OUR MISSION

Connect Heritage Matcha with the world

Transparency

Ooika started because we believe that Matcha deserves the same seriousness as craft coffee or fine wine.

Ooika was the first Matcha company world-wide that focused exclusively on single-origin Matcha with complete sourcing transparency: down to the farmer’s name, terroir, cultivar, shading type, harvest type, shading duration, and mill date.

Years later, Ooika still stands alone with this level of transparency.

Freshness

Once coffee is ground, it begins to oxidize, the oils go rancid, and the volatile compounds (flavor) are lost. This is why no serious coffee cafe uses coffee ground months ago in Ethiopia.

Matcha having 50X the surface aera of espresso ground is more delicate than coffee. Freshness fades fast.

Yet pre-ground Matcha is the norm due to the logistical challenges of stone-milling Matcha in-house.

Ooika was created to give Matcha lovers access to fresh matcha for the first time.

Matcha deserves the same seriousness as coffee.

Everything with Intent

  • Stone Milled

    Fresh Ground

    All Ooika Matcha is traditionally stone-milled in the USA. While labor intensive, producing only 30 grams of Matcha per hour, the freshness is unmistakable.

  • Single Origin

    Single Origin

    We celebrate single-cultivar, single-vintage Matcha, rather than blends, letting you experience each local microclimate from afar.

  • Directly Sourced

    Directly Sourced

    Our unground Matcha (known as Tencha) is directly sourced from famous and historic terroirs of Japan including Uji, Yame, Hoshinomura, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and more.

  • Preserving Heritage

    Preserving Heritage

    Our focus is on rare, heritage Matcha. Over 95% of tea in Japan is machine harvested—we prefer the 5% that is traditionally handpicked (Tezumi) or reed-shaded (Hozusaibai.)

  • Focus on Education

    Intentional Curation

    We curate an ever-changing collection of Matcha from different terroirs, farmers, cultivars, and vintages to give you a breath of teas to experience and learn from.

  • Unrivaled Clarity

    Unrivaled Clarity

    We provide the highest level of sourcing details in the industry so you can truly understand both the Matcha and the farmers who produce it.

Reducing Strain on the Japanese Tea Industry.

The global “Matcha Shortage” has authentic Matcha difficult to find, even in Japan. It’s not just Western buyers that are affected, but the Japanese tea ceremony schools (Chanoyu) that have preserved Japan’s tea tradition for centuries.

Shockingly, the shortage isn’t simply a lack of Tencha (unground Matcha) but also the lack of capacity to grind the Tencha into Matcha. Stone mills only produce about 30 grams of matcha per hour, creating a bottleneck.

Some Uji Matcha manufactures are “Limit[ing] sales to the general public in order to prioritize supply to its long-time customers such as tea ceremony practitioners and shrine affiliates.”

Ooika is the largest Matcha refinery in the U.S., milling Japanese Tencha entirely in-house. By refining abroad, we reduce strain on Japan’s limited stone mills—ensuring more matcha stays in Japan for cultural and ceremonial use, while still returning capital to the farmers who grow Tencha.

making matcha accessible

To preserve Matcha, Matcha must be appreciation. To be appreciated, Matcha must be understood. Ooika takes a contemporary approach to Matcha education, sharing the stories and knowledge we learn from multi-generational tea farmers across Japan.

Hello Yuzu. Refreshingly tart, perfect for August. Authentic Japanese Yuzu paired with Ooika’s fresh ground Matcha. Available at Ooika Princeton & Lawrenceville for the month.
Young saplings planted are typical not shaded during the harvest season. They need all the sunlight they can. With the recent Matcha boom, no doubt many farms are increasing the number of young plants - which take about 5 years to mature before thei
No matter how much you’ve been hurt, no matter how much you’ve been cut down… so much can come from so little.
Dropping Wednesday morning at 9am: a celebration of Japanese denim: Ooika X @toshikiaoki Launching Soon: Releases July 16th, 9 am. Japanese heritage Denim from Okayama meets heritage Matcha: Ooika’s official collaboration with Toshiki Aoki,
Ooika is hiring multiple positions including General Manager, Online & Wholesale Operations Coordinator, Lead Barista and more. Details on our website at ooika.co/careers - We believe that you should work where you’re valued and for a comp
Ooika in Princeton, New Jersey. IYKYK.
Now at Ooika, the Okayama Denim Matcha Latte. Inspired from the world-renowned Japanese Denim. Experience this unique flavor at both Ooika locations. Made in-house from scratch, with only natural ingredients. Coming soon is our first T-shirt, a De
Farmers across Japan prepare for the National Tea competition, held in Nara this year. Ooika will be covering the competition as it draws near.
Right now is possibly one of the most severe Matcha shortages in Japanese tea history. The global “Matcha Boom” has authentic Matcha difficult to find, even in Japan. It’s not just Western buyers that are affected, but the Japanese
What does Ooika mean

Ooika 覆い香

oh-e-ka / noun

The Aroma of Shade

Ooika (覆い香) is the prized aroma only associated with exceptional quality Matcha that has been deeply shaded before harvesting.

We could not think of a better name to represent our obsession with uncompromised Matcha.

CONTACT ooika

For all general inquiries contact us here. Please visit our wholesale page for wholesale inquiries.

Tea Farmer Throws bag of Tea Leaves on Truck

influence over influencers

Please note regarding general inquiries, Ooika does not pursue any sponsored or paid content. Our budget for “paid content” is instead donated to local non-profits. Currently Ooika is a premium sponsor of the Princeton Japanese Association.

Our Cafes

Ooika Mills Matcha fresh in-house, every day at both of our Cafe locations. Come join us for a bowl of Matcha.

Ooika Princeton
300 Witherspoon St Suite 102B, Princeton, NJ 08542

Hours
Everyday: 8am to 6pm.
Closed Monday.

Ooika Lawrenceville
2661 Main Street, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Hours
Everyday: 8am to 6pm.

Explore Our Matcha

We source rare and single-origin Matcha from the most celebrated multi-generational tea farms in Japan. Ground fresh in the USA.