Matcha was brought to Japan from China by monks. It became a traditional drink of Zen Buddhists firstly and then - a lifestyle of the whole society. So what is the phenomenon of Matcha and why should you definitely try it? Matcha is considered the highest quality tea due to unique chemical composition and prized flavor, which sets it apart from other tea beverages.* Despite all the health benefits and natural source of vitamins, there is no secret ingredient in Matcha. It`s a powdered green tea leaves that have been shaded before harvest, dried and grinded (by machine or stone-milled). In the ..read more

  Sóbacha in Japanese means "soba" - buckwheat and "cha" - tea. It is not a traditional tea, like green or black tea, but a tizan, a gluten-free and caffeine-free tea made from the seeds of Tatar buckwheat.  There are many varieties of buckwheat - some of which we use as a staple food, while others are used to make noodles, cookies, bread and tea. In Japan it is also used as a topping in salads, ice cream, yogurt, etc. Our Microfarms Our buckwheat tea is grown in Hokkaido, Japan, without the use of agricultural chemicals. Tartar buckwheat seeds are milled, mixed with water, ext ..read more

  Japanese tea import to the whole world contains 6% which makes this tea very rare and limited. Many brands, in order to satisfy clients' demand, started to sell look-alike Japanese tea that in reality had been produced in other countries like China for example.  Problem is that Chinese manufacturers have their own technique, they mostly fry the tea, which affects color, taste and aroma while Japanese tea masters steam tea leaves and dry afterwards. Also, life- and business style influence a lot on the production process: China is one of the world import leaders of tea producing wi ..read more

 We often say that green tea has umami aftertaste, but what does that mean?   Umami was discovered more than 110 years ago by a scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda in Japan.  It was identified as the 5th flavor after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Unlike other tastes, it lasts longer, spreads all over the tongue and provides a mouthwatering sensation. Umami taste is attributed to glutamat.  We can found it not only in Japanese cuisine, but in our everyday products: broccoli, green tea, tomato, onion, cheese, green asparagus, salmon etc Umami compounds are typically found in h ..read more

Gyokuro is a Superior Grade tea known for its health benefits, flavor and aroma. It is the jewel of Japan's tea collection and one of the rarest teas in the world. In Japanese it means the same - “jewel dew”, conjuring up images of morning dew on emerald jade. It was developed only in the 1830s, much later than Sencha and Matcha. Japanese tea artisans poetically conveyed the uniqueness of this green tea: it's harvested only once a year (late April), and plucked by hand, in limited quantities. Production requires high costs in growing the tea plants, and specific harvesting conditions. Thi ..read more

Currently, the choice of organic products in various areas (cosmetics, food, drinks, etc.) has become a real trend. We have prepared six main factors why you should choose organic tea. 1. Safety in consumption Synthetic pesticides are known to pose significant well-recognised risks to human health, including birth defects, nervous system damage, hormone and endocrine system disruption, respiratory disorders, skin and eye irritation, and various types of cancer. Herbicides have also been linked to some cancers and Parkinson's disease. Chemicals and fertilizers can remain in the leaf struct ..read more

What is Wakoucha? Red tea, or black tea, as it is commonly known away from the producing countries, is called "Wakoucha" in Japan, where "Wa" stands for Japan, "kou" for red and "cha" for tea. It's one of the ancient Japanese teas, which began to be cultivated and exported by local craftsmen. Production of black tea wasn't even for the local population who preferred to drink green tea. It was mainly made for export - to compete with Chinese, Sri Lankan and Indian markets which didn't last long. After 1971 Wakoucha production was almost stopped due to the effect of the Free Trade Agreement ..read more

Tea seeds came to Japan from China and for eight centuries became just a meditation drink for monks. They drank Matcha, a powdered green tea whose recipe and traditions are still popular today. Only in the 16th century tea became a common beverage but Japan was shut down, so China gained a world tea monopoly. Many unique teas were created specifically in the isolation period, like Sencha. After World War I it was a golden time for tea makers, Japanese black tea was very much in demand and popular. But their factories and tea growing practices could not compete with Sri Lanka, Kenya and I ..read more

Our Sencha and Matcha are grown on organic microfarms surrounded by forest and sea. We harvest from Uji, Kyoto, the birthplace of Japanese tea, and Kagoshima, the most southern part of the island. Sencha grows in direct sunlight, gaining vitamins and enjoying the sea breeze. The Tencha tea leaves, which will soon become Matcha, are carefully shaded by Oishitaen, special covering. In early April, after the first new shoots of tea leaves emerge, the Matcha tea plantations will be completely shaded for about 20 days to block out direct sunlight. By blocking sunlight, catechin (the astringent ..read more

Green tea history started from China (Yunnan province) and nowadays lots of countries are also growing and processing it: Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Bangladesh etc. Green tea is made from Camellia Sinensis plant, and can be produced by steaming or pan-frying. Brewing color can be green, yellow or light brown with aroma ranging from grassy to vegetal, sweet, seaweed-like. We can compare green tea to wine: from one plant can be created different aromas and tastes. For example, Matcha, black tea and oolong are also originated from green tea leaves. Green tea is traditionally made ..read more