A Thirst for Tea, Inc

Our 2024 Matcha Zuisho, Heritage Ceremonial Grade Matcha is the Creme de la Creme of the Shogyokuen Tea Factory. Zuisho is the highest grade matcha available from this renown tea factory. I bought a tin of it last year for myself just to see the difference between this and the Shogyoku Imperial Ceremonial Grade. It really blew me away! IT has all of the best characteristics of the Shogyoku Imperial Grade and then some. I never knew Matcha could be so luxurious! So this year I couldn't help myself. I bought the 8 tins that had already been ground just for myself. I wasn't planning on offering it for sale because it's so expensive, but I received it today and thought, "Why not! The worst that could happen is that nobody would buy it and I'd have it all for myself." So, here it is!

To obtain the best of the best in the world of matcha production, you walk an extra mile to gain an inch. The Heritage Grade label given to the best and richest matcha products also requires a very specific set of production criteria:

1. Leaves must be shaded for 4 weeks or more
2. Leaves must be shaded under a canopy, not directly, preventing the shading material from causing damage to the leaves, and allowing the plant to grow freely.
3. This also allows the plant to be handplucked, and the handplucking must occur in the spring.
4. The plucked leaves must be steamed and dried into leaf flakes called tencha using a tencha roasting facility.
5. The tencha must be refined to remove leaf stems and veins, then chopped into small even pieces for grinding
6. The grinding must be done on a stone mill. 

There's another step we often don't talk about. That is, as a crop, tea leaves will inevitably vary from year to year. To consistently create the same amazing flavor profile year after year is the role of a master blender, and Shogyokuen's CEO Hiroshi Kobayashi is a blender whose ability to appraise tea leaves is matched only by a handful of industry professional in Japan.

Shogyokuen's Heritage Grade Matcha products utilizes leaves cultivated by the Kobayashi's themselves on a dedicated tea field.

40 gram tin

Japanese Matcha:

There is perhaps no tea on the market today that is as celebrated or as famous as Japanese Matcha. The powdered green tea has been used in the Japanese tea ceremony for centuries and as such is normally associated with the beautifully complex, and rigid procedure. The Urasenke School was founded by a renowned Tea Master, descended from Sen Rikyu, during the 16th century. The name “Ceremonial” was originally given to depict a grade of Matcha that is of high enough quality to be served at formal tea ceremonies, and this endorsement is reserved strictly for ceremonial teas that meet the strictest measures of excellence. Today's Ceremonial Grade has a balanced umami / astringency / bitterness. It has a beautiful green powder and liquor color. The aroma can be somewhat weak, but the texture is smooth. It must be made from spring-harvested tencha. Our Imperial Ceremonial Grade has the top quality umami strength with minimum astringency and no bitterness. The beautiful, rich green powder and liquor color has a fresh aroma and a smooth, silky texture. It is made from the best quality spring-harvested tencha. All of these qualities are immediately evident and as an added bonus you will find that this matcha will easily whisk to a beautifully rich froth.

Matcha Shogyoku is produced by the Shogyokuen Tea Factory, the small family owned factory of Hiroshi Kobayashi, an award winning tea master and blender. Kobayashi-san is one of only 13 tea professionals in Japan who hold the top rank of tea appraisal, level 10. Our Matcha Shogyoku is the factory’s best-selling product for practitioners of the Japanese tea ceremony, chado. And it is recommended for both koicha thick tea for formal ceremonies as well as usucha thin tea for more casual gatherings.

Matcha is harvested in the beginning of May. The fresh green tea leaves are traditionally plucked by hand — even today. After they have been harvested, the leaves are immediately refined in the Aracha factory (1st refine facility). This refining process is the beginning of a long journey turning the leaves into Matcha powder.

First, the tea leaves are carefully steamed which halts the fermentation, keeping the leaves fresh, and locks in the nutritional components of the tea. Then the leaves are carried through a dryer heated at approx. 180°C / 356°F. The temperature and the time to dry depend on the respective weather condition at the time. After this process, the dried leaves weighs only 20% of its original weight. The tea leaves after this 1st refinement, is called "Aracha," which means "rough tea." 

Aracha arrives to the 2nd refining facility operated by AIYA. A variety of Aracha arrives from an abundant source of farmers, many of whom have been with AIYA for generations. Next the Aracha will be sorted to its respective categories by AIYA's tea sommeliers through the evaluation of color, taste, and texture. The final tea is blended from various sources by the tea sommeliers for consistent grades throughout the year. After the formulation is complete, fully automated procedure separates out all the stems, veins, and unwanted particles until the purest flesh of the tea leaves remain which is then cut to smaller pieces. At this point, the cut tea is called "Tencha" tea, which is specifically designed to be ground into Matcha.

Aracha arrives to the 2nd refining facility operated by AIYA. A variety of Aracha arrives from an abundant source of farmers, many of whom have been with producing tea for generations. Next the Aracha will be sorted to its respective categories by the tea sommeliers through the evaluation of color, taste, and texture. The final tea is blended from various sources by the tea sommeliers for consistent grades throughout the year. After the formulation is complete, fully automated procedure separates out all the stems, veins, and unwanted particles until the purest flesh of the tea leaves remain which is then cut to smaller pieces. At this point, the cut tea is called "Tencha" tea, which is specifically designed to be ground into Matcha.

Blending is conducted by the tea sommelier to produce consistent flavor and color for each category of Matcha. AIYA has two tea sommeliers with 40 years of experience and has long since perfected this procedure to produce high quality Matcha. Blending the tea is necessary to achieve different grades of Matcha. There are more than 100 existing grades which differ from each other in color and taste profile. The perfect Matcha is said to have resilient spring green color, unfolds delicately in the mouth, and the flavor is robust yet mild and sweet. All tea has a different character and various criteria must be met for the perfect blend.

The last step and the most important step in Matcha production is the grinding process. The grinding process is conducted in a clean room in where the temperature and humidity is closely monitored and controlled as the industrial filters keep the air clean, eliminating bacteria and germs in the air. The average particle size of Matcha powder is only 5-10 microns small. This is so fine (finer than baby powder!) that the powder practically melts in your mouth.

Each stone mill only grinds up to 30-40g (approx. 1 oz) per hour, which is basically the amount of one Matcha tin. Even with all the technology today, the granite stone mill is still the best way to grind Matcha from the delicate Tencha tea leaves, because only granite can preserve the color, flavor, and the nutritional components of the tea to its upmost quality.

A stone mill consists of two granite parts. There is a slight opening in the middle where the two parts meet. This is called "Fukumi." The tea is funneled in from the top and fills in this small space, then is pushed out gradually. Because of this, the granite parts never touch each other during the grinding process. There are grooves carved into varying grid lines patterns inside the mill which is designed to push the tea outward from within as the mill starts grinding. And by the time leaves finally reach the outer seam, they are broken down and ground into ultra fine powder. An axis made of oak wood is placed in the center to hold the mill together. This is also chiseled and shaped by the artisans to fit perfectly centered into each mill since no hole is ever drilled the same way when the granite arrives. Oak is ideal for the core for its strength and durability and has very little inherent smell.

It was believed by the ancient Japanese that tea was a gift of the heavens and as such held great restorative and spiritual power here on earth. In fact, an ancient Japanese poet named Sen no Rikyu, considered to be the most important influence on the development of the tea ceremony, or Chanoyu, penned this line during the 1500's, "Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea (Chanoyu), tea will drink you up." The development of the Chanoyu, began as a way for human beings to appreciate and show reverence to this power.

Well, these days, although the Japanese tea ceremony still holds a significant place in Japanese culture, the rules around drinking Matcha have loosened. The ancients were right about something though, Matcha is special, and because of the way it is produced, it is also powerful. Consider these numbers: 2 cups of brewed matcha contains 7 times the antioxidants of orange juice, 20 times that of apple juice, and nearly 20 g of calcium - and that's just the short list! On a gram per gram basis, Matcha also contains approximately 10 times the polyphenols of regular teas*. The healthy qualitites of the tea have led to the its break from tradition - Matcha can now be found served cold, as an ingredient in health shakes, ice creams, and even baked goods.

So what is it about Matcha that makes it so good for you? The answer can be found in the way it is produced and consumed. Firstly, Matcha is made using pure Gyokuro leaves, a Japanese tea variety that is shaded beneath special mats for 3 weeks before plucking. The shading forces the plants to produce a higher than normal chlorophyll content which gives the leaves a rich green color. Once plucked, the leaves are steamed and dried. Tea at this stage of the process is known as Aracha. Next, the Aracha is stripped of all stems and veins resulting in a pure leaf known as Tencha. Tencha is then stone ground into its finely powdered form. Since it is powdered, no matter how you prepare Matcha, you are actually consuming the entire leaf - which contains high nutritional value - there is no other tea in the world consumed in this manner. It is said in Japan that because of this characteristic, Matcha is the healthiest natural beverage in the world to this day!

Matcha can be divided into two categories: thick (Koicha) and thin (Usucha.) Koicha refers to Matcha made from the leaves of Gyokuro plucked from tea bushes that are over 30 years old. Usucha refers to Matcha made from the leaves of Gyokuro plucked from tea bushes that are younger than 30 years old. Koicha would be used in a formal Japanese tea ceremony, while Usucha would be used for less formal occasions. The terms Koicha and Usucha are also used to describe the manner in which the Matcha is prepared.

Brewing Instructions

Water Temperature:  158-176
Water Quality:  Best with Spring Water
Usucha: Amount of Leaf (per 2.3 fl oz water (70 ml)):  2 scoops
Koicha: Amount of Leaf (per 1.3 fl oz water (40 ml)):  3-4 scoops
Number of Infusions: 1

The preparation of matcha is different than any other tea. Because it is ground so fine, you will--obviously--only get one infusion from each cup you prepare. As explained in the Background Tab there are two methods of making matcha, depending upon the occasion and/or your particular taste: thin (usucha) and thick (koicha). Both require special equipment: a matcha bowl (Chawan), a matcha whisk (Chasen), a matcha scoop (chashaku), a matcha sifter (furui) and a linen tea cloth (chakin.)

Preparation of both usucha, and koicha start out the same way. Preheat the matcha bowl by filling it about 1/3 full with hot water. Then place the whisk facing down into the hot water to wet the tips of the prongs (avoid getting the handle wet). Once the bowl has thoroughly preheated, empty out the water and dry the bowl out preferably with a cloth such as a chakin. Set the whisk aside and then measure out the recommended amount of hot water into a measuring cup--(70ml (approx. 2.3oz) for usucha; 40ml (approx. 1.3oz) for koicha-- and leave it to cool to between 158-176 degrees. Use the bamboo scoop to measure about 2 scoops of matcha powder (2-grams) and place it into the bowl. Sifting the matcha into the bowl is advisable as it will remove any clumps of powder. Once the water that was measured out in STEP 1 drops to 70°C(158°F)-80°C(176°F) pour it into the matcha bowl. The water should be just enough to cover the powder. For koicha, pouring the water in two parts (40% and 60%) often produces better results. Here is where the procedure differs.

For usucha: Take the whisk in one hand and hold the rim of the matcha bowl with your other hand and start to whisk the matcha. Whisk briskly using your wrist (not arm). Whisk in a W motion until the matcha has a thick froth with many tiny bubbles on the surface. The matcha is now frothy and ready to drink!

For koicha:The idea with koicha is NOT to make a frothy consistency with a fast whisking action like usucha. Instead, a slower kneading action from left to right, up and down, and a gentle 360 degree rotating action can be used to make a thick consistency. The resulting tea should be reasonably thick, smooth and without froth.