Why We Stopped Using the Word “Ceremonial” for Matcha

If you’ve noticed a change in how we talk about matcha at Pluck Tea, you’re not imagining things. You may have seen the word “ceremonial” disappear from our labels. This was a very intentional decision, and one rooted in respect for matcha and its origins.

Let’s talk about why.

The truth about “ceremonial” matcha

Before matcha became popular in the Western world, there was no such thing as “ceremonial” matcha in Japan. There is no official grading system, governing body, or agreed-upon standard that defines what qualifies as ceremonial. While some people use the term to describe high-quality matcha traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies, those ceremonies are a highly specialized craft of their own. Most people today are not preparing matcha in this traditional way. 

In North America, matcha is most often enjoyed as a latte, an iced drink, or used in culinary creations. When we first started offering matcha at Pluck Tea about 10 years ago, matcha was still relatively unknown in the Canadian tea world. Using the word “ceremonial” helped signal quality at a time when people were still learning what matcha was.

In recent years, the wellness trend, increasing interest in premium teas, and the social media boom helped matcha skyrocket in popularity. With that growth came a lot of confusion.

The matcha shortage changed the conversation

When the global matcha shortage began in 2024, it pushed the entire tea industry to ask better questions. What actually makes a good matcha? What does quality mean? And what does “ceremonial” really tell us?

The honest answer is, not much.

Through conversations with tea experts and farmers across Japan, it became clear that “ceremonial” has no formal meaning, and further, there was no desire to adopt the word as a descriptor of quality in the Japanese tea community. Without accreditation, any matcha can be labelled ‘ceremonial’. Over time, the word became less about clarity and more about marketing.

That didn’t sit right with us.

Going deeper into matcha, from the source

At Pluck, we believe in being experts in our craft, and that craft is tea. Over the past year, we made it a priority to deepen our understanding of matcha so we could offer our tea community a more thoughtful and transparent experience.

We travelled across multiple tea-growing regions in Japan, visiting farms, strengthening direct sourcing relationships, and learning firsthand what makes each region’s tea unique. These visits allowed us to secure fresher, ground-to-order matcha and better understand the factors that truly influence flavour, colour, and quality.

What we learned confirmed what many Japanese tea professionals already know. The most meaningful way to talk about matcha quality is through harvest timing, cultivar, and tea leaf origin.

A more honest way to describe matcha

For a long time, it was loosely accepted that “ceremonial” meant good matcha, or the highest grade of first flush matcha. But that definition simply does not hold up when you look closer.

As part of our commitment to clarity and education, we are removing the word “ceremonial” from our matcha lineup.

Our former Organic Premium Ceremonial Matcha will now be called Organic Spring Harvest Blend Matcha. This name more accurately reflects when the leaves were harvested and honours the tea’s roots in Japan. This Pluck exclusive organic matcha from Kagoshima remains the same tea you know and love, just described with language that actually means something.

What’s next for matcha at Pluck

We’re also expanding our matcha collection to feature First Flush Matcha from distinct regions across Japan, including Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Shizuoka, with more to come. Each matcha clearly identifies the harvest flush, growing region, cultivar, and tasting notes.

This approach celebrates the regional differences that make the matcha world so fascinating - and gives you the tools to make your selection based on flavour and how you enjoy your matcha - whether that’s traditional Usucha (thin tea), Koicha (thick tea) or poured into a latte.

Our goal is simple. We want to offer matcha that is transparent, thoughtfully sourced, and rooted in respect for the farmers and traditions behind it.

Explore our newly updated and expanded matcha collection and discover matcha by region, harvest, and flavour here.