The unique "Ipponmatsu" terroir by Azuma-san

Click on the play button to launch the short video (2 min 47 sec).

In 2018, I discovered a tea plantation in a very remote location in the Wazuka mountains of Japan. Accompanied by my friend Tyas Sosen, a tea master in Kyoto, we were driven to the back of the small pickup truck belonging to the matcha producer, Azuma-san.

Azuma-san is part of a fourth-generation family of tea growers, and the plot we are visiting was created three generations ago by her husband's grandfather.

This place is called Ipponmatsu, which means "the solitary pine tree." At an altitude of 550 meters, this plantation is one of the highest tea plantations in Japan. It is a difficult place to maintain and harvest because of the steep slope: you have to bend over all day to harvest each leaf by hand, which is very tiring.

The altitude does have its advantages: given the relatively low temperatures, the tea plant's growth cycle is slowed down, and the young shoots used for matcha appear later in early summer, thus avoiding the frost feared by farmers in the valley.

It is also easier for organic farming because at higher altitudes there are naturally fewer insects that can damage crops.

The Okumidori cultivar

One of the characteristics of the Okumidori cultivar, in addition to its colour, is the size of its leaves. Here, Azuma-san explains that, with the covers blocking much of the light, the leaves seek out the sun and grow even larger to capture more light. This leads to a high-quality harvest.

Kumiko Matcha x The Tea Crane

This organic matcha tea was born out of a collaboration with my friend Tyas Sosen, Enshu-Ryu tea master in Kyoto and founder of The Tea Crane tea brand. We therefore designed the label for this product as a fusion of our respective worlds.

I invite you to discover (in English) the loose leaf teas selected by Tyas on her website, as they are delicious and focus on organic and natural farmers who do not use pesticides.

Tasting

With its unique Okumidori cultivar, the tasting of this new vintage is delicious and subtle: it's a matcha that reminds me of the sweet taste of marshmallows and sweets.

To prepare usucha matcha tea, use 1 gram of matcha powder for 80mL of hot water at 70-80°C - this is the common preparation method for matcha and the one we enjoy most often for tasting.

I join Azuma-san in inviting you to try this new matcha, and we wish you an excellent tasting experience! Thank you very much 🙏🙇‍♂️🍵

Enjoy the tasting! 🙏 🍵