This is the best tasting matcha we have come across. If you have visited us in the cafe you might have tired it in our Tokyo Fog (our most popular drink) we've used it in gelato, ice cream, cookies, crepe batter, whip cream and those are just the things in the cafe. This is a matcha we start every single day with.
"Why is your matcha so cheap?" Simply we love matcha and we are known for matcha and we want matcha to be accessible to everyone. We buy matcha in large quantities and pass those savings on to you.
Our matcha is so delicious because it is ground locally. Matcha is ground for us when we order meaning our matcha is the freshest it can be. Why does that matter? Matcha does not have the same shelf life as other teas (6 months to 1 year vs 3-5 years for loose leaf tea) so not having the matcha ground packaged and shipped from Japan makes a huge difference in the freshness and flavour.
What about the grade? Is it ceremonial? One of us was born in Japan(Satomi) and married Aaron, Dave and Vicky (shop founders) son. Aaron lived in Japan for 3 years before coming back and changing Wisdom from a teashop to a full service cafe and teashop.
Cermonial Matcha is used for tea ceremony. Which is not something we find our customers are doing. In Japanese people care about the taste of the matcha more than if it is for tea ceremony. Just like people who drink wine care more about how it taste than if it is used for a communion.
Give this matcha a try and see if you love it as much as we do.
Smooth with sublte hints of vegetative sweetness
From the Supplier:
The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi is difficult for many westerners to wrap their heads around. The concept loosely alludes to the idea of imperfection, and the beauty to be found therein. For those of us accustomed to searching and yearning for the cream of the crop, Wabi-sabi presents an aesthetic challenge. The following poem by Japanese author Matsuo Basho helps illustrate the concept:
The pine-tree of Karaski
More dim and vague
Than the cherry-blossom
As Basho points out, the beauty of cherry blossoms is obvious. The beauty of a pine tree less so. Still, as expressions of the natural world, both are beautiful and equally deserving of contemplation. By now you're wondering, what does this have to do with tea? Great question. Simply put, we'll admit that the inherent beauty of this Japan D Industrial Grade matcha is not as immediately evident as that of a superior grade. That said, as with all Japanese green teas, there is profound character to be found in its nourishing cup. As you whisk it into a froth and consume the brew, contemplate the words above.
Realize you are drinking the pine-tree (so to speak) and appreciate the profundity to be found within. An excellent Japanese matcha, loaded with antioxidants and suitable for everyday drinking. Wabi-sabi. Live it.