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 changed in the late 1980s as the regional government sought to increase the brand recognition and quality of its tea product. History of Kagoshima tea Today, Kagoshima is an …
Why you need to start paying attention to Kagoshima matcha Read More »
Nestled in the outskirts of Kyoto Prefecture is a mountainous region surrounding a small town of less than 5,000 people known as Wazuka. Wazuka is home to a few hundred tea farming families and the region has been growing tea for more than 800 years. Our Cold Brew Blend is produced using tea grown in …
How we found the best matcha for cold brew in Wazuka Read More »
Producing matcha tea is a process which requires skilled labor at each stage. The tea plants must be cared for, properly shaded, and then processed in specific methods. Thereafter, a tea master will sample processed tea leaves (tencha) to assess quality and flavor. Once the tea master is confident of its quality and flavor, tea …
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 time for the entire tea industry. Farmers rush to harvest the tea within a short two week period. Manufacturers and retailers process the tea …
What is the “first harvest” and why is it so important? Read More »
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. This is known as a “cultivar”, and it allows farmers to standardize quality and output of matcha tea year after year. Certain tea cultivars are said to be better …
What are tea cultivars and should you pay any attention to them? Read More »
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 matcha tea, it does seem that there is a market need for more organic matcha. Yet, most Japanese matcha companies do not offer any organic matcha tea blends. …
Why it is hard to find good organic matcha from Japan Read More »
Outside Japan, most matcha consumers divide matcha into two types of matcha grades; ceremonial grade matcha and culinary grade matcha. The idea is that ceremonial grade matcha is a higher quality, and is good enough to drink near, whereas culinary grade matcha is more suitable for ingredient use in recipes due to its more pronounced …
Understanding the real difference between ceremonial and culinary grade matcha Read More »
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