Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro (Akky) Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognising the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro (Akky) Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognising the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro (Akky) Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognising the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro (Akky) Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognising the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or “the way of tea”, where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or “the way of tea”, where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide

Matcha (抹茶) is a fine powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or “the way of tea”, where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide

Genmaicha (玄米茶) is a traditional Japanese tea that has been growing in popularity in recent years. Genmaicha, meaning ‘brown rice tea’, is a combination of Japanese green tea and roasted rice. Although it is called Genmaicha, white mochi rice is usually used to create this blend. This is due to the fragrant aroma the white rice develops by roasting. After steaming, drying and roasting the rice is traditionally combined with Bancha tea in a proportion of 1:1, although this ratio can change depending on the manufacturer. Nowadays a lot of Genmaicha variations, such as Sencha Genmaicha or Houji Genmaicha are also offered by different tea producers. Some might call Genmaicha ‘popcorn tea’ as some sellers add popped grains that look just like popcorn. The pleasant roasted taste also reminds people a bit of popcorn. This is a good tea for those who are just beginning to get familiar with the taste of Japanese tea.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide

What is Hojicha

Hojicha (焙じ茶) meaning ‘roasted tea’, is still a green tea although it is not green in colour. This type of tea is, unlike common green tea, brown in colour as the leaves are roasted in order to achieve their unique character and nutty flavour. Hojicha can originate from either Sencha, Bancha or Kukicha but most often one would find it made from the slightly bigger and coarser leaves of the sun-grown Bancha or Kukicha. As these leaves are more dense and show a firm structure they are not so heat sensitive and can easily be further processed by roasting after steaming and drying. For roasting the tea leaves evenly a charcoal or sand roasting technique is often used for the final step. By bringing the tea to a high temperature almost all of the tea’s caffeine is extracted from the leaves. This makes Hojicha a wonderful drink throughout the day and especially suitable for the evening.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

What is Wakoucha?

Wakoucha (和紅茶) is Japanese Black tea. Thinking about Japanese tea, at first one would not think of black tea. In comparison to green tea’s long history of production, the manufacture of black tea in Japan was introduced only 150 years ago. Therefore its origin goes back to the Meiji period, the time when Japan began to open up to the rest of the world.

Koucha actually means red tea. It is named after its colour as the brewed tea displays a dark red colour. This is because Japanese water is low in lime content and therefore is so-called ‘soft water’.

Koucha is a fully oxidised tea. After the harvest the leaves are first withered before further processing. By the subsequent rolling of the tea leaves, the cell structure is broken down which enhances the following oxidaton process.

As black tea is a recent discovery in Japan only about 1000 farmers are producing Koucha throughout the country and is therefore a specialist product.

Farmer Profile

Akihiro (Akky) Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide