r/MatchaEverything

love exploring different syrups and sweeteners but nothing beats a regular latte😋

(iced matcha latte, unsweetened)

Anyone successsfully dispute their matcha import duty recently? I just got hit with $28 import fee from DHL for my matcha, but I noticed the language used in the breakdown charges doesn’t mention duties. It says “permits and licenses” for my one 40g tin of matcha. Is this some loophole they’re using to not accept our disputes? why would their be a fee for permits and licenses for matcha I’ll be drinking at home!?

Hello all,

Normally I use a traditional chasen whisk and matcha bowl to make my matcha lattes, but recently I've been super lazy so I just go straight to my handheld milk frother to mix my matcha. Aside from it being frothier, it tastes the same to me but it's much faster to do when I'm in a rush. I do this with my more affordable matcha powder but does it really make a huge difference? It's probably super taboo but does anyone else do this as well?

Note: I always sift my matcha, and weigh out how much of everything I put (and the water I add never exceeds 80*C).

Preface:

It's been a good minute since my last one of these. Between getting some website things going, vacation (checking out the coffee, tea, and matcha scene in Hawaii), and work... finally getting back to it. This will most likely be my last post here. I wanted to save the Asahi cultivar for my last one in this series.

Products for today:

Chazoku Asahi (no longer available, it seems)

$25.90 || $0.86 per gram

Tezumi Uji Asahi

$64 || $3.20 per gram

Kettl Shirakawa Asahi

$90 || $4.50 per gram

Method: 3g powder, 15g room-temperature water for paste. 85g water at 80 °C for usucha. Sweet pairing for today was daifuku with shiro an filling.

Color:

Beautiful greens that were barely a shade apart. Tezumi's and Kettl's were nearly identical. Chazoku's had the slightest hint of the palest yellow that would be unnoticeable by itself. All had a vibrant, fresh green. Tezumi might be a touch deeper. Kettl might be a touch richer.

Swipe:

Chazoku was silky smooth.

Tezumi was equally silky and dew-like.

Kettl's was silky and velvety.

Froth/Microfoam:

These were a dream to whisk. Almost as amazing and fragrant as when I did my high-end matcha comparison.

Fragrance Notes on paste:

Chazoku's opened with sesame and a decadent macadamia note that brought along a cream-like fragrance. 

Tezumi's stayed true to a vegetal start that paired with raw cashews and a noticeably sweet cream ending note.

Kettl's started with a delicious white chocolate scent followed by snow peas and dewy grass.

Fragrance Notes on usucha:

Chazoku's Asahi added an additional note of a summer-like warm-day grass on top of its notes of sesame and macadamia nuts.

Tezumi's vegetal notes became more defined with steamed greens and moss. Nutty cashews became more raw peanut-like.

Kettl's deepened its complexity with peppery-like herbs and wilted spinach, finishing with edamame notes.

Tasting:

Chazoku's Asahi

An Initial medium but light bitterness. High umami and sweet, oceanic minerality. Silky with a medium body. Nutty. Vegetal throughout. Slight astringency with some floral undertones.

The sweet pairing brings the hint of florals a bit more forward with the oceanic umami. That hint of bitterness complements the sweet pairing well and allows the nutty notes to linger on the palate.

Tezumi's Uji Asahi

This was creamy and silky with a white sesame paste umami and nuttiness. Notes of cooked artichokes with oyster-like sweetness followed. Hints of bitterness and astringency provide balance to the richness of this matcha.

After having a daifuku, a milky sweetness becomes the first note, with edamame coming to complement and ground the matcha. The floral notes that subtly peek through make the pairing of the sweet treat and matcha quite enjoyable.

Kettl's Shirakawa Asahi

This medium-bodied matcha starts with a highly brothy umami with no astringency and no bitterness. Green bean notes with a shrimp-like sweetness round it out and end with a buttery, vegetal type of finish.

The sweetness of the daifuku intensified the brothiness. There is a sweet but not astringent type of floral note that became pronounced, while the oceanic notes with seaweed wrap it all together.

Final Thoughts:

It's been a year of matcha. Reacquainting myself with it. Relearning it. Finding new depths in it from when I previously used to drink it daily years ago. The Asahi cultivar is one I had been truly looking forward to. This tasting did not disappoint (even if I find myself moving it from first place to second place in my preference).

Chazoku provided an Asahi at a price point that plays well for those who want an elevated latte-style matcha. It happily doubles for usucha.

Tezumi's Uji Asahi from Rishouen and Kettl's Shirakawa Asahi from Tsuji are like two sides of the same coin. Both fantastic and decadent. Each is produced differently, with different philosophies. If I were to choose a favorite, it might ever so slightly be Tsuji's over Rishouen's, but that would only be if I had to pick. I would happily drink both and be equally content.

Hey all! My partner has mentioned wanting to get their own matcha set for making at home, and I wanted to get them something like that for Christmas. Where do yall get your bowl/cup/whisk sets from? And does anyone know of a spot that sells matcha samplers? Id like to get them a variety to try, including 1 or 2 “fancy” ones, if possible.

Would love any insight/suggestions/what teas you recommend.

TIA