About Matcha Verdict — methodology & neutrality
Matcha Verdict is an independent matcha buyer's guide. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any matcha brand, retailer, farm or certifying body. Almost every "best matcha" page online is a brand selling its own product — we sell nothing, and that's the whole point.
info gathered 2026-06-24How we label every claim
The signature of this site: every claim carries a status badge and (where relevant) a source link.
Our neutrality policy
The grade truth we lead with
“Ceremonial grade” and “culinary grade” are unregulated Western marketing terms. There is no legal definition and Japan’s MAFF does not define them. MAFF — Japan's Ministry of Agriculture (Organic JAS standard) ↗ We lead with this because it's the single most useful thing for a buyer to know. The full explanation →
Health & safety: not medical advice
On prices
Matcha prices are volatile, especially during the shortage. Any price is shown "as of June 2026" and may be out of date — always verify the current price before buying. Where we have no reliable price, we mark it Unknown rather than invent one.
What we will not do
- List "Sayaka" as a brand — it's an Ippodo blend, not a brand.
- Feature "Yamamasa Koyamaen" or "Hoshino Seichaen" as top picks — single biased-retailer sourcing and a name-collision with Marukyu Koyamaen make them clearly unverified.
- Present a single reviewer's blind-test win as authoritative — we label those "per [reviewer]."
- Imply that dyeing (E141 / copper-chlorophyllin) is proven-widespread — we label it plausible and reported.
- Invent a price, a certification, or a stock status.
Our sources
Contact: hello@matchaverdict.com · Full disclaimer · Privacy · Terms