THE MAKING OF TOASTY MATCHA
The origins of matcha date back to 7th-century China, where it was first prepared using a method known as diancha (点茶).
Today, however, matcha is primarily grown and produced in Japan, where it has been refined into a craft of its own.
From careful shading and hand-picking to stone grinding, the journey of matcha is as meticulous as it is fascinating. Discover how matcha travels from Japan’s specialty farms all the way to your cup.
YAME, FUKUOKA
Tucked away in the northern tip of Kyushu — Japan's largest Southern island — Yame, Fukuoka is one of the country's top tea-growing regions. Known for its large-scale tea production and consistent wins at Japan’s National Tea Competition, Yame is a name tea lovers know.
Like wine, matcha takes on the character of its environment.
Yame’s warm climate, mountainous terrain, and river-rich soil come together to create matcha that’s distinctly toasty, nutty, and full of depth.
FIRST-HARVEST TENCHA
Black, green, white — even oolong. All teas come from the same plant: Camellia Sinensis.
What sets each type apart is how it’s grown, harvested, and processed.
Matcha is made from Tencha (碾茶) — shade-grown leaves that develop for up to a month before harvest. We exclusively source first-harvest leaves, picked only once a year at peak freshness.
This combination elevates chlorophyll and L-theanine levels while reducing tannins, giving our matcha its signature vibrant green color, smooth taste, and natural sweetness.
METICULOUS PROCESSING
> STEAMING: Tencha is steamed right after harvest to preserve its vibrant green color.
> DRYING: The leaves are carefully dried in large furnaces. It must be done right to preserve flavor and prevent overheating, setting apart good and not-so-good matcha.
> SORTING: Once dried, our partner meticulously sorts and cuts the leaves, removing veins and stems. Rougher bits are used for lower quality matcha, while the finest bits are used in our Toasty Matcha powders.
> MILLING: The leaves are milled into a fine powder using stone or ceramic mills. We collaborate closely with our partner to create the smoothest, creamiest matcha possible.