An exceptional organic matcha

With this new organic matcha from Japan, my goal is to help people discover the pure Yabukita cultivar, with its exceptional quality and outstanding value for money.

Like any plant, the tea plant comes in several varieties, known as cultivars or grape varieties. This is comparable to the world of wine, with grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Merlot, or fruit trees, with varieties such as Gala and Granny Smith apples.

Here we have a 2022 vintage matcha made from a single Yabukita cultivar, sourced from the high quality leaves grown in the unique "single origin" terroir of our partner farmer Nakai-san in Wazuka. It is very special to be able to taste the pure cultivar.

There is exceptional quality, and every sip is a taste journey.

Tasting 🍵

This Yabukita matcha is of such high quality that it will take you on a taste journey of umami flavours. When you open the pouch, you are immediately struck by the rich aroma that escapes.

When preparing, adding a dash of cold water releases powerful green notes. The tasting experience is silky smooth, with a boost from mineral notes, a slightly earthy flavour, and nutty flavours, which then give way to a sweet finish with notes of red berries.

The result of a collaboration between farmer Nakai-san and our partner producer.

Cultivating organic tea plants to create super high-quality tencha and processing it into matcha are two different crafts that require completely different skills and equipment.

For farmers who grow tea, the challenge is to care for their plants in order to achieve a high-quality harvest each season. Climatic conditions change every year, and frost, insects, plant size, organic farming standards, the installation and management of shaded areas before harvest, and the harvest itself are all challenges that tea plant farmers face in order to produce high quality tencha.

For the producer, the challenge is to take this harvest and transform it into delicious matcha: sorting the tea leaves by grade (or quality), removing impurities, separating the different parts of the leaf (the petiole or stem, the veins, and the leaf blade, i.e., the "flesh" of the leaf—this is the most desirable part for matcha tea production), then grinding it into powder, maintaining the machines and equipment such as the granite mills that carry out these processes, and packaging the powder in pouches or tins—all in accordance with the specifications and high standards of organic certification.

This is why many farmers operate in long-term partnerships with one or more producers who commit to buying the farmer's crops each year at prices guaranteed and acceptable to both parties. In this arrangement, which benefits both the farmer and the producer, the producer generally receives high quality crops as a priority.

This is the case with this exceptional Yabukita matcha: high quality tea leaves grown by our partner farmer Nakai-san and processed by our partner producer into an absolutely delicious and captivating organic matcha.

Here are Nakai-san and I in his field, which is isolated in the mountains:

The producer of this organic Yabukita matcha is the same one who has proven itself with our organic Okumidori and Saemidori matcha, which are greatly appreciated by our community. If, like many, Saemidori or Okumidori is your favorite matcha, you will love this Yabukita!

This matcha is completely different from our Nakai matcha, which is a blend (not a single cultivar), created by Nakai-san himself in a more artisanal way, and with less strict harvest quality standards.

Usucha, koicha, and cold brew preparations.

I recommend trying these three preparation methods:

• To prepare usucha matcha tea, use 1 to 2 grams of powder for 80mL of hot water at 70°C - this is the common method of preparing matcha and the one we enjoy most often for tasting.
• Thick koicha preparation: use 4-5g for 30mL of water at 80°C.
• In summer, try a cold brew preparation: shake 1-2g per 250mL of cold water in a shaker. It's very refreshing and delicious.

A container that matches the contents

To honour these exceptional organic matcha teas, you need packaging that lives up to the contents. That's why I asked my favourite tattoo artist, Neco, to design the packaging illustrations to make them beautiful objects in their own right.

Neco is a Japanese tattoo artist who lives between Paris and Japan (she also says she is a cat):

@kirineco.goenya

The concept: Neco designed the illustration for this matcha with the transcendent aromas of the Yabukita cultivar in mind.

Mini 5g pouches available to distribute to friends.

In addition to these 50g pouches, we also have mini 5g formats in stock. Perfect for hiking, traveling, or giving to friends to help them discover authentic organic matcha from Japan.

Enjoy! 🙏 🍵