preparation
usucha
1g sifted matcha, 60 ml water at 80°c, whisk vigorously until a fine foam forms (10-15 sec.).
matcha latte
2g sifted matcha, 25 ml water at 80°c, whisk 10-15 sec., add 120 ml frothed hot milk (dairy or plant-based) to the base, stir.
1g sifted matcha, 60 ml water at 80°c, whisk vigorously until a fine foam forms (10-15 sec.).
matcha latte
2g sifted matcha, 25 ml water at 80°c, whisk 10-15 sec., add 120 ml frothed hot milk (dairy or plant-based) to the base, stir.
iced matcha latte
2g sifted matcha, 25ml water at 80°c, whisk for 10-15 sec., add 120ml of cold milk to the base, stir then pour into the final glass which contains 150g of ice, wait 10 sec., serve
producer
mr. katsumi saito represents the 17th generation of tea producers in honyama. he converted his family garden to organic over 40 years ago, with an obsession for biodiversity: he intentionally lets grass grow between the rows and refuses to eliminate insects, favoring coexistence. he makes his own fertilizers, a skill he has developed over the years, and each day, he keeps "a tea journal" where he notes his observations, trials, and errors, a practice he has followed since he was 20 and which still guides all his decisions in the garden.
he now works with his wife and their daughter, alternating between small hand-harvesting machines, manual picking (tezumi) for the most delicate plots, and processing on the farm.
the family produces sencha, gyokuro, and hojicha of great purity, while their matcha is stone-ground to order, in a slow and precise craft.