Head to head · Drinking grade vs. Cooking grade
Ippodo Sayaka Matcha — 40g Tin vs. Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha Powder
Powders
Ippodo Sayaka Matcha — 40g Tin
Kyoto, 1717. The everyday tin from a house that doesn't do everyday.
Powders
Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha Powder
Latte grade. Stands up to milk. Won't disappear under heat.
Side by side.
| Ippodo Sayaka Matcha | Aiya Cooking Grade | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Powders | Powders |
| Leaf | Matcha | Matcha |
| Brew temp | 175°F | 175°F |
| Steep time | 30 sec whisk | 30 sec whisk |
| Caffeine | high | medium |
| Best for | daily ritual, lattes, morning | matcha lattes, baking, first-time matcha |
The verdict
Drink one. Bake with the other.
Sayaka is drinking-grade — meant to be whisked into hot water and tasted neat. Aiya cooking grade is built to survive milk, sugar, and heat without disappearing — the latte-and-baking matcha. Using the wrong one wastes both: ceremonial buried under milk loses its nuance, cooking grade drunk neat tastes thin.
Pick Ippodo Sayaka if
Drinking matcha straight. Whisked, no milk, no compromise.
Pick Aiya Cooking if
Lattes, baking, smoothies. Anything where matcha shares the bowl.
House rule
We pick a lane. We say so. Then we link both, because we know the lane isn't always yours.