OUR MISSION
To preserve heritage Matcha across the historic terroirs of Japan by making uncompromised matcha accessible to the U.s.
experience Matcha as it had been for centuries in Japan—fresh.
Operating authentic Japanese stone mills in the U.S., Ooika focuses on single-origin, traditionally produced Matcha. We source directly through personal relationships with some of the most celebrated and highly awarded farmers across Japan.
Ooika's commitment to traditional Matcha cultivation and production techniques helps to preserve this ancient art form for future generations to enjoy, while also making Matcha more accessible to a Western audience.
Our Approach to Matcha
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Stone Milled in USA
Traditional stone-milling Matcha (known as Ishi Usu) is labor intense, producing only a meager 30 grams of Matcha per hour. We insist on doing it in-house to ensure unparalleled freshness.
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Single Cultivar
We celebrate single-cultivar Matcha, rather than blends. While radical, this gives us access to the individual character of Japanese tea.
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Famous Terroirs
Our unground Matcha (known as Tencha) comes from famous and historic terroirs of Japan, giving connoisseurs access to the local microclimate.
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Handpicked Matcha
Our focus is on rare, traditionally harvested tea. Over 95% of tea in Japan is machine harvested—we prefer the 5% that is traditionally handpicked, known as Tezumi.
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Focus on Education
We curate an ever-changing collection of Matcha from different terroirs, farmers, cultivars, and vintages to give the discerning connoisseurs a breath of teas to experience and learn from.
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Obsession with Clarity
Our labeling is clear: providing details such as the micro-terroir: from the prefecture to city, district, and lot. Cultivar, vintage, and more.
making 1,000 years of heritage matcha accessible
Our goal at Ooika is to make the 1,000 years of heritage Matcha accessible to a contemporary audience. We embrace the modern, the present, the now. While our Matcha focuses exclusively on the most conservative and traditional cultivation techniques and terroirs, our approach to demystifying this information is minimalist and progressive.
Love for Matcha
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The matcha rabbit hole I went down to stumble on this gem of a product! By far the best matcha I’ve ever had. Love it both cold with oat milk & hot. It’s so smooth and I don’t have to add a single thing! It’s perfection!!
Åshley M.
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“My order came as scheduled and I am enjoying the matcha tea. I would order again!”
Maureen K.
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“I am just starting out with the Matcha Mill Club but so far I am highly impressed. I greatly appreciate Ooika producing the Mo Cha (with Tea Drunk); it was such a unique and pure experience to prepare, learn about, and taste a historic tea!”
Scott C.
Marc
Ooika Matcha
Story of Ooika
(覆い香)
Marc, who apprenticed under tea expert Shunan Teng of Tea Drunk before his journey led him to Japan, where he discover heritage Matcha.
Ooika was born in an attempt to preserve Japan’s most precious Matcha and Matcha terroirs, all while making uncompressed, fresh-groud Matcha accessible in the USA.
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 kabusecha (かぶせ茶), or tea that is shaded before harvesting, as is done with Matcha.
We could not think of a better name to represent our obsession with uncompromised Matcha.
Our Shop
Our first location is in Lawrenceville, NJ to share our love of Matcha with the community.
Address
2661 Main Street, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 8 am - 6 pm
Wednesday: 8 am - 6 pm
Thursday: 8 am - 6 pm
Friday: 8 am - 7 pm
Saturday: 9 am - 7 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm
making matcha local
Ooika connects authentic, heritage Matcha with the West. Every Matcha Latte we sell helps support Japanese tea farmers. All milled fresh by Ooika right in the United States.
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.