Imperial Matcha

Imperial Matcha, Japan

Matcha is a uniquely Japanese style of tea. It is distinct from other teas by the fact that you drink the whole leaf, not just an infusion. Packed with nutrients and caffeine, we like it best in the mornings as a powerful green tea 'espresso'.

The special care and attention needed to create matcha starts in the field. The bushes are shaded in the weeks before harvest to create thinner leaves with increased theanine levels and more pronounced sweet, vegetable-like flavours. As soon as they are picked, the leaves are steamed and dried before the stems and veins are carefully removed. Now known as Tencha, the de-veined leaves are carefully stone ground into a fine powder, giving us all the intense flavour and natural goodness inherent in the leaf. Our organic ceremonial matcha is a vibrant emerald-green colour that whisks into a creamy, richly-flavoured tea with a long lasting foam.

Kagoshima lies in the south of Kyūshū, the most southwesterly of Japan's main islands. With its dramatic hills, lush plains and pristine Pacific coastline, it's a truly stunning region, one famed for it deep bay and active volcano Sakurajima. Away from the bay, the land turns hilly, which is where this tea was grown, in the verdant, misty slopes of Kirishima. We tried many ceremonial matchas, but this example really impressed us with its richness and colour. The organically grown tea leaves are gently stone-ground by two award-winning 'Chashi' (tea masters), experts in preparing and blending green teas. 

Their skill in capturing all the flavour and vibrancy of the tea leaves in the fine matcha powder is what makes this a true ceremonial grade example.