Organic Premium Matcha Powder

What are the health benefits of matcha?

Among the health benefits of drinking our Organic Matcha is how it offers a slow release of caffeine, thus avoiding the spike-then-slump of coffee and some teas. Others include the plant-derived antioxidants called catechins, of which one – epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – is found in particularly high quantities in matcha. Studies have found that, among other things, EGCG can help neutralise free radicals, fight cancer and reduce 'bad' LDL cholesterol. In addition, matcha is high in amino acids, especially L-theanine, associated with easing anxiety and helping with relaxation and sleep.

How is matcha produced?

Our authentic Organic Matcha is made from only the finest hand-picked tea leaves of Camellia sinensis bushes, traditionally shade-grown and harvested in early spring.

The tea bushes are covered in the last 20 days before the early spring harvest to limit sunlight. This process, known as 'shading', slows down growth, pushes the bushes to produce high levels of chlorophyll and causes an escalation in the production of healthy amino acids. Our tea farmers, who have been growing matcha in the Ise Bay area for generations, then steam the leaves, halting oxidation and locking in matcha's unique vegetal characteristics and vibrant. After this, the leaves are graded, destemmed and deveined before being left to dry and then stone-ground to a fine powder in granite stone mills. It can take up to one hour to grind just 30g of matcha.

How to make matcha

This organic matcha can be whisked the traditional way for a healthy tea, added to smoothies and juices at breakfast, or used as a natural flavour enhancer and colouring in your culinary creations.

To make a traditional matcha tea, it's important to know that it can be prepared for different liquid consistencies. For thin tea, use approximately 1.75g of matcha powder with 75ml hot water. For thick tea, use 3.75g of matcha powder with 40ml of hot water. To prepare your matcha tea, place a small amount of sieved matcha powder into your matcha bowl using a bamboo spatula. Add 70C hot water, then whisk the mixture using a bamboo whisk, aka a chasen, until the liquid has a uniform consistency. Finally, when enough foam has formed on the surface, beat at a medium speed to produce finer bubbles. Serve and enjoy all that green goodness.

Explore our other Japanese matcha green tea powders

We also offer the unique taste of this Japanese speciality tea in our Ceremonial Grade Matcha and, for extra health points, our chemical-free Organic Ceremonial Matcha. If you're new to this powerhouse brew or looking to use it purely for cooking, we recommend our mellow Standard Matcha tea. You can experience two of Japan's most famous tea exports in a caddy of clean-tasting Sencha Matcha or, for the vegetal characters of matcha combined with the warm notes of toasted rice, our Genmaicha Iri Matcha is comforting and delicious. Yet to discover our velvety Matcha Latte Mix? Made with cacao, toffee and cinnamon, and whipped to perfection with your preferred milk, it's a sublimely smooth and creamy way to enjoy all the benefits of matcha powder.

Want to make matcha green tea properly? It would help if you had a couple of tools, including a bowl and the traditional bamboo whisk called a chasen. Kit yourself up with all the Matcha Essentials from our range of Teaware, and read more about the traditional tea ceremony, for which our Ceremonial Grade Matcha is named, in our Tea Journal.

Strong seasonality defines this region. The summers are short and warm, with temperatures between 21°C and 30°C. As the season ends, autumn begins to see the temperature slowly drop over the months into the winter season, where temperatures hover between 4°C and 13°C. As winter ends, the spring allows temperatures to gently climb until they once again reach summer.

Across the year, the sky is mostly cloudy to overcast and brings with it low to medium amounts of rainfall. However, there is significant cloud cover and much larger amounts of rainfall during the summer months. In combination with warm temperatures, humidity peaks at 98% and contrasts the late autumn to winter months, where the air is typically very dry. In terms of wind, cool, blustery gales are picked up across the sea and brought inland all year long.

However, summer sees a much lower, more gentle breeze. The Bay, where the ocean waters meet the estuaries of the Kiso Three, Nikko and Honai rivers, is famous for its fish and seaweed. The Ise-Shima national park, on the southernmost tip of the bay, is home to loggerhead turtles, as well as native species of hibiscus and spider lily.