White Tea Matcha - Hakuju

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Matcha in kanji means ground tea, but doesn’t specify exactly which tea leaves are used - the large majority of high grade matcha is ground from tencha, though occasionally gyokuro (the king of Japanese teas) may be used. Tencha and gyokuro are grown in relatively the same way; covered from the sun and grown in varying amounts of shade for the last 16-30 days prior to harvest. This covering blocks direct sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis, stressing the plant and changing the flavour of the tea as the amino acids inside the tea leaves are prevented from changing into catechins, resulting in a higher level of amino acids (which give umami flavour and sweetness) in shaded tea compared to unshaded tea. The difference between tencha and gyokuro is after being steamed and dried there is no need for tencha to be rolled as it is usually ground into matcha, whereas gyokuro leaves are rolled into thin needle shapes. It has been speculated that lower grade matcha that is more yellow in colour or particularly bitter could have been ground from later harvest tea, or sencha or bancha tea leaves which are not grown under any shade at all.

This Hakuju is a very special matcha that has been ground from white tea (known as Shirahime), which is in fact grown fully under the sun like sencha. The producer spent 10 years developing this white tea, which is a natural mutation of green tea rather than the force-shaded white tea more common in Shizuoka. The leaves are yellow-green in colour and when ground into matcha, it is described as a platinum green colour – having noticeable less of a vibrant green colour like that of matcha ground from tencha or gyokuro. This tea is grown and processed in Hoshinomura (which means ‘star’s village’), in Yame, Fukuoka. As the name suggests, the village is known for star gazing as well as tea.

We recommend cooling the water to about 65-75°C for this matcha, but as it has been ground from unshaded tea there will be noticeable bitterness with any hot water temperatures. Whisking this matcha with room temperature filtered or spring water (such as Voss) gives significantly less bitterness and lets the roasted nuttiness shine through. Please drink matcha fairly soon as it will not improve over time, but we have found that waiting a few minutes for the matcha to cool a bit (if prepared hot) can bring out a more savoury taste.

How to make matcha as usucha (thin tea):
Matcha: 2g
Water: 50-60ml @ 65-75°C

Pour hot water into your chawan (matcha bowl), and into a separate cup or bowl pour some freshly boiled water - this is the water we will use to make the matcha. Preheat your chasen (bamboo whisk) in the chawan’s hot water for about 10 seconds. Drain the water in the bowl dry. Sift your matcha into the bowl - this is very important! The water you poured into the separate cup will have cooled - pour about 50-60ml over the sifted matcha and then whisk vigorously to start, slowing down gradually to remove most of the big bubbles - don’t worry if there are still bubbles, it’s a matter of practice and preference.

Hakuju is recommended to make only as usucha - not as koicha.

Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 2-4 weeks from when it is first opened.