What culinary grade means
Culinary grade matcha is typically made from later harvests or coarser tencha and is formulated to hold its color and flavor when mixed with sugar, dairy, or heat. It tends to taste sharper and more vegetal than drinking grades and is not meant to be whisked plain. Mizuba and Hugo Tea both recommend it specifically for ice cream, baked goods, and sauces rather than for straight usucha.
Also called
Culinary grade also appears as cooking grade, kitchen grade.