(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 level of the general Matcha consumer has skyrocketed. In my early days, one in three customers assumed Mate and Matcha were the same thing - claiming they loved how “drinking Matcha from a gourd” felt so ceremonial. Things have changed. To illustrate my point, I was just in Los Angeles at a grocery store that sells Matcha. I always check the aisle to see what is being stocked. I was on the phone with my wife, and as I rounded the corner, I found a young woman explaining Matcha to an older woman who had never had it before. “I have heard this is good for your health,” the older lady commented. “Absolutely. Matcha is a shaded tea from Japan that is slowly milled and then whisked. Consuming the leaf whole, as you do with Matcha, means you absorb more of the natural phytonutrients of the plant - especially polyphenols and L-Theanine” the younger woman replied. Surprised, I hung up on my wife and listened more intently. She continued, “If you buy the Matcha, make sure to get a chasen - a bamboo whisk - the best way to achieve optimal foam. I think you’ll enjoy the process as well.” The older woman thanked her and took the tin of Matcha to the checkout - a new convert. As I left, I turned to the young woman and commented, “That was a wonderful explanation of Matcha,” to which she smiled and continued to the produce aisle. This may sound like a cute story - but it illustrates something significant: the general Matcha drinker now knows all about Matcha and has tasted enough to know what is good and what isn’t. They have the facts, they have experience, and they are more discerning than ever. To me, this means the importance of staying ahead of the curve when creating a catalog of Matcha is now more critical than ever. And that means sourcing.
(Kyotanabe, Kyoto)
Exploring and sourcing new teas is one of my job's most rewarding and challenging parts. While traveling to Japan and driving around drinking tea sounds like a vacation - it requires a lot of stamina, focus, and attention. I’ve mentioned this before, but we taste and evaluate much more tea we don’t buy than we do end up purchasing. So when we do find producers and regions that align with what we are searching for, the feeling is incredible. This was our experience when we met Mr. Hiroshi Kobayashi in Kyotanabe, just outside of Uji. Hiroshi Kobayashi has a reputation that precedes him—he is one of the only Level 10 Chashi (master tea blender) in all of Japan. He serves as the head of the Shogyokuen tea company, which has been operating in the Kyotanabe area since 1827. He is known for developing some of the most beautiful blended matcha and sencha to come out of the area, and out of the country at large.
(Documenting the meeting, Minami is a meticulous note-taker)
When visiting producers, it is expected to head immediately to the fields to survey the farm and get a sense of the landscape. Kobayashi san offered. But I had another suggestion. Could we spend our time in his blending room evaluating some teas together? It was my thought that being able to learn from someone as gifted as he, firsthand, would reveal some deeper insights than a walk through the fields. I wasn’t wrong. We spent the next 3 hours tasting, evaluating, and chatting about tea, nature, and what is most important to Kobayashi san in his pursuit of crafting peerless Matcha. This incredible time together answered so many questions and helped us decide, together, on some teas that would best elevate our catalog of Matcha.
(Evaluation starts with understanding texture and color)
While we have had Uji Matcha on our menu for many years, we have always been focused on farmer-produced single-cultivar Matcha. Similar to the wines of Burgundy, the absence of blending showcases the unique impact of the land, cultivar, and farmer in a way that blends - with their year-to-year consistency cannot. But blended Matcha is both historically important to Uji and, when overseen by the right blender, a stunning achievement. Together, we looked at a selection of cultivars - discussing their intricacies - and finally settled on a combination of 2 blends. Our Chikka and our Fuujun .
Chikka, the first blended Matcha crafted for us by Kobayashi san, is a nod to Uji's classic, aromatic Matcha. Made with a four-cultivar blend, Chikka provides a silky, sweet, and aromatic Matcha experience with mild umami and just a touch of astringency - enough to make you want to take another sip. You may notice the color of the whisked Matcha has a lime green glow - the product of consistent shading among all four cultivars - something significant that less meticulous tea makers often overlook. The lighter profile lends itself to whisking into a fine bowl of Usucha or shaking with ice for a particularly buoyant and refreshing iced Matcha. Chikka is the type of Matcha you want to keep returning to - and one that you can drink two (or three) bowls in a row and not feel any palate fatigue.
(In the mill room)
In addition to the freshness of Chikka, I wanted to bring in something…luxurious. We have a reputation for smooth, rich, and decadent Matcha - Shirakawa Asahi , Kiwami , and Kohata , to name a few - and tasting through a selection of Matcha from Kobayashi san, I knew we could achieve something remarkable. Enter Fuujun . The most decadent blended Matcha from Uji we have come across. While Fuujun is admittedly crafted with Koicha in mind, made as usucha it nails the mark: Pillowy, thick, and full-bodied. Fuujun is made with the Asahi and Uji Hikari cultivars, all from Kobayashi san’s garden. This is peak Uji Matcha and something that has to be tasted to be believed. Fuujun boasts Gyokuro-like levels of Umami, a mouthfeel reminiscent of cultured cream, and a toasty graham cracker-like aroma with a satisfying smoothness that reminds us of Kiwami. Fuujun is the most complete blended Uji Matcha we have ever carried. If you haven't tried it, I sincerely hope you will. It is a new Kettl favorite.
( Fuujun Matcha - our most decadent Uji blend)
After exploring the region of Kyotanabe, I set off to taste some JAS organic Matcha from a lesser-known region of Kyoto - Maizuru. Nestled in the northern corner of Kyoto Prefecture, Maizuru and the teas that grow there are exposed to harsh northern winds, making for sturdy, robust teas. We came to taste something new - Organic Matcha. I have spoken about this at great length - but Organic Matcha is something that leads to long conversations about what quality means. Flavor, safety, and the sustainability of each and every tea we source is of the highest importance - but making sense of the matrix can often be more challenging than one might think. But the good news: What we found ticked all the boxes: our new Suihou Matcha .
(Suiho in the field)
After years of encountering Organic Matcha that felt weak, lacking in character or just plain bitter - what had changed? Well, Suiho represents the development of the revered tea maker Kiyoharu Tsuji's practice and partnership with Kettl. Organic matcha is a novelty in Japan, often associated with lower-quality tea produced for export. Suiho on the other hand is Grown under Tsuji san's watchful eye and is a JAS certified organic matcha of the highest order. With a dynamic profile that boasts electric freshness and rich umami in equal measure, Suiho is a remarkable demonstration of the potential of organic production and opened our eyes to what is possible. It is about place—Maizuru’s northern location allows for dryer, cooler weather, and fewer pests. It is about cultivar selection - choosing dynamic cultivars that are naturally sweet and fragrant means less dependence on fertilizers. And most of all people make the difference: If anyone is going to crack the code on pulling the most out of a tea, it is likely Kiyoharu Tsuji. We are so proud to add Suiho to the catalog - a tea that stands both on its own and right alongside our other selections in quality, fragrance, and flavor.
To continue to search for, discover and share the best of what is being made in Japan remains my singular mission. But now, more than ever, you the Matcha drinker are impacting what makes it into the marketplace. If the demand for quality is there, the quality in the marketplace will grow. You vote with what you order and whom you support. And how much great Matcha is there available tha’t yet found? Will the demand outpace supply? We still need to find out. But it feels like we continue to dive deep into the ocean and resurface with yet another pearl. So we will continue to dive deeper and deeper in search of the more great tea. We sincerely hope you enjoy what we have found.
