Matcha teas

The world of Japanese tea is vast, and the purity of a powder is judged by the brilliance of its emerald green colour, the fineness of its grind, and its powerful umami flavour. To justify the excellence of our catalogue and help you make the right choice, here is how our different ranges are structured.

Matcha Grade	Flavour Profile	Ideal Use
Ceremonial (Prestige)	Intense umami, no bitterness, silky texture	Pure tasting (Usucha or Koicha) whisked with water
Premium (Organic / Everyday)	Balanced, herbaceous notes, light astringency	Daily drink, Matcha Latte, smoothies
Flavoured (Creation)	Subtle balance between the bitterness of the tea and the aromatic ingredient	Creative infusions, fine patisserie, desserts

Ceremonial Grade Matcha (Prestige)

Intended for purists, these grand crus (such as our Tennouzan, Seiun or the exceptional AFO ONE) represent the elite of Japanese production. Of ceremonial quality, they are hand-harvested in spring and offer an extraordinary vegetal sweetness. They are destined for an almost spiritual use, whisked solely with pure water.

Flavoured and Original Matcha

Born from the innovation of our artisans, matcha tea is paired here with iconic ingredients from the Japanese terroir. The combination with yuzu zest, grated ginger or roasted rice (Genmai) brings an entirely new gustatory dimension, ideal for surprising your guests.

Organic Matcha: Natural Excellence

Grown without any pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilisers, our organic matcha tea (such as the Kotobuki or Fuji vintages) respects the land as much as your body. It is the choice par excellence for daily consumption focused on well-being.

The magic of this powdered matcha tea lies in its unique production process, unchanged for centuries:

1. Shading (The creation of Tencha): Three to four weeks before harvest, the tea plants are covered with mats (tana) to deprive them of direct sunlight. The plant, under stress, overproduces chlorophyll and amino acids.
2. Steaming and drying: As soon as they are picked, the young leaves are steamed for a few seconds to halt oxidation and preserve their vibrant colour, before being dried.
3. Traditional grinding: The veins are removed. The noble part of the leaf is then ground extremely slowly under heavy granite stone millstones. This slow grinding prevents any overheating that would burn the precious aromas of the powder.

Preparing this drink is a moment of mindfulness. To achieve that delicious emulsion topped with a jade foam, the right equipment is essential.

• Sifting: Sift 1.5 to 2 grams of powder through a fine sieve over your bowl (Chawan) to prevent lumps from forming.
• Water temperature (The Expert's Tip): Never pour boiling water! Water at 70°C or 80°C maximum is essential to avoid developing the tea's astringency.
• The emulsion: Using your bamboo whisk (chasen), vigorously whisk the liquid in "M" or "W" motions until a fine, smooth foam forms on the surface.

Feel free to equip yourself with our traditional tea accessories to recreate this ritual at home.

Drinking this tea means absorbing the entire leaf, not just a simple infusion. Its nutritional qualities are thus greatly enhanced.

Exceptional antioxidant protection

Thanks to its richness in antioxidants (particularly EGCG catechins), it helps to effectively combat oxidative stress and cellular ageing.

Concentration and serenity

Unlike coffee, which causes a peak of excitement often followed by an energy crash, the caffeine in this tea is coupled with L-Theanine. This amino acid promotes a state of mental relaxation and sustained, gentle concentration. It is, for example, perfect for starting the day with a healthy and balanced matcha latte recipe.

Ceremony grade uses the youngest and most tender leaves from the first spring harvest, ground very finely. It is smooth and drunk pure. Culinary grade uses leaves harvested later in the season, with a more robust and astringent flavour, designed to withstand cooking or to be mixed with sugar, milk, and flour.

Yes, water at 100°C literally scorches the powder. Besides destroying some of its vitamins and antioxidants, boiling water releases the tannins from the tea, making your drink unpleasantly bitter. Always aim for simmering water at around 75°C.

Matcha is the enemy of air, light, heat and humidity. Keep your tin tightly sealed in the refrigerator. If your powder turns khaki green or yellowish, it has oxidised and lost its original freshness.

Although its absorption is gentler than that of coffee thanks to L-Theanine, matcha contains a significant dose of theine (caffeine). It is generally recommended to avoid consuming it after 4 pm or 5 pm if you are sensitive to stimulants.

Visually, Hojicha powder resembles matcha but displays a brown colour. It is in fact a roasted Hojicha tea in powder form. Its high-temperature roasting drastically reduces its caffeine content and gives it warm notes of caramel and toasted hazelnut.

Aggressive bitterness is a sign of poor-quality tea, often grown without shading, poorly ground, or originating from other producing countries. A fine Japanese shade-grown tea develops amino acids that give it a natural sweetness, a silky texture and the famous umami flavour, far removed from any harshness.

Never put your whisk in the dishwasher or use soap on it. Simply rinse it by whisking it gently in a bowl of clear lukewarm water. Then leave it to air dry, preferably on a ceramic stand (kusenaoshi) so that it retains its tulip shape.