There are three indicators that can easily determine the quality of a matcha: - Color: It should be bright and vivid. If the matcha has an emerald green color, it means that it has been stored and transported carefully, without contact with oxygen and daylight, so that the tea has retained all its properties. If the matcha has a dark or dirty yellow color, it means that it is simply not pure or has lost its properties due to interaction with oxygen or sunlight. That is why, after purchase, you should never pour the matcha into a transparent jar and store it in a dry place away from light. - The smell: it should be pleasant, sweet and at the same time saturated. If the matcha smells like dry hay with notes of bitterness / seaweed (fish) or jasmine (like Chinese green and white teas), this variety has nothing to do with real matcha or has lost its properties during processing or storage. - Taste: The taste of a good matcha is sweet and light. It should definitely not taste like fish or seaweed! The taste of matcha depends a lot on the variety and the season in which it is harvested. The May harvest has a deeper and richer taste, a sweet aroma and contains the highest amount of antioxidants and chlorophyll. Harvested after July, matcha can be bitter and contains fewer vitamins and minerals than early varieties.