For our Ujido matcha review, we put their Ceremonial Blend Matcha Green Tea Powder to the test to see how it compares to our best matcha powders.
Of all the brands we’ve reviewed, we must admit Ujido has a unique collection of matcha available. What stood out to us the most was their Black Ginger Matcha Tablets, Roasted Matcha, Brown Rice Matcha, and a variety of smoothie boosters and collagen packets. Whatever matcha product you’re thinking about – Ujido probably has it.
In this review, we’re focusing on their more popular ceremonial blend, which combines leaves from the first and second harvest. Keep in mind, pure ceremonial grade matcha only contains first-harvest leaves. Ujido does offer a ceremonial and premium ceremonial grade matcha but those products were not raved about as much as the ceremonial blend.
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Ujido Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder - Ceremonial Blend
What sets Ujido apart from its competitors is its long history with matcha green teas. In 1832, Tune-emon Takizo started a tea business in Uji, Kyoto, Japan – and his family has since carried on that tradition for over 185 years. You can even visit their retail shop in Uji, Kyoto, Japan which has been open since 1952.
Also important to note, only some of Ujido’s products are certified organic. According to their website, it comes down to fertilizers, not pesticides. Their farmers start the year with organic fertilizers and then sprinkle in a small amount of non-organic fertilizer just before spring harvest.
Regarding pesticides, their farmers are bound by strict regulations to record what pesticides are used and when. The green tea leaves are tested for any chemical residue and are not allowed in the market if they go even slightly above Japan’s strict safety standards.
Pros:
- Very fine texture – no sifting needed
- Wide variety of flavor choices, smooth taste
- Can be used for both drinking and baking
- Average customer ratings of 4.6/5 on Amazon
Cons:
- Not a true ceremonial grade
- Lack of richness and complexity in the flavor
- Only some products are certified organic
Taste
We prepared the matcha as a hot tea just as we do with our other reviews – add 1 tsp to hot water, use a bamboo whisk to whisk until frothy, and then enjoy. The taste was smooth, mellow, and overall a very soothing experience.
Drinking the ceremonial blend with just hot water really brought out the flavor of the matcha, but we’ve also seen recommendations to add your favorite milk or even whipping cream for a more elevated beverage such as a matcha latte. It didn’t have as complex or rich of a matcha flavor as some of our other favorites, but it was still a nice cup of matcha green tea.
This is most likely because not only can you drink this matcha, but you can also use it for baking, smoothies and other recipes since it incorporates second-harvest leaves or “culinary grade” matcha.
Color and Grind
Ujido’s Ceremonial Matcha Blend has a dark green color to it and is not as bright as some of the other ceremonial matcha we’ve tested with vibrant green color. However, since this authentic Japanese matcha has been stone ground, it had a fine texture that really didn’t need to be sifted before making our tea.
Ujido Matcha Transparency
Another one of the things we really like about Ujido Matcha is the transparency they have for their products. Ujido does not produce a lower quality and lower priced matcha and market it as a ceremonial grade matcha. On both their website and on their Amazon products, they show the below table which outlines their various matcha grade offerings and with simple explanations of what separates one from the other. This should be a good indication of the differences in price between the products as well.
The Bottom Line
Does Ujido's Ceremonial Matcha Blend stand out amongst the rest? We don't think so. Although they've been in the matcha game for years and we appreciate their heritage, we believe there are matcha brands out there that are not only doing it better, but at a more affordable price. Ujido matcha green tea is not the ideal drinking matcha, due to the fact that it is a "ceremonial blend", meaning that it is not made with only ceremonial grade green tea leaves.
However, it is a very suitable matcha green tea powder for smoothies and matcha lattes and it still holds the same great nutrients and health benefits as the most premium matcha brands. Ujido matcha can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss, and it has also been shown to increase brain function, and improve skin due to antioxidants such as epigallocatechin gallate.
Matcha Features:
Best Matcha Powders
Encha Matcha
- Encha Ceremonial Grade Matcha
- Hand-picked from organic farm in Uji, Japan
- First Harvest Matcha - Vibrant green color
- Highest quality matcha, never bitter
- Our Rating: 4.9 of 5 stars
Tenzo Matcha
- Tenzo Organic Ceremonial Matcha Green Tea Powder
- Authentic Japanese Matcha
- Rich in antioxidants, helps boost metabolism
- Ceremonial Grade - Vibrant Green Color
Our Rating: 4.8 of 5 stars
Pique Matcha
- Pique Matcha - Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder
- Harvested from a family-owned organic tea farm in Japan
- Increases energy and focus
- Highest-quality, shade grown ceremonial-grade
- Our Rating: 4.8 of 5 stars
Kenko Matcha
- Kenko Matcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha
- Gold Class Ceremonial Grade Matcha
- Country of Origin: Japan
- First Harvest Matcha - Vibrant Green in Color
- Our Rating: 4.8 of 5 stars
Ujido Matcha FAQ's
Is Ujido a good matcha brand?
Ujido matcha is a good matcha brand that we would recommend, especially for those who are looking for a range of different matcha products. We have not had the opportunity to try Ujido's matcha collagen or sweet matcha, however, based on the ceremonial and ceremonial blend's of Ujido matcha that we have tried, we do believe that Ujido is a good matcha brand, one that is also transparent about their products.