Our Matcha Collection is centered around ceremonial-grade matcha green tea powder cultivated in Shizuoka, Japan... where (in our humble opinion) the best matcha comes from... Take that Uji! (Uji is another renowned matcha producing region in Japan.)
Origin: Kikugawa City - Shizuoka, Japan
Japan is the 8th largest tea producing country, and the largest and most popular region of tea production in Japan is Shizuoka.
Shizuoka lies on the southeastern coast of the main island of Honshu, stretching around has a very mountainous land landscape, where distinctive humid subtropical climates with generally mild temperatures, sterling water quality, and an ample amount of rainfall all contribute to the green tea cultivation in this area.
Meet your sustainable matcha Farmer
Unlike most matcha, our Single Origin is produced in small batches from just one large garden in order to guarantee quality and flavor.
Our farmer grows the teas with all-natural cultivation in the garden, no synthetic nutrients, chemical pesticides, or herbicides. He also uses a traditional stone-mill to make incredibly fine matcha powder.
The garden also hosts solar-powered panels that shade the tea plants instead of using the typical fabric shading. Solar energy helps offset the power needs of the factory. This synergy has created a truly unique matcha in terms of production.
How is matcha made?
To produce sterling matcha tea, it requires a laborious process:
Cover up matcha bushes
Tea plants are shaded from sunlight for several weeks before harvest, a step unique to matcha. This is also done for teas like gyokuro and kabusecha. Because the tea plants have a strained process of photosynthesis, they have lower polyphenols and higher L-theanine, an amino acid that may promote relaxation without drowsiness. L-theanine also has a focus-boosting effect. Notice the solar panels in the photos - they are used for shading AND to produce electricity locally.
Harvest time
The plants are harvested in late May, then de-stemmed and de-veined. After that, the leaves are quickly steamed. This is called tencha.
Storing
Tencha is stored at 41F (5C), just barely above freezing, until September or October, to allow the leaves to mature and age. The cold-storage process increases the sweetness and umami of the leaves, as well as reducing bitterness and astringency. Below is a look at our tencha, before it is stone ground.
Grinding using a traditional method
By October, the tencha can be ground into matcha powder. Our farmers use a traditional granite stone mill to grind the leaves into matcha powder, producing just 40-50g in 1 hour. This slow method results in a consistent, ultra-fine powder, around 5 microns in size, which is finer than matcha produced at the large factories, and results in a smoother, creamier cup.
Our Fresh Ground
We take pride in our freshly ground matcha! By being strategic with our inventory flow, and being in close communication with our farmer/producer partner, our matcha is freshly ground and imported every few months. This plays a big part into our edge on quality.
Sealed For FRESHNESS
Matcha is best when fresh. Keep the seal airtight and in a cool area. Matcha acquires off-flavors, a brownish color, and has healthful compounds deteriorate when stored improperly or for too much time. Enjoy matcha fresh!
We get our air-tight matcha ground to order, and delivered fresh from the farm.
