Morisakiさん Wild Zairai (在来) Wazuka Matcha. 20g
Wild Grass. Bitter Gourd. Kinako.
Highly rare matcha made from Zairai (wild-grown) tea bushes. Chaotic and shifting in nature, like wild flowers and grass. Powerful bitterness over a smooth tahini base. Not for beginners.
Stone-Milled: Fresh Ground in Lawrenceville, NJ
About this Matcha
2023 Vintage
Wild Grass. Bitter Gourd. Kinako
Highly rare matcha made from Zairai (wild-grown) tea bushes. Chaotic and shifting in nature, like wildflowers and grass. Powerful bitterness over a smooth tahini base. Not for beginners.
Toasted grain aroma with a pleasing natural green hue that foams into light mossy green peaks. Chaotic in nature, shifting from a cold puckering bitterness in the center of the tongue to a rounded back. Kinako and bitter gourd. Tahini-evoking, hidden under the foliage of green fields of abundant wildlife. Thick and molasses. Opens into an aromatic floral bouquet on the finish.
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Zairai (在来) is a term for tea bushes grown from seeds, rather than from clippings (which are cultivar clones.) Zairai (在来) is highly unusual for Japanese tea — especially so for Matcha. There are a few reasons why:
First, Zairai (在来) bushes are chaotic and unpredictable. Farmers are not able to estimate the correct harvest time like clones, which are consistent from season to season. Being genetically individual, the Zairai (在来) will have different aromas, flavors, yields, and properties.
The primary goal of most Matcha manufacturers, excluding the rather unconventional Ooika, is to ensure that a Matcha blend will taste the same from year to year. This is a task made impossible from wild-grown Zairai (在来) bushes.
The result is Zairai are usually only kept out of the sentimentality of the farmers who keep them, rather than for large-scale economic reasons.
Ooika personal relationship with Morisakiさん has allowed us to commission some wild Zairai bushes on his property to be turned into Tencha (unground Matcha), which Ooika has ground fresh in the USA.
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To make a fresh and smooth bowl of Usucha or Koicha, follow our brewing instructions.
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Long-term Storage: Store unopened Ooika Matcha in the refrigerator. Consume within 6 months.
Room-Temp Short-term Storage: Store opened Ooika Matcha in a cool, dark place away from sunlight. Consume within 3 months.
Refrigerator Short-term Storage: Opened Matcha can be stored in the refrigerator to help maintain freshness, however, the Matcha is at risk of condensation when cooler than ambient air. For this reason, if you choose to store an opened Matcha in the refrigerator, be sure to take the Matcha you need and then immediately place it back in the refrigerator to minimize exposure to the warm air.
Ochairinikki (御茶入日記)
Category Green tea (お茶) |
Subcategory OISHITACHA (おおいしたちゃ) |
Grade Ceremonial |
Terroir Wazuka, Kyoto, Japan |
Vintage 2023 |
Cultivar Wild Zairai (在来) |
Harvest Method Sentei Ki (剪定機) |
Shading Style Jika Kabuse (Direct shading) |
Shading Duration 20 days |
Milling Ishi-Usu (石臼) Stone-Milled by Ooika |
Packaging Cold-stored, oxygen-free bag |
Use Usucha, Koicha |
Morisakiさん
Tokyo-born, IT/Environmental engineer turned tea farmer, Morisakiさん.
Many of the native tea plants, known as Zairai (在来) in his garden are over a century old.
This is very uncommon, as old bush trees produce less tea, and are less attractive on the commercial market.
Morisakiさん protects them, giving us access to the wild authenticity of the land.
Visiting Morisakiさん’s Farm
Nestled in a valley, among the rolling hills of Wazuka. Morisakiさん watches over various cultivars, as well as wild tea bushes (known as Zairai.)
Maintaining Zairai wild bushes is an uncommon practice - as these bushes are more unpredictable in yield, harvest time, and taste.
The Steep Hills of Wazuka
We drive through the rain on steep slopes to get to the tea fields.
The road is barely wider than the truck, which shutters and slips along the mud.
Many times I think we’ll become fertilizer for the plants down the valley below.
