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Uji Matcha Manten
Expensive? Yes, it is. However, if you are in search of the absolute best matcha available anywhere, online or off, your search is over! Until we started carrying Uji Matcha Manten back in the mid 2000's, this product had never been sold outside of Japan and it is still offered online exclusively by O-Cha.com. A few words about this item...
The first thing you will notice about this matcha is its wonderful aroma. Extremely aromatic!
The grower has an extremely small production, and is currently supplying only the local market with this grade, so the supply is extremely limited. O-Cha.com will have this item in stock as supplies are available, which will can be very hit and miss.
Because of limited space and the age of the tea plants used for this item, the grower will never be able to increase his production.
The typical customer in Japan who purchases this matcha are the tea ceremony instructors - because they know it to be the best.
In the Uji area where this tea is grown, the grower is well known and has written a book on the art of growing Tencha (the tea leaves from which matcha is derived.) He has won numerous awards for his Tencha from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The taste of Manten is very distinctive and there is no competition for this grade - this is a connoisseur's class matcha. O-Cha.com is the first to carry this matcha outside of Japan. Koi-cha (matcha which is served thick) is sweeter, more milder tasting than regular usucha. Because twice the amount of matcha powder is used to make a thicker consistency, a milder, less bitter product is required, and this usually comes from plants that are at least 30 years old. While you can brew a thick matcha in the normal "thin" manner, the opposite is not true and there are really very few matcha green teas which one can make a true think style matcha. Manten, however, is one of those.
If you wish to brew this in a thick manner, you may want to consider obtaining a tea whisk made especially for koicha
Net weight 30 grams
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Koicha 48 Prong Tea Whisk
This 48 prong matcha whisk is handmade in Japan especially for thick style koicha matcha. Not to be confused with imports from China, this authentic hand-made tea whisk is made in Nara Prefecture. There are over 120 different types of Nara tea whisks, with the type of material, shape and number of splines varying according to the school of tea, and also on the kind of matcha to be used.
Note: This while you could use this whisk for other types of matcha, it was designed for use with thick "koicha" matcha. For general matcha brewing, we recommend this tea whisk instead.
About our Tea whisk suppler (see photos) - Sabun Kubo was born in 1940 and started making tea whisks in 1964. He is an artisan very keen on protecting traditional crafts.
36 – Reward points -
Uji Matcha Taiko-San
We didn't think we would ever be able to offer another matcha comparable to the famous Manten we currently carry; yet it has come to pass! Like Manten, we realize Uji Matcha Taiko-San is an expensive matcha and we make no bones about it - this is about as an exclusive matcha as you will ever find. If you are in search of the absolute best matcha available anywhere, however, then your search is over! Until O-Cha.com obtained this gem from Japan's oldest teashop, this matcha had never been sold outside of Japan.
A few words about this item...
The farm where Taiko-San is grown is known as "Taikou-tsutsumi" and is located not too far from our supplier Tsuen tea's shop in Uji Japan. The area is both a tea farm as well as an archaeological site. The matcha is produced in this small field by the river beside an ancient levee, which is being studied for its construction methods. The grower, Mr. Fukui, farms several strains of tea in this plot and he adjusts the blend every year according to the plants condition to create the specific flavor. As with Manten, the plot is small and the yield is limited.
This handpicked tea has an abundance of umami, which has been described by Tsuen as sweet with a hint of bitter and having a fresh green smell. The color is a rich and dark, very intense green froth. Compared with Manten, this matcha has a more masculine taste. Again, the grower has an extremely small production, and is currently supplying only the local market with this grade so the supply is extremely limited. O-Cha.com will have this item in stock as supplies are available, which may be very hit and miss. Because of limited space and the age of the tea plants used for this item the grower will never be able to increase his production. There is no competition for this grade - this is a connoisseur's class matcha. As with matcha Manten, O-Cha.com is the first to carry this matcha outside of Japan. Koicha (matcha which can be made thick) is sweeter, milder tasting than usucha (the normal matcha which is made in a thinner consistency). Because twice the amount of tea powder is used to make a thicker tea, a milder, less bitter product is required. While you can brew a thick matcha in the normal "thin" manner, the opposite is not true and there are really very few matcha green teas which one can make a true thick style matcha. Taiko-san, along with Manten, however, is one of those.
If you wish to brew this in a thick manner, you may want to consider obtaining a tea whisk made especially for koicha
Net Weight 30gm