Syuppin Matcha
This tiny-lot koicha matcha is made for formal tea presentations. Syuppin Matcha uses first-flush tencha shaded for about 30 days, then hand-sorted and stone-milled to an ultra-fine grind. “Syuppin” (出品) denotes competition grade: leaves are inspected piece by piece before milling. The result is a dense, sweet cup with virtually no bite — perfect for a thick, velvety preparation. If you love deep umami and a calm, steady finish, this matcha is for you.
Exhibition craft
Competition tencha is prepared differently. Before grinding, fragments and veins are removed by hand — often with chopsticks — so only flawless leaf reaches the mill. This meticulous sorting heightens clarity and texture in the bowl. It’s labor-intensive, which is why such batches are scarce.
Here, first-flush leaves are canopy-shaded for ~30 days to build concentrated umami, then refined and blended before slow stone-milling in Kyoto. This protects color and aroma, allowing the powder to thicken willingly without bitterness.
This line received a Prix d’Argent at the Japanese Tea Selection Paris — an independent quality marker for buyers comparing elite matcha.
Family craft
Our partner workshop, founded in the 1860s, is run by master taster Takashi Nishide (全国茶審査技術六段 — sixth-dan in Japan’s tea-tasting examinations) and his wife, instructor Atsuko Nishide. They purchase aracha — unrefined green leaf — directly from farmers in Ujitawara and neighboring Kyoto districts, then perform the crucial shiage refining to calibrate flavor, leaf shape, and aroma each year. She leads education and quality culture inside the factory. Direct buying and in-house refining keep the profile consistent across seasons despite weather swings.
Uji roots
Syuppin Matcha is linked to the Zenjoji district of Ujitawara, a small valley along the Tawara River southeast of Kyoto. Tea grows on gentle slopes around 160–250 m — low enough for warmth, high enough for cool dawns and frequent mist — conditions that keep spring leaves tender and naturally rich in amino acids, the source of matcha’s soft sweetness.
The place name dates to the Heian period and refers to the area around the temple that gives Zenjoji its name. Today, the district remains a pocket of classic Uji terrain shaped by rivers and folded hills. That terroir shows in the cup: poised and green-grain sweet rather than briny, with the clarity thick tea demands.
Koicha defined
Koicha — “thick tea” — is a deliberately concentrated preparation where the powder far outweighs the water, and the texture turns syrupy. Because concentration magnifies every edge, only exceptional, exhibition-level lots are suitable. Leaves must be shaded long enough to push amino acids (perceived as savory sweetness) while restraining bitter catechins; the tencha must be meticulously refined; and the millstones must turn slowly and coolly so aroma survives. Proper koicha tastes sweet-savory and satin-thick without chalkiness or sting.
Reliable school-style guidance for one serving: ~4 g powder to ~30 ml water at 80 °C — a ratio used by respected Uji houses and consistent with Urasenke-aligned teachings. Everyday powders made for light bowls turn harsh at this density, which is why only top-tier matcha belongs in koicha.
Important. Due to our producer’s heavy workload and the current matcha shortage in Japan, this lot arrived in factory-sealed 30 g bags. To preserve freshness and prevent oxidation, we do not repackage. You’ll receive a EU-sourced metal tin containing a matcha bag inside. When your order arrives, open the inner bag and decant the powder into the tin.