{"id":14618,"date":"2025-09-02T12:44:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T16:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/?p=14618"},"modified":"2025-09-02T12:44:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T16:44:40","slug":"how-we-source-our-matcha-from-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/how-we-source-our-matcha-from-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"how we source our matcha from japan"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

We take matcha sourcing VERY seriously.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We get all our\u00a0matcha<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0from Japan. Two regions in particular: Nishio, in Aichi Prefecture, and Kyushu, which is Japan\u2019s third-largest island and home to eight different prefectures. Fun fact: Fukuoka, one of those prefectures, is where tea was first grown in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where things get really special: Nishio. This city doesn\u2019t just grow matcha\u2014it masters it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nishio has been perfecting the art of matcha since the 12th century. That\u2019s 800+ years of tea-growing wisdom passed down through generations. Nishio is one of the largest producers of matcha in Japan and has an exceptional reputation for naturally rich, sweet-tasting matcha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A big part of that comes down to the land itself. The soil is fertile and full of mica (a mineral plants love), the elevation is about 600 metres and the climate is mild and steady. All that adds up to a matcha that\u2019s not only high quality but also packed with nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past decade, we\u2019ve built close, long-term relationships with the local tea gardens in both Nishio and Kyushu. And they work in harmony with nature to create matcha that\u2019s sustainably grown and delicious all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matcha grows in shade<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The big difference with\u00a0matcha<\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is that, unlike most other green teas, it\u2019s shade grown\u2014covered by bamboo mats, burlap or straw. This shading usually lasts two to three weeks (sometimes as long as eight) before the leaves are picked, and it makes a world of difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because limiting sunlight changes the naturally occurring taste, caffeine and nutrient levels in the leaves, making a big difference in flavour and quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This special shade-grown green tea is called tencha\u2014\u201cten\u201d meaning mortar or grind, and \u201ccha\u201d meaning tea. So, quite literally, tea for grinding<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once harvested, tencha leaves are steamed to stop oxidation, then carefully deveined and destemmed. This makes for a smoother grinding process and a less bitter flavour in the final matcha tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tencha<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is slowly ground into a fine powder, a process that can take an hour or more just to make 30 grams. It\u2019s slow, patient work\u2014something that can\u2019t be rushed if you want high-quality matcha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does matcha have heavy metals?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing: heavy metals naturally occur in soil, so claims of being \u201cheavy metal free\u201d can be a bit misleading. That said, it\u2019s totally understandable to be cautious\u2014especially since with matcha tea, you\u2019re consuming the whole leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minerals in the soil where tea is grown play a role in how it tastes (this is what\u2019s known as terroir<\/em>), but not all minerals are ones we want to be sipping on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why we take heavy metals seriously. <\/strong>All our matcha is screened to ensure that any trace amounts like lead, cadmium and arsenic remain well<\/em> below levels considered a health risk. Our matcha is safe, routinely tested and meets strict standards for quality and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, we\u2019re committed to sourcing certified organic matcha whenever possible, which helps reduce the risk of contamination even further. And if you\u2019ve ever tried one of our matcha drink mixes, you can rest easy knowing we only use clean-label ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we do matcha<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Organic Matcha Matsu<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
Matcha from\u00a0Nishio & Kyushu\u00a0| High Caffeine
Lively vegetal flavour with a mild freshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

What makes it great:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-In Japanese, \u201cmatsu\u201d literally means \u201cpine tree.\u201d But it\u2019s also a word used to signify excellence
-This fresh, grassy tea has the aroma of a Japanese tea garden.
-Tea Guide Tip: Mix the matcha into lattes, milkshakes and cookies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Organic Grand Cru Matcha<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
Matcha from Kyushu | Medium Caffeine
Delicately smooth & velvety, with a bright green colour and refreshing taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes it great:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Grand Cru Matcha is one of the highest grade (and most delicious) matchas.
-The fine grind makes this matcha green tea super creamy & smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic Ceremonial Matcha<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
Matcha from\u00a0Nishio & Kyushu\u00a0| Medium Caffeine
Perfect balance of natural sweetness, creaminess and matcha astringency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re committed to sourcing the very best for you. We go the extra mile, offering one of the largest organic tea selections in North America\u2014because when it comes to what\u2019s in your cup, we believe safety and quality should always come first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time:<\/b> <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>We take matcha sourcing VERY seriously. We get all our\u00a0matcha\u00a0from Japan. Two regions in particular: Nishio, in Aichi Prefecture, and Kyushu, which is Japan\u2019s third-largest island and home to eight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":14622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[79,81],"class_list":["post-14618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-green-tea","tag-matcha"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14618"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14669,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14618\/revisions\/14669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.davidstea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}