The Terroir
This is the first step, without which everything else is meaningless.
As with wine, or coffee, soils, climate and cultivation methods play a crucial role in the final qualities of the product.
Our Matcha comes from our 3 farms, which have been cultivated by the same families for 3 centuries. This exceptional proximity to our land allows us total control over our products and unmatched quality.
Our tea plants are located on exceptional plots, with noble soils with characteristics that we know perfectly.
The Shadow
Between two and four weeks before harvest, our tea plants are covered.
This is a crucial step in the production of real Matcha, as it forces the plant to concentrate a maximum of chlorophyll, micronutrients and antioxidants in its young leaves, in order to make them more efficient in capturing the sun's rays.
Little by little, several layers of nets are extended, until they block 90% of the sunlight.
The Harvest
We always harvest only at the beginning of May. This is the first harvest period of the year, and the best quality, because the leaves have had time to grow slowly, and benefit from better shade.
The most tender, light-coloured leaves are the youngest and smallest. These are the ones with the best aromas and the best health properties.
Harvesting earlier therefore allows for better leaves, but reduces the quantity harvested because they are smaller.
Steaming
This is a crucial step, otherwise our Green Gold would become leaf dust and lose all interest!
Steaming forms a protective film around the leaves that will freeze their aromas. Once dried, they can be kept for several months, or even years, without losing their qualities.
Only once ground does this film no longer exist and the countdown begins.
Drying
The leaves are then dried in large streams of hot air that are 6 to 8 meters high. Having enough space and keeping the leaves moving allows for uniform drying that perfectly preserves the leaf.
It is only at this stage that the leaf veins are removed to keep only the best!
This work is still done throughout Japan with a rather ingenious machine: It hits the dried leaves once, which detaches the veins. Then, a current of air blows the flesh off the leaves, while the veins remain.
The Millstone Passage
The dried and de-ribbed leaves are preserved and are only ground at the very last moment! This guarantee of fresh grinding gives our Matcha exceptional aromas!
Industrial steel mills exist, but the powder they produce does not give the creamy texture we expect.
We therefore use granite millstones (170 kg each), which grind slowly: between 20 and 50g per hour. The slower it is ground, the finer the particles, and the better the texture.
Quality Control
That’s it! We’re now less than 30 days away from enjoying your first cup of freshly brewed Matcha!
Obviously, all production ends with a mandatory quality control. Our tea masters taste and ensure that the characteristics of the blends are those we expected.
At each harvest, we also analyze our leaves in the laboratory.
Want to try our premium matcha?
Start by trying our sample packs to find the matcha that's right for you.