The secret behind matcha blending that achieves quality vastly exceeding its price

Introduction to Single-Origin Matcha

In recent years, it seems that many single-origin matcha products, made from specific tea gardens, producers, or varieties, have become available. These products are easy to create stories around and are very straightforward for consumers to understand.

The Tradition of Blending in Matcha

However, traditionally, matcha is rarely ground from a single type of tea. Instead, it is common to blend, or gogumi, the tea.

The quality of matcha is determined by its aroma, taste, and color. It is rare to find a single-origin matcha that possesses all three qualities, and even if it does exist, it tends to be expensive.

Therefore, teas that may not have all three qualities but have one distinctive feature are combined.

The basic principle of blending is the "three-part blend," which combines aroma, taste, and color.

Introducing the Four-Part Blend

However, in Hideki Kuwabara's blending, a "four-part blend" is used. The four-part blend considers aroma, taste, color, and also price.

Here is an example of the "four-part blend":

1. Aroma: The tea leaves from Kohata, in the mountainous region of Uji, have a good aroma and a "ground aroma." Even when ground, they emit a very pleasant smell. However, the ground color is whitish, known as "bamboo green." Additionally, the taste is harsh during the new tea season and only mellows after the year turns. Therefore, old tea is used during the new tea season, and new tea is used after the year turns.
2. Taste: The tea leaves from Tanabe, known as "Gokou" and "Samidori," have a rich umami even during the new tea season, though the aroma is not particularly strong.
3. Color: The tea leaves known as "Hama tea," gathered around the riverbanks of the Kizugawa, have a deep green color, referred to as "pine green." The taste is mellow from the new tea season, but some teas lose flavor after winter.
4. Price: The specifics of this tea are a trade secret of each shop. Teas that are inexpensive, without unpleasant taste or aroma, and have a good ground color are selected.

The Secret to Quality Matcha

While considering these four factors, blending is done, with "aroma" being the most challenging aspect. Blending also varies by season, with three periods: the new tea season, autumn to winter, and after the year turns from winter to spring. This is the secret behind tea master Hideki Kuwabara's work, delivering high-quality matcha at a reasonable price.

This article is an excerpt from "Everything About Matcha" published in Japan by tea master Hideki Kuwahara, who makes Kyo Hayashiya tea, and has been translated for international readers.