• • Origin : Fukuoka, Yame, Japan (single estate )
  • flavor notes: nuts, white chocolate, spinach
  • Harvest : May 2024
  • Quality : No. 4 out of 5 qualities for "thin tea."

Hoshino Seichaen produces 5 quality levels of matcha tea for “thin” tea. The 5 quality levels differ in taste and the intensity of the green color. The finest quality has the fewest bitters and the most intense green color.
The lower the quality, the more bitters, not to be confused with unpleasant bitters in a poor-quality tea, and none of the teas from Hoshino are of low quality; therefore, no unpleasant bitter substances.
The bitter substances in Hoshino matcha are finely tuned, and in some teas only help to give more flavor and fullness. This matcha is suitable for what is called “thin” tea, which is still a full-bodied tea with creamy foam on top.

Yamenotsuyu is number 4 on the quality barometer, i.e., the second best. The taste is mild, and the texture is creamy. In the aftertaste, you can experience grass and seaweed as well as a mild mineral taste. This matcha has slightly mild bitter substances, which also contribute to the taste.

Matcha consists of the finest leaves from this year’s first harvest, the 1st flush, also called ichi ban cha.  The shrubs have been covered with a “roof” of bamboo mats so that the leaves are not exposed to direct sunlight. After the fine, fresh leaves have been picked, they are steamed and dried, after which they are ground in a stone mill to a very fine powder. Matcha has an invigorating effect and a high content of vitamins as well as antioxidants, including catechins.

This tea from Hoshino Seichaen is produced by a family-run company founded in 1946 and today is run by the brothers Yamaguchi, who over the last 10 years have trained the next generation to take over in the near future. Hoshino Seichaen is a well-known and widely recognized tea producer in Japan. Hoshino Seicha is home to Yame in Fukuoka. Ingredients: green tea Matcha is the tea one uses in the Japanese tea ceremony.

The tin canister contains 20 grams of matcha powder.