Guides

Learn Japanese Tea

Japanese tea rewards a little knowledge. How hot the water is, how long the leaves sit, which bowl you whisk in — each one changes the cup.

These guides come from Taka, a certified Japanese tea instructor, and from the farms and makers we buy from directly. Start anywhere.

Why Organic

Only around 5% of the tea grown in Japan is certified organic. Here is what that means, and why we sell nothing else.

Why Only 5% of Japanese Tea is Organic
How Japan Grows Organic Tea (JAS-Certified Process)
The Farm Where EdoMatcha's Organic Matcha Actually Grows
Japan Tea Trip: Shizuoka's Tea Museum to Our Kyoto Farm

Every tea we sell is JAS-certified organic and first harvest. Shop organic matcha or browse the loose-leaf teas.

Matcha

Whisking, storing, and telling one grade from another.

How to Make Matcha at Home (Beginner Guide)
The Art of Whisking Matcha
Ceremonial Grade Matcha: What the Label Actually Means
Why Ceremonial Matcha Has More Umami
How to Store Matcha for Freshness & Flavour
Let's Make Koicha: Thick Matcha, Step by Step

Read the written guides: choosing matcha powder and how to make matcha. Then shop the matcha.

Tea

Sencha, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha — what they are and how to brew each one.

Are Matcha, Sencha and Hojicha All From the Same Plant?
Sencha: Japan's Everyday Green Tea, Explained
Gyokuro: Japan's Most Luxurious Green Tea, Explained
What Is Hojicha? (And Why It Has Less Caffeine)
The Japanese Tea Made With Roasted Rice (Genmaicha)
Japanese Black Tea? Most People Don't Know This Exists
The Water Temperature Mistake Ruining Your Japanese Tea
When to Drink Each Japanese Tea, and Why
Cold Brew Gyokuro in 60 Seconds
Want a Lower-Caffeine Matcha Latte? Try Hojicha Instead
Discover the Freshness of Shincha: First Harvest Green Tea
Single Origin vs. Blended Tea: What's Actually Different?

Shop organic loose-leaf tea — sencha and black tea from Kagoshima, gyokuro, hojicha and genmaicha from Yame in Fukuoka, hojicha powder from Kyoto.

Teaware

Choosing and caring for chasen, chawan and kyusu.

Chasen 101: The Bamboo Whisk, Fully Explained
Kyusu Teapots: The Basics Every Beginner Should Know
Flying to Tokoname: Japan's 900-Year-Old Pottery Town

The full written guide: choosing, using and caring for a chasen. Shop whisks and holders, chawan and Tokoname kyusu.

Tea Ceremony & Our Story

Chadō, and how it is practised here.

The Philosophy of Chadō: A Conversation with Urasenke Sydney
A Real Chadō Ceremony with Urasenke Sydney
I Spent 2 Years Becoming a Certified Japanese Tea Instructor
Ichi Go Ichi E: Taka's Full Story — From Japan to EdoMatcha

Want to learn in person? Taka runs a Beginners Japanese Tea Workshop on the NSW South Coast.

New guides are added as they are written. Read the Journal or subscribe on YouTube.