Direct-to-consumer
Naoki Matcha
Most matcha brands sell you a grade and leave you to work out what to do with it. Naoki takes a different approach: it sells named blends built around a use case, which is a more honest framing of what matcha companies actually do, since almost all commercial matcha is blended anyway. The practical upshot is that its products tend to be stronger and more assertive than their price suggests — which is exactly what a latte needs.
The short answer
Naoki sells Japanese matcha as purpose-built blends rather than single-origin tins, with each blend aimed at a specific use. Its blends are generally more assertive and full-bodied than comparably priced ceremonial matcha, which makes them unusually good in milk drinks and slightly too strong for delicate straight preparation.
At a glance
- Origin
- Japan — blended from multiple regions
- Product model
- Named blends by use case
- Character
- Strong, full-bodied, umami-forward
- Best for
- Lattes and iced matcha
- Straight usucha?
- Possible, but assertive
Details verified August 2026. Formulations, sourcing and prices change — check the current label before buying. We don't sell any of these products and take no commission on them.
Is Naoki matcha real matcha?
Yes, and Naoki is transparent about the fact that it blends — which is worth understanding rather than holding against it. Almost all commercial matcha, including from famous Kyoto houses, is blended: producers combine leaf from different fields and harvests to hit a consistent profile year after year. A brand that says so plainly is being more honest than one that implies a single farm.
What you're getting
Blends assembled for a target profile rather than for provenance. In practice this means more body and more umami per dollar than a comparably priced single-grade matcha, at the cost of the specific terroir character you would get from a named Uji harvest. For milk drinks this is a straightforwardly good trade, because terroir is the first thing milk erases and body is the last.
How it tastes
Strong, savoury and full, with pronounced umami and enough structure to remain clearly present under 200ml of oat milk. Drunk straight it is assertive rather than delicate — closer to a robust usucha than to a refined one. If your complaint about home matcha lattes is that they taste like sweet green milk, this is the direction that fixes it.
The blends
Superior Blend
Mid-range per gram for the strength delivered
The flagship. Built for milk drinks, with the body to stay present through a full latte.
Ceremonial-tier blends
Smoother and rounder than the Superior Blend, for drinking straight. Still more assertive than most ceremonial matcha.
Culinary and cooking blends
For baking and smoothies. Priced for volume use.
What it does well
- Unusually strong and full-bodied for the price, which is exactly what lattes need.
- Honest about being a blender rather than implying single-farm provenance.
- Products are described by use case, which makes choosing straightforward.
- Holds colour and body well in both hot and iced milk drinks.
Where it falls short
- Little terroir character — you are buying a profile, not a place.
- Too assertive for people who want a delicate, sweet bowl of usucha.
- Online only, with limited retail presence.
- Blend names carry no regulated meaning, so you have to read the descriptions.
How it compares
vs Encha
Encha is organic, first-harvest and refined; Naoki is blended and robust. Encha for bowls, Naoki for lattes.
vs Jade Leaf latte grade
Naoki is stronger and more umami-forward; Jade Leaf is cheaper and more neutral. Naoki wins if your lattes taste weak.
vs Marukyu Koyamaen
Different worlds. The Kyoto house offers complexity and history; Naoki offers strength per dollar in a milk drink.
Buy it if
Anyone whose matcha lattes come out tasting weak, and anyone who prefers a savoury, full-bodied matcha over a delicate one. It is the most milk-resistant matcha at its price point.
Skip it if
Drinkers chasing the sweet, low-astringency profile of good first-harvest ceremonial grade, and anyone who wants a named single origin. Neither is what this brand is selling.
Frequently asked
Is Naoki matcha good?
Yes, particularly for milk drinks. Naoki's blends are more assertive and full-bodied than most matcha at similar prices, which means they stay clearly detectable through a full latte's worth of milk. That same strength makes them less suited to delicate straight preparation, where a first-harvest ceremonial grade is smoother.
Why does Naoki sell blends instead of single-origin matcha?
Because almost all commercial matcha is blended, including from famous Kyoto houses — producers combine leaf from different fields and harvests to hit a consistent profile each year. Naoki simply states this openly and organises its range by intended use rather than by grade name. It is a more honest framing than implying single-farm provenance.
Which Naoki blend is best for lattes?
The Superior Blend, which is built specifically to remain present through milk. Its extra body and pronounced umami are exactly the qualities that survive dilution, where the delicate sweetness of a ceremonial grade does not. Use 3g rather than 2g in a 240ml latte.
Can you drink Naoki matcha straight?
Yes, though it is assertive rather than delicate. The ceremonial-tier blends are the ones intended for this and are smoother than the Superior Blend. If you like a robust, savoury usucha, it works well; if you want the sweet, low-astringency profile of first-harvest Uji matcha, look elsewhere.
Naoki vs Jade Leaf for matcha lattes?
Naoki is stronger and more umami-forward; Jade Leaf is cheaper and more neutral. If your home lattes taste like sweet green milk, Naoki fixes that more directly. If you sweeten heavily anyway, Jade Leaf's latte grade delivers most of the result for less money.
Compare with
Jade Leaf Matcha
The reliable American default. Buy the right tin — the packaging makes that harder than it should be.
Encha Matcha
Organic, first-harvest and single-sourced. The best DTC option if you drink matcha straight.
Aiya Matcha
The industrial giant of Nishio. Excellent café and culinary grades, less compelling at the top.
Read more
Guides · 6 min read
Matcha grades explained — and why 'ceremonial' isn't a regulated term
Here's the industry secret: no official body certifies 'ceremonial grade.' The tiers are useful shorthand, not standards. How to read them — and how to judge a matcha with your own eyes instead.
Guides · 6 min read
Ceremonial vs culinary matcha: which one should you actually buy?
Ceremonial is for drinking plain. Culinary is for lattes and baking. The mistake everyone makes is treating them as the same product at different prices.
Preparation · 5 min read
How Much Matcha Per Cup? 2 g (1 Tsp) — Full Ratio Chart
2 grams — about one level teaspoon, or two chashaku scoops — to 60–80 ml of water. That's the standard bowl. The exact ratio for every other matcha drink, the gram-to-spoon conversions, and why heaping spoons are the #1 cause of bitter matcha.
