$ 19.00
One of our favorite teas! These tiny leaves have so much going on. Plucked in Fujian in the early spring, the tips are fully oxidized and lightly smoked. The dry leaf smells like plums and burnt caramel and just the steam is intoxicating. The tea itself is bold and sweet with a perfect balance of hardy oak smoke and chocolate and delicate fruity overtones.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 45.00
This tea is available for one month at the beginning of spring.
Translating to "Spring Cloud", Harukasumi matcha is a perfect representation of spring time. Suitable for usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea), this tea is smooth and clean with a creamy mouthfeel, flowery high notes and a lingering cooling note that mimics a light breeze. The intensity of the flavors can be adjusted by how much water you use, but it always yields an invigorating and refreshing cup with the perfect balance of bright overtones accenting its soothing, full bodied foundation.
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 10.00
Here's a fun one that's really gotten popular in the tea shop. This tea was an experiment by Young, the producer of the Ancient Sun, Red Dragon and Soft Branch. Here, he took large, curling ancient tree leaves, fully oxidized them and scented them with nuo mi xiang (sticky rice aroma herb). The leaves are left overnight, layered with the herb, and the herbs are removed in the morning. The process is repeated several times until the aroma of the herb has permeated the tea. The result is a tea with a sweet, sticky rice aroma, full body, zero astringency, and lots of versatility. The leaves themselves can be steeped in a gaiwan to really appreciate the way the scenting penetrates the layers of the leaf, or it can be long-steeped into a stronger tea that will not get astringent. It makes an incredible iced tea, and we're having a lot of fun getting creative with it.
Origin: Yunnan, China
Harvest: 2024
$ 9.00
Plucked from the southernmost tea garden in Yunnan, just above the Vietnam border, this tea has a unique personality. It is harvested a few days before the Lunar New Year, towards the end of winter. The leaves have been dormant all winter long, soaking up nutrients in the soil as they rest. The air is dry and cold this time of year and the leaves pick up a notes of smoke in the air and a dewy sweetness.
When picked, the leaves exude flavors and aromas that range from savory charcoal-smoked veggies to sweet red bean paste. The long winter hibernation has harbored a stamina that will allow this tea to be steeped at least 10 times, each yielding vibrant new notes. The first few steeps offer warm hints of smoke and charcoal, and as each steep reaches deeper within the leaf, it accesses reserves of nectar. Each cup has a healthy amount of body and brings to mind steamed artichoke hearts and summer squash.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 28.00
We are so pleased to offer our first private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced our first one from an organic, woman-run tea farm.
Introducing Uji Jade: an incredibly smooth and satisfying ceremonial grade matcha from Wazuka. This is harvested from the Samidori cultivar, a lesser-known cultivar developed in Uji for matcha production. The flavor is rich yet smooth, with a perfect balance between bright/peppy and sweet/umami. The color is vivid and pure and the energy it provides is clean and uplifting without making your brain too busy.
I've been personally drinking this every morning and it leaves me feeling invigorated, satisfied and motivated, without any jitters. It's been the perfect morning companion for me and I'm so happy to share it with you.
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea). You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well. While you can use this for lattes, the flavor is so smooth it can get overshadowed when adding other ingredients. Try it straight up and go from there!
Process: pesticide-free
Region: Uji, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 46.00
$ 26.00
We are so pleased to offer Blue Willow private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced an exceptional organic Matcha, which we now use for lattes in our shop.
Introducing Forest Dew: a robust, yet smooth ceremonial grade matcha stone ground from five cultivars in Kirishima, Kyushu. This matcha can be made into usucha for a lively, grassy matcha bowl, or can be made into a latte. The flavor is strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk and/or sweeteners without getting overpowered, and has very little astringency.
We switched to this for matcha lattes in our shop and were just featured on the cover of the SF Chronicle Food and Drink newspaper for best Bay Area Matcha!
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea) or lattes. You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well.
Process: Organic
Region: Kagoshima, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 42.00
$ 18.00
There is up to a 2 week ship time for the Shohaku currently due to an increased in demand. We get our matcha ground and shipped fresh each month and have had to place additional orders to keep up with orders. Thank you for being patient.
Shohaku is a great everyday matcha that is excellent prepared traditionally and still has a slight tannin characteristic so it won't get lost if you add it to a latte or smoothie. The color is vivid green with a deep seaweed-like base and bright grassy finish.
Both of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 50.00
If you love matcha, but can't decide on which to start with, why not try both? This combo includes 30g tins of both of our very first Blue Willow Ceremonial Grade Matchas, grown organically and/or without pesticides.
The first is the Forest Dew Matcha from Kirishima. Made from a blend of 5 cultivars, this matcha is organically grown and stone ground. It has a robust yet smooth flavor that has made it perfect for Matcha Lattes. In fact, it is now what we use in the shop and we were just voted best tea shop in the East Bay and one of the best places for matcha in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle. Find out why everyone is loving it...
The second is the Uji Jade Matcha from Wazuka. This is a single Samidori cultivar ceremonial grade matcha, grown without pesticides and stone ground. It is incredibly smooth and fulfilling, with a light body and invigorating energy boost. It makes perfect usucha (thin tea) and should be enjoyed by itself without additions.
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Kinrin is a flavorful matcha that can be used for making Usucha (thin tea) or Koicha (thick tea). The Kinrin whisks to a velvety-smooth bowl of matcha with robust umami flavor and offers rich notes of steamed kombu and a light sweetness. To prepare this as Koicha, use three times as much tea with less water and whisk with a chasen at least 200 times!
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
