high-quality matcha.

Understanding this is a good first step when choosing matcha.

How Much Does Ceremonial-Grade Matcha Cost in Japan?

If there is no official standard for Ceremonial Grade, how can we judge the quality of matcha?

One useful reference is the actual price of high-quality matcha sold by long-established tea producers in Japan.

Marukyu Koyamaen, one of Kyoto’s well-known traditional tea producers, offers matcha in a wide range of quality levels.

Its higher-grade matcha, comparable to what is often called Ceremonial Grade outside Japan, generally costs around €30–€50 for 40g.

At the highest end, some premium matcha can cost well over €200 for just 40g.

Source: Marukyu Koyamaen Official Website

Using the prices of high-quality matcha sold by one of Japan’s leading traditional tea producers as a reference, we can see that prices start at around €30 for 40g, or about €0.80 per gram.

But there is one thing to keep in mind: these are prices in Japan, not in Europe.

To bring Japanese matcha to Europe, there are additional requirements and costs related to the EU market.

For this reason, the price of high-quality matcha sold in Japan cannot be directly compared with the price of the same level of matcha sold in Europe.

Matcha Made for the Japanese Market Cannot Always Be Sold in Europe

Japan and the EU have different standards for pesticide residues in food.

In the EU, Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are set for different combinations of pesticides and agricultural products. These standards also apply to food imported from outside the EU.

This means that matcha that meets Japanese food safety standards does not automatically meet EU pesticide residue standards.

In fact, the matcha we originally planned to export to Europe was legally sold in Japan.

However, after pesticide residue testing, we found that it did not meet EU standards, so we had to give up importing that matcha into Europe.

We then had to look for matcha made with ingredients that meet EU requirements and with pesticide residue levels confirmed to comply with EU standards.

Because the selection of suitable tea leaves and ingredients is more limited, matcha that meets these requirements tends to be more expensive than matcha produced mainly for the Japanese market.

So, even if high-quality matcha starts at around €0.80 per gram in Japan, matcha of a similar quality cannot simply be sold at the same price in the EU.

Japanese Matcha Comes with Additional Shipping, Import, and VAT Costs

Bringing matcha from Japan to Europe also involves additional costs beyond the price of the matcha itself, including:

• International shipping
  
• Import duties and taxes
  
• Value Added Tax (VAT)

For this reason, matcha comparable to Ceremonial Grade that already sells for around €0.80 per gram in Japan cannot realistically be sold in Europe at the same price or lower through normal distribution channels.

Today, the situation is even more challenging because global demand for matcha has increased rapidly.

While demand for Japanese matcha continues to grow, production cannot be increased quickly. Some Japanese tea producers have introduced purchase limits, experienced product shortages, or restricted international sales.

Matcha is also not a product designed to be stored for a long time. In addition to its best-before date, its color, aroma, and flavor gradually change over time.

Considering these factors, if you find Japanese Ceremonial Grade Matcha being sold at a very low price in Europe in 2026, it is worth checking whether it is really from Japan, what quality of matcha it is, and when it was produced.

Of course, some sellers work directly with Japanese tea farmers or matcha producers and have established their own supply channels. 

Still, when we consider the price of high-quality matcha in Japan, the additional requirements for the EU market, international shipping and taxes, and today’s strong global demand, there should be a clear reason why Ceremonial Matcha can be sold in Europe for around €0.80 per gram or less.

 

What to Check When Ceremonial Matcha outside of Japan

If you find Ceremonial Matcha in Europe, the first thing to check is where the matcha was made and who made it.

Do not look only for labels such as Japan or Product of Japan. Check whether the seller also provides information about the manufacturer or tea producer.

Food products sold in Japan are subject to labeling regulations under the Food Labeling Act, which ensure that the business entity responsible for the product—such as the manufacturer or distributor—can be identified.

In contrast, for products sold in Europe, the importer or distributor within the EU bears responsibility for the food product; consequently, there are cases where the name of the Japanese manufacturer does not appear on the packaging.

But if a product is truly high-quality matcha from Japan, there should be no reason to hide who made it.

So, when you see a product labeled Japanese Ceremonial Matcha, check the manufacturer or tea producer behind it.

However, if a product is promoted as Japanese Ceremonial Matcha but the seller does not provide any information about who actually made it, even on its official website, there is good reason to question its quality.

As of 2026, Matcha Lab is not selling Ceremonial Uji Matcha.

The reasons for this are the price surge caused by the rapid global rise in demand for matcha, as well as the difficulty—even for us as Japanese buyers—of securing a stable supply of Uji Matcha that meets both quality standards and EU regulations.

 

Expensive Matcha Does Not Always Mean High Quality

On the other hand, a higher price does not always mean higher-quality matcha.

Because Ceremonial Grade has no official certification or standardized quality criteria, some products are labeled as Ceremonial Matcha and sold at high prices regardless of their actual quality.

In such cases, part of the price may come from packaging, containers, advertising, and branding rather than the matcha itself.

In other words, expensive matcha or matcha in luxurious packaging is not necessarily high-quality matcha.

That is why you should look beyond the price and ask whether there is enough information to justify it.

At Matcha Lab, we keep our packaging as simple as possible and focus on the quality of the matcha itself.

Rather than using attractive packaging to make our matcha look more premium, we choose to focus on what matters most to us: the matcha inside.

» View Our Uji Matcha

 

What I Want to Share as the Founder of Matcha Lab

I’m developing an original matcha brand for the international market, using Uji Matcha from Kyoto, Japan, produced with the support of Marukyu Koyamaen and made to meet EU standards.

Through this process, I have learned firsthand how difficult it is to secure high-quality Japanese matcha that can be exported to the EU.

I spoke directly with matcha manufacturers in Kyoto, ordered samples, checked pesticide residue test results, and searched for matcha that met our requirements. Even after all of this, securing a stable supply that meets both our quality standards and EU regulations was not easy.

Even for me, as a Japanese buyer working directly with manufacturers in Japan, this has been a challenge.

That is why I was surprised to see so many shops and cafés across Europe selling matcha labeled as Japanese or Uji Matcha.

• Where do they source their matcha?
  
• Who actually makes it?
  
• What standards do they use to call it Ceremonial Matcha?

I am very interested in the answers to these questions.

In recent years, high-quality matcha for drinking has become increasingly difficult to source even within Japan, while prices continue to rise.

Under these conditions, when I see Ceremonial Matcha being sold in Europe, far from Japan, I naturally want to know more about where it comes from.

Of course, some sellers have their own supply channels and work directly with Japanese tea farmers or matcha manufacturers, just as we do.

But what I want to share through this article is very simple:

Don't choose matcha based only on the word Ceremonial.

As the founder of Matcha Lab, a brand specializing in Japanese Uji Matcha, this is the one thing I want to say.

Question : Who made your matcha?