Organic Matcha Cooking Basic

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Origin

The organic tea farm from which we source our Matcha is located in the southwestern region of Japan, Kirishima City in Kagoshima Prefecture, the second largest tea-growing region after Shizuoka.

High Altitude

The organic tea farm is located at an altitude of approx. 500 metres above sea level.

High altitude - dense fog

The rapidly changing air pressure at this altitude leads to the formation of thick fog, which in turn acts as a natural "shadow", protecting the tea leaves from the sun and causing the leaves to produce more theanine, the amino acids that contribute to the tea's natural sweetness.

High location - strong difference between day and night temperature

The marked difference in day and night temperature on this hill produces tea with a rich, full-bodied taste.

Neighbouring farms are organic farms

In other regions of Japan this is hardly imaginable, but the 80 hectare organic tea farm that produces our Matcha is impressively surrounded by predominantly ecologically certified farms or by farms that are not ecologically certified, but nevertheless run organic cultivation. This excludes the possibility of pesticide contamination from neighbouring fields. Over the last eighteen years, tea farmers have been able to keep a clean record of "no detectable pesticide residues" in all laboratory test reports on organic teas. They use the strictest laboratory in Germany for testing pesticides and radiation residues.
 

Tea plants with strong roots

It is common practice for farmers to harvest tea plants that are three years old (from the time they are sown). Our farmers allow young tea plants to grow five years before the first harvest. By not disturbing the growth of the plants before the age of five, the roots can grow much longer and deeper into the soil, allowing more nutrients to be absorbed, helping to build stronger roots. With strong roots, plants fall less easily victim to diseases or pests, which is important in organic farming as the use of pesticides or chemicals is not allowed.

No synthetic fertilizers, only homemade organic compost

Although there are some organic fertilizers approved for use in organic farming, our tea farmer has chosen to make his own compost to keep his soil as healthy and nutritious as possible. He makes his compost from organic materials such as wild mountain plants, leaves, oak, soil, etc., all of which he gets from the nearby mountains. He ferments his compost for four years, while most farmers only do so for one year. This is a tedious job that requires constant, accurate moisture monitoring and proper ventilation by rotating the mixture regularly with the help of a motorized blade. This helps a healthy community of microorganisms to multiply and grow in large quantities, helping to break down organic matter and form nutritious composts.

Pesticide-free

Every tea variety from every harvest is tested for pesticide residues in Germany's strictest laboratory. Eighteen years in a row all test results have been negative. Our tea farmer refuses to use even "Jochugiku", the pesticide approved for use in organic farming. Instead, he relies mainly on his workers and simple blowers, which eject a strong stream of air to blow pests from leaves, and a high-pressure water jet to kill the pests at the same time. Since no pesticides are used on the farm, the habitats for beneficial insects and beetles that feed on pests are not disturbed or destroyed, resulting in a farm with a large variety of insects in summer.

Herbicide-free

Without the use of herbicides, which can have a long-term negative effect on the soil, our tea farmer and his staff are repeatedly seen plucking weeds individually by hand in the fields.

Soil management

Our tea farmer constantly checks the condition of his soil, checks the pH value and sends his soil samples regularly for laboratory analysis to determine what the soil lacks in nutrients or what is too much in the soil. Without pesticides, herbicides, liquid nitrogen, synthetic fertilizers, which can destroy the soil structure in the long term, our tea farmer is able to keep his soil soft, airy and loose at all times with the help of his own four-year-old organic compost, which thrives with a colony of active microorganisms and decomposes the organic materials of the compost, which in turn become nutrients for the soil.

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Tea fields, partly covered to shade the tea. Thus the tea leaves form more chlorophyll, more amino acids and polyphenols. The fans, which are attached to high poles, are also clearly visible here.

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These fans, on high poles next to and in the tea fields, are constantly in motion, so that at colder temperatures at night no frost can stick to the leaves, which would damage the plants.

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In addition to covering the tea plants with dark mats (top picture), there is also shading by means of an enclosure with frames as shown in this picture. The type of cover shown above is generally chosen for short-term shading. With longer shading, as it is necessary for the production of Matcha (approx. 4 weeks), the tea plants are rather housed in order not to impair the growth of the plants.

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In the tea field a few days before the first harvest. The bushes are now about 1 - 1.20 metres high and thus at the perfect harvest height to make harvesting easier for the workers in the fields.

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Detailed view of the tea plants. In this growth size the leaves are ready for harvesting and further processing.

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Before entering the production rooms where tea and Matcha are processed, all employees and visitors must wear protective clothing and pass through an airlock to prevent foreign bodies or dust from entering the processing rooms.

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After harvesting and processing, the leaf flesh is ground to the finest Matcha in granite stone mills. The Tencha (the leaf flesh of the tea leaves freed of branches, stems and veins) is filled into the funnel. The upper of the two granite stones rotates to grind the tea leaves, the finely ground powder, the Matcha, trickles out at the seam between the two granite stones and is collected at the bottom. Such a granite stone mill grinds about 30 grams of Matcha per hour.

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Quality control and discussion of the employees in the production rooms.

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Different Matchagrade of the current harvest ready for tasting. The differences in colour are minimal, but they are still different varieties.

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In matcha tasting, the different varieties are prepared according to precisely defined criteria in order to ensure perfect comparability. Both the amount of Matcha used per bowl and the exact water temperature and amount are very important to standardize the tasting and to taste the different nuances.

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Classification, discussion and selection of Matcha varieties for tea lirium. In addition to the taste and colour of the Matcha varieties, the consistency is also an important quality feature of genuine Japanese Matcha. A small amount of Matcha is put on a sheet of paper and spread with the finger. Genuine Matcha leaves a velvety feeling and a colouring as if painted with colour. Homogeneous and flat. This is due to the extremely small grain size that results from the grinding process with the granite stone mill. "Fake" Matcha, i.e. simple ground green tea powder, is clearly grainy in this test and a coarse structure would be visible.

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How do Matcha subscriptions work at matchashop?

You have the option of subscribing to most of the Matchas we offer. This means that we always send you a fresh pack of Matcha automatically on a regular basis, without you having to worry about a new order every time. With all Matcha variants on offer, you can choose between an automatic purchase every month, every two months or every three months. Not only do you always have fresh Matcha at home, you also save up to 10% on the regular price quoted on the website.

• When you purchase Matcha every month you save 10% per delivery.
• When you purchase Matcha every second month you save 5% per delivery.
• When you purchase Matcha every month you save 2% per delivery.
• When purchasing Matcha without a subscription, the regular price applies

The subscription is completely without risk for you! You can cancel your subscription at any time by sending us an e-mail using our contact form. You are not bound to a minimum subscription period or a certain quantity. The subscription is always sent on the same day of the month that your first order is received, so that there are always exactly one, two or three months in between.

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Please note the following points:

• we only offer those matcha varieties by subscription for which we can guarantee year-round availability.
• regardless of the desired subscription, the regular shipping costs apply in addition, which are graduated according to the purchase value.
• the discount for the subscription will not be applied to your order of the subscription, but only on the first delivery by us after one, two or three months.

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For further questions about the Matcha subscription please do not hesitate to contact us.