Open any online tea shop and you will see it: "Ceremonial Grade Matcha." It is on the packaging, in the product names, across social media. It has become the de facto signal of quality in the matcha world.
The problem is that it does not mean anything specific.
There is no standard
In Japan, there is no governing body that certifies matcha as "ceremonial grade." There is no threshold, no test, no minimum standard. A producer can label any matcha as ceremonial, and many do, because it sells.
The term originated as a rough translation of matcha used in the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu). But within that tradition, quality is determined by origin, cultivar, growing conditions, harvest timing, stone-milling speed, and the reputation of the producer, not a label.
What we do instead
At Maison Minori, we describe what is in the cup. Origin. Harvest. Process. Taste. We tell you where the tea was grown, when it was picked, how it was processed, and what it tastes like.
We believe that is more useful than a word that has lost its meaning.
Precision over flattery. Always.
If the matcha has a bitter finish, we say so. If the umami is subtle rather than bold, we note that. We would rather you know what to expect than be disappointed by a label that overpromises.
The invitation
The next time you see "Ceremonial Grade" on a package, ask: where was it grown? What harvest is it? How was it milled? If those answers are not available, the label is doing the work that transparency should be doing.
We are happy to answer those questions for every tea we carry. That is what we believe quality looks like.