Mainly because the farmers and processors care so much; their processes take longer, require more steps, and are just harder. They’re pretty obsessed with producing Japan’s tastiest and healthiest matcha, and we don’t mind paying them well for the extraordinary product they produce. Rarity comes into it
Japan. Most of it comes from specific microterroirs in Uji, just outside Kyoto, but we do offer several matcha from Kagoshima and Nishio as well.
Just once. Most matcha purveyors do 2, 3, and even more harvests annually. The first one is the best.
People who can’t tolerate any caffeine at all shouldn’t have matcha, even though it’s very lightly caffeinated (25mg caffeine per gram of matcha)
No. We’ve tested for cesium and other radiation every year since the 2011 Fukushima accident, and we’re clear. We’ve also tested (third party) for lead and other heavy metals. None of have been detected.
A brief definition and four main distinguishing features of matcha.
Traditional matcha service in Japan focuses on thick matcha (koicha) or thin matcha (usucha), but the sweet spot is somewhere in between.
Just getting interested in matcha? Start here.
Matcha shares so much in common with wine, from cultivation to harvest to processing to final enjoyment.
