You definitely need tools!
Perfect coldbrew everytime
The ideal way to store your matcha
The ideal way to store your matcha
Blend Rikyu Matcha
dreamy, electric, spellbinding
$4.30
/ serving
This tea, whipped up thick, seems to send memory into overdrive; into a contemplative state. We think Sen No Rikyu, the most masterful and original matcha connoisseur in Japan's very long history of tea, would have marveled at its rich, umami-laden flavor, brilliant color, and ridiculously long finish.
This is dreamy tea that tastes beautiful in any concentration, thick or thin, and sates like nothing else. From Ujitawara, Kyoto.
And we can't help but love Rikyu even more after a comment from one of California's most distinguished tea teachers, Douglas Huskins, who said: "If Rikyu were alive today, I suspect his modernist approach to tea would look a lot like Breakaway Matcha's."
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Our Preparation Method
Our Matcha Packing Method
Keeps matcha freshest and most vibrant
Your tea arrives in a mylar bag that has been flushed with nitrogen (to eliminate all oxygen, an enemy of matcha) and sealed. We send them to you this way to maximize freshness and vibrancy. You simply snip off the end of the bag and transfer the matcha into the jar. Always store your matcha cold (in your fridge), in black glass.
Your tea arrives in mylar bags that have been flushed with nitrogen (to eliminate all oxygen, an enemy of matcha) and sealed. We send them to you this way to maximize freshness and vibrancy. You simply snip off the end of the bag and transfer the matcha into the jar. Always store your matcha cold (in your fridge), in black glass.
Your Questions Answered
Why is your matcha so expensive?
Mainly because the farmers and processors care so much; their processes take longer, require more steps, and are just harder. They’re pretty obsessed with producing Japan’s tastiest and healthiest matcha, and we don’t mind paying them well for the extraordinary product they produce. Rarity comes into it as well -- some blends, especially the named blends (Kamakura, Rikyu, Jizo, Hikari, Satoshi, and Daphne) have extremely limited production. These teas are hard to produce.
Is there anything in your matcha besides matcha?
No. No sugar, additives, or any other nonsense. It’s 100% extraordinary green tea leaves, ground up into a fine powder.
What’s the difference between the hyperpremium and the coldbrew?
Location on the tea plant, mainly. Hyperpremium is the baby leaves; we only use the newest growth. Imagine baby vegetables, baby herbs, microgreens. They haven’t had much time to develop much molecular complexity, so there are no bitter or astringent notes, just clean, chlorophyll-packed umami.
Leaves used for coldbrew are slightly older, and have a little more biocomplexity to them. That complexity does add some bitterness and astringency, but it’s undetectable when prepared with ice water, so it tastes rich and creamy. Yields are tiny for the hyperpremium, and yields are bigger with coldbrew (the leaves themselves weigh more, and are larger, hence bigger yields).
Is "ceremonial" matcha somehow better? Is it even real?
This term has lost most of its meaning. Because there is no governing body of any type that monitors/controls what can be labeled ceremonial, anyone can -- and does -- use this moniker to connote quality, even though much of the “ceremonial” matcha on the marketplace is in fact barely culinary -- much of it could be better described as “industrial.”
Moreover, many tea ceremonies in Japan notoriously serve sub-par matcha. In the end, many of the ceremonies aren’t really about tea at all, they’re about choreography and pedigree. Sometimes the teas are tasty, but more often they’re oxidized and bitter and astringent; hallmarks of culinary (or worse) matcha.
Should I be buying your organic matcha? Does it matter?
Some people insist on organic (generally for good reasons), so we searched hard for years and finally found what we feel is the tastiest and best organic matcha in the domestic Japanese market. However, our conventionally grown matcha is utterly safe, and it tends to taste better because its umami/amino acid structure is more pronounced.
Tips for Making Excellent Gyokuro
While we generally dislike instructions that make too-big a deal of details, brewing gyokuro isn’t like brewing other teas, and it’s important to understand how to coax maximum awesomeness from these delicate and wonderful leaves.
In an ideal world you'll need a few good items:
- Filtered water. Great-tasting clean water doesn’t get you great tea, but it sure helps. If you don’t have access to really good water, it’s worth it to purchase some; Evian makes some very very good gyokuro.
- A good teapot that's designed for gyokuro. Meaning: a small pot with a flattish wide bottom that allows the leaves to bloom. Here are two: Sepia and Ellipses
- A few special teacups you really like using. We like the Pearl Gray and Noir
That said, you actually need none of that; you can simply put some gyokuro in a strainer and infuse it cup by cup. Gyokuro done simply is better than no gyokuro.
But, to get the full effect and maximum enjoyment, try to secure those three things.
Making Gyokuro – First Steep
Step 1
Heat up some water. In no case should the water be hotter than 165F– it will ruin the expensive and delicate tea. Lots of Japanese tea teachers insist it shouldn’t be over 140. While lower temperatures do coax out a lot of umami that higher temperatures do not, we find 140 a bit … tepid. Experiment. We think 160 is a great temperature to brew gyokuro. If you don’t mind a more tepid tea, lower temperatures will really bring out the fullest flavors (which are incredible). We love the Stagg kettle for precise temperature adjustment.
Step 2
Pour a little hot water into your cup(s) to warm them up.
Step 3
Scoop a heaping tablespoon (5-6g) of gyokuro into your teapot.
Step 4
Gently pour about 4 ounces (100ml) water over the leaves. Don’t agitate the leaves, just pour.
Step 5
Wait 90-120 seconds.
Step 6
Discard the water in the cups.
Step 7
Pour the tea into your cup (or cups, if you’re sharing). Be sure to get the last few drops – it’s incredible how much umami these last few drops have.
Step 8
Pause your life for a few minutes and really taste it. Relax and do nothing else.
Second Steep
Pour more hot water into the teapot, wait three minutes, and pour into cups. It will be considerably weaker, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Note 1: if you want a stronger brew, use more tea and less water, and add a little brewing time.
Note 2: You can eat the steeped leaves! They are delicious in salads. They’re also excellent as sashimi – just place on a small plate and drizzle a tiny amount of soy sauce, and enjoy! Sweet, delicate, and fun.