Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder (32 Ounce (Pack of 1))

I wanted to clear up some confusion regarding negative reviews claiming this matcha contains "heavy metals" because the powder stands on end or reacts to plastic spoons.First, the science:Toxic heavy metals aren't magnetic: The actual toxic contaminants people worry about in food safety—like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury—are completely non-magnetic. They will never react to magnets or cause dry powder to form spikes.It's static electricity: Matcha is ground extremely fine. When I first opened the bag, I used a plastic spoon and tested the powder directly with a powerful neodymium earth magnet—nothing was raised, pulled, or forming spikes like in some of those customer photos and videos. However, after pouring the powder through a plastic funnel and using plastic and wooden chopsticks to portion it out, the friction generated a static charge. The ultra-light matcha particles simply aligned with the electrostatic field, creating those needle-like "spikes." It was only after generating that charge that the spike effect happened. If you use a metal spoon or touch the scoop with a grounded finger, the static charge disappears immediately.As for the product itself:For the price, this 2 lb bag is an absolute steal. The batch I received arrived bright green with no brownish or oxidized tint to it. Since it is culinary grade, it has a punchy, earthy flavor, but it works fantastically well for daily protein lattes, smoothies, and homemade matcha ice cream without breaking the bank.I split mine into vacuum-sealed portions for long-term storage to preserve freshness. Highly recommended if you understand what culinary matcha is meant for!

I bought this as an experiment, and went for the big bag, thinking that I'll use it for baking if I don't like it. I just finished a small pack of ceremonial matcha that cost me a little fortune, so I had some reference. This one is different, for sure, but I cannot say it's not as good. It does not have the same astringency as the ceremonial one, but I like it better (I drink it plain, with ice). It has a somewhat sweet taste, probably because it comes from first harvest tea leaves. In powder form the color is not as vibrant green as the ceremonial one, but after mixing I don't see any difference (it seems to foam a little more than the ceremonial one, using same frother and water/powder quantities).I'll stick with it for sure, you cannot beat that price, but same as with coffee/wine/Bourbon, there's the daily one and the... ceremonial :-) one. This is a good daily one. For the ceremonial one I would probably go for a Hojicha--different game altogether.