A double shot of this month’s ‘Café Experience’ matcha subscription offering, shaken with kombucha. Served on ice.
CURRENT MATCHA: Oishi's Single Cultivar Asatsuyu
Cultivar: Asatsuyu (あさつゆ) is a relatively old cultivar, identified in the 1950s. It is known for its vibrantly green colour, relatively low astringency, and rich umami; because of its vibrancy (even when unshaded) it is sometimes called ‘natural gyokuro’. Asatsuyu’s ancestors were ‘zairai’ tea trees from southern Kyushu Island.
Asatsuyu is not the most prolific of Japanese cultivars; because of this reason, it is not one of the most widespread cultivars. In Kagoshima, arguably the region where it is the most people, Asatsuyu represents less than 10% of the yearly tea production.
Grower: Oishi San’s grandfather started this tea enterprise in 1940, a very turbulent time for Japan. He was dedicated to the production of old-school tea, using leaves from his family’s gardens. The enterprise remained old school until 1978, when he finally purchased machinery and refrigerators to produce the style of green tea that is so popular in modern Japan,
Today, Oishi San has one of the most sophisticated devices we’ve ever seen to micro-mill tencha into matcha. We think you will find the texture and vibrancy of this tea very pleasant.
