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About this Matcha
An excellent matcha, especially for beginners due to its softness, roundness, and affordability. From the 8th generation Nishideさん from Uji, Japan.
Summer vegetable, a pleasant summery green powder. Lightly spiced aroma (maybe cinnamon), steamed pumpkin, light nori aroma, like cocoa aroma. More of the toasty notes come out with hot water.
Surprisingly low bitterness for the price - rounded, airy, low astringency. Juicy, mouth-watering mouthfeel. Cucumber, raw pumpkin seeds. Gentle, beginner-friendly, approachable, wonderfully smooth and soft. Cloudy, and billowy. Not watery, but not thick. Clear, like Okumidori is known for. Minty finish. Mojito, cooling. Raw light veggies.
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Nishideさん’s family’s involvement in Ujicha stretches back 7 generations to the Edo period over 165 years ago. His expertise in tea, tea evaluation, tea blending, and production has landed him multiple awards and distinctions — and Ooika was privileged to learn from Nishideさん on multiple trips.
Nishide has a great deal to teach on evaluating the quality of Matcha, which is done with the unground Matcha known as Tencha. Using industry-specific tools such as a Net Spoon, Net Cup, and more. The unground tea particles are brewed with boiling water. This process intentionally brings out the flaws of the tea which give the blender a broad picture of the tea.
Okumidori is a cultivar known for its late harvest (a little more than a week after Japan’s most popular cultivar known as Yabukita) which makes it an effective cultivar to stagger work and harvests. Okumidori is also suitable for Matcha production due to its clean and rich taste, and excellent color. As Nishideさんputs it, “Okumidori is known for good color. Brilliant green.”
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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) |
Producer Nishideさん |
Terroir Uji, Kyoto, Japan |
Vintage 2023 |
Cultivar Okumidori (おくみどり) |
Harvest Method Sentei Ki (剪定機) |
Shading Style TBA |
Shading Duration TBA |
Milling Ishi-Usu (石臼) Stone-Milled by Ooika |
Packaging Cold-stored, oxygen-free bag |
Use Usucha, Koicha |
Nishideさん
Highly experienced and technical, Nishideさん comes from a lineage of tea producers stretching back to the Edo era.
Visiting Uji, Kyoto
One of the top tea-growing terroirs in Japan - noted for its steep grade mountainous slopes, sunlight-blocking fogs, and mineral-rich soil.
Tea from Yame is regularly recognized for it producing some of Japan’s top-class tea.
Noted for its soft leaves, sweetness, and powerful savory (umami) taste.
