Articles

How to make matcha tea without bamboo whisk

If you’re new to matcha, you might think that a chasen (or also known as bamboo whisk) is needed to make matcha tea. Well, that depends. The bamboo whisk has ...

Do The Japanese Drink Matcha?

The answer may not surprise you, but Japanese people actually consume matcha in all forms. The traditional tea ceremony remains popular despite countless rend...

What are tea cultivars and should you pay any attention to them?

More than 70% of all tea plants grown in Japan are genetically identical. This is because they were propagated from cuttings rather than grown from seeds. Thi...

Why it is hard to find good organic matcha from Japan

In America and Europe, organic foods are typically perceived to be of higher quality. Based on the volume of enquiries we receive on the topic of organic matc...

What is the “first harvest” and why is it so important?

In the first week of May each year, there is a palpable energy in the tea growing regions of Japan. It is time for the annual first tea harvest, the busiest t...

Understanding the real difference between ceremonial and culinary grade matcha

Outside Japan, most matcha consumers divide matcha into two types of matcha grades; ceremonial grade matcha and culinary grade matcha. The idea is that ceremo...

The Ultimate Japanese Hojicha Tea Guide

Though most varieties of Japanese green tea are made from the same tea plant (Camellia sinensis), each holds its own distinctive set of characteristics and fl...

A guide on how to make hojicha latte

If you’re looking for something different than your usual tea that yields a mild grassy note, the Hojicha roasted green tea is one to not give a miss. What ma...

A guide on how to care for bamboo matcha whisk properly

While there are several factors that can affect the taste of your matcha tea, the condition of your matcha bamboo whisk or chasen also plays an important role...

Why you need to start paying attention to Kagoshima matcha

Kagoshima was historically the source of cheap “filler” teas that big, traditional tea houses in Uji would use to blend and balance out teas. This slowly chan...