Hand-Picked Uji Matcha — Gokō × Samidori Ceremonial Blend

For a traditional bowl (usucha), sift 1–2 grams of matcha into a warm chawan, add about 60–70 ml of hot water (not boiling — around 75–80°C / 165–175°F), and whisk briskly with a chasen in a "W" or "M" motion until a fine layer of foam forms on the surface.

Avoid boiling water. Heat above 85°C extracts excess tannins and dulls the flavor. For best results, let kettle water rest for 60–90 seconds after boiling before pouring.

Ceremonial grade matcha is made from the youngest, most tender first-harvest leaves, stone-milled slowly to preserve aroma and texture. It is intended for drinking on its own, whisked with water, where its full character is on display.

Culinary grade matcha typically uses later harvests and is designed to stand up to other ingredients — milk, sugar, baked goods — where a more robust, slightly bitter profile is desirable.

This is a ceremonial grade hand-picked blend. It is smooth and full enough for thick koicha as well as thin usucha, and refined enough that it also shines in a premium latte.

For best flavor and color, use within 1–2 months after opening, kept refrigerated in the sealed tin.

Matcha is light- and oxygen-sensitive. Once opened, oxidation begins immediately and slowly dulls both the bright green color and the fresh, vegetal aroma. Refrigeration slows this process significantly.

Before opening, an unopened tin stays fresh for around 12 months from the harvest date when stored cool and dark. Each batch carries a best-before date on the packaging.

Yes. This blend holds its structure and vibrant color in milk, adding depth and creamy balance without becoming bitter — it makes an excellent latte with dairy or oat milk.

For a latte, whisk 1.5–2 grams of matcha with a small amount of hot water to make a smooth paste first, then add warmed milk on top. This prevents clumping and preserves the color.

That said, if you primarily drink matcha lattes daily, a culinary-grade matcha may be a more economical choice. We carry both — get in touch if you'd like a recommendation.

Most matcha today is machine-harvested — fast, but indiscriminate. Hand-picked means every leaf is selected individually during the first spring flush, taking only the youngest, most tender shoots and leaving the rest.

Hand-picked tencha is a small fraction of Japanese production — around 5% — and it is becoming rarer every year as tea farmers age out of the craft. Machines can match it for scale but not for precision, and that selectivity is what gives the cup its clarity, smoothness, and clean finish.

This matcha is picked entirely by hand on a single Edo-period family farm — the most labor-intensive tea we offer.

A few reasons.

First, every leaf is hand-picked during the first spring flush — slow, careful work that limits how much can be made.

Second, it comes from a single Edo-period family farm in Sumiyama, not a regional cooperative, so the total yield is small.

Third, the farm exports to only a handful of partners overseas, which makes this release genuinely rare outside Japan.

When a seasonal batch sells through, we wait until the next spring harvest.

Yes. Matcha contains caffeine — roughly 30–70 mg per gram of powder, depending on the cultivar and harvest. A standard bowl made with 1–2 grams therefore contains somewhere between 30 mg and 140 mg of caffeine.

For comparison, a typical cup of brewed coffee contains around 80–100 mg, and a cup of green tea around 25–30 mg.

Matcha's caffeine is generally experienced differently from coffee's, because matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes a calmer, more sustained kind of alertness. Many people who find coffee jittery find matcha smoother — though sensitivities vary, and we always recommend listening to your own response.