About Our Tea
At Matcha Yu Tea, we source first-harvest Japanese matcha from Kagoshima, Japan — selected for smooth flavour, vibrant colour and minimal bitterness.
Our tea is milled in Japan, air-freighted to Australia and cold-stored to protect its delicate flavour, colour and aroma.
Whether you enjoy matcha as a daily latte or a slower traditional ritual, our range is designed to help you choose the right matcha for the way you drink it.
Both our Premium Matcha & Everyday Matcha are grown and picked in the fields of Kagoshima, a mountainous region with rich volcanic soil in Southern Kyushu in Japan.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAS?
| Feature | Everyday Matcha | Premium Matcha |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Daily lattes, iced matcha and versatile use | Traditional preparation, usucha and slow rituals |
| Taste profile | Smooth, balanced and gently umami | Deeper umami, fuller body and refined finish |
| Cultivar | Tsuyuhikari | Okumidori |
| Origin | Kagoshima, Japan | Kagoshima, Japan |
| Harvest | 2025 First Harvest, May | 2025 First Harvest, May |
| Organic status | Conventionally grown | Certified organic farms and factory |
| Milling | Bead-milled in Japan | Stone-milled on an ishi usu in Japan |
| With milk | Excellent — ideal for lattes | Best enjoyed straight, but can pair lightly with milk |
| Positioning | Smooth, vibrant everyday ritual | Elevated, refined matcha experience |
WHY OUR MATCHA TASTES DIFFERENT?
Not all matcha tastes the same. Bitterness can come from later harvest leaves, poor storage, oxidation, low-quality raw material or water that is too hot.
At Matcha Yu Tea, we focus on three things:
First-harvest leaves
Picked in May, when the tea plant produces its most tender spring growth for a smooth, umami-rich flavour. Umami refers to a savoury, mouth-filling depth of flavour.
Fresh milling in Japan
Our matcha is milled in small batches to preserve its delicate flavour and aroma.
Cold storage in Australia
Once it arrives, we refrigerate our tea to protect it from heat, light, air and moisture.
MATCHA - THE BASICS!
Matcha is made from shade-grown Japanese green tea leaves that are steamed, dried, sorted and milled into a fine green powder.
After harvest, the leaves are steamed to stop oxidation, then dried to create aracha — raw, unrefined tea where the leaves and stems are still mixed together. The stems and veins are removed later during sorting, creating tencha, the refined leaf material used to make matcha.
Tencha is then carefully milled into matcha using either traditional stone milling or specialist Japanese milling methods.
Matcha first originated in China in the 8th Century and then made its way over to Japan in the 12th Century by the founder of Zen Buddhism, Myoan Eisai who brought tea seeds for cultivation.
Matcha became popular with the samurai warrior class with monks giving Matcha to samurai as a pre-battle drink to increase energy and endurance.
In the 16th Century, Sen No Rikyu was a great tea master who defined the rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony (otherwise known as Cha-no-yu) which then became well established as part of the Japanese culture.
Since then it has been enjoyed in Japan for its rich flavour but in the last few years it has captured the attention of matcha lovers around the world.
From Matcha Lattes to ice cream to cakes and more, Matcha is not going away anytime soon!
We are so thankful that the world can appreciate and access high quality Matcha outside of Japan for all to enjoy.
About our Hojicha Powder
Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea, loved for its naturally nutty, toasty flavour and gentle, comforting aroma.
Unlike Matcha, which is made from steamed and finely milled green tea leaves, hojicha is roasted to develop its warm caramel-like notes and mellow character. This roasting process also gives hojicha its distinctive brown colour and naturally lower caffeine profile.
Our Hojicha Powder is sourced from Yame on Kyushu Island, Japan, a region known for producing high-quality Japanese tea. It is made from roasted sencha leaves, then finely ground into a smooth powder that blends easily into drinks and recipes.
Smooth, aromatic and naturally cosy, our hojicha is perfect for creamy lattes, baking, smoothies, desserts, or anywhere you’d like to add a rich roasted tea flavour.