Blog

Matcha Sen Mon Ten
Matcha Sen Mon Ten
Much of what we hear about matcha and its provenance points to Uji—and with good reason. Though small in size, Uji has an outsized influence on the craft, culture, and... Read more...
A new expression of Shiga matcha—Meeting Yasuharu Maeno of Maruyasu Tea
A new expression of Shiga matcha—Meeting Yasuharu Maeno of Maruyasu Tea
Last spring, as shortages of tencha and matcha began to intensify—especially in Yame and Uji—we started looking beyond the regions most commonly associated with matcha production. The idea was simple:... Read more...
A tasting of competition tea from Yoshiaki Hiruma
A tasting of competition tea from Yoshiaki Hiruma
I’m often asked how I taste tea. And to be honest, most of the time it’s simply a matter of brewing tea for my wife and myself and enjoying the... Read more...
A conversation with Yoshiaki Hiruma
A conversation with Yoshiaki Hiruma
Why “Region” Matters Less Than the Maker A Q&A-style interview edited for clarity. Interviewer: Zach There are few more influential in the worlds of both hand rolled Temomi tea and... Read more...
The Great Matcha Shortage: 2025 harvest first thoughts
The Great Matcha Shortage: 2025 harvest first thoughts
In just the last two weeks, six media outlets have reached out for comments on the Matcha shortage. Who could have imagined things would reach this point? The level of... Read more...
The Great Matcha Shortage Interlude: one way we are coping with the shortage.
The Great Matcha Shortage Interlude: one way we are coping with the shortage.
Several customers have asked how the current matcha shortage is affecting Kettl personally, and what steps we’re taking to address both the limited availability and the growing demand. While we’re... Read more...
The Great Matcha Shortage: Sales and distribution
The Great Matcha Shortage: Sales and distribution
Since publishing the first post of this ongoing look into the matcha shortage, it’s become increasingly clear just how expansive this story really is. In the past week alone, I’ve... Read more...
The Great Matcha Shortage: An introduction
The Great Matcha Shortage: An introduction
The Great Matcha Shortage: Part 1 - The Cause The media has widely reported on the Matcha shortage—demand has outpaced supply. But is that really the case? What’s behind it?... Read more...
Opening in LA: A Letter to the Kettl Team
Opening in LA: A Letter to the Kettl Team
(This started as a blog post, then it became clear this was actually a letter to our team. I figured I would share it anyway). Team, We are getting close.... Read more...
2024 In Review | Reflections on living in tea
2024 In Review | Reflections on living in tea
With the New Year here, all of us at Kettl are feeling the rested after a period of much needed (and well deserved) rest. Me personally , I always feel... Read more...
Tea and Seasonality | How our rituals reflect the season
Tea and Seasonality | How our rituals reflect the season
As summer turns again to fall, again our desire for warmth returns. The satisfaction we seek in a wool sweater or a hot cup of tea is hard wired into... Read more...
Three New Matcha - Diving deep to find the next great offering
Three New Matcha - Diving deep to find the next great offering
(Our first time tasting Suiho Organic - unforgettable) I have seen such a remarkable growth in interest in Matcha over the last several years. Along with that growth, the knowledge... Read more...