Find the Right Tea for You
| Tea | Flavour | Caffeine | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sencha | Vegetal, fresh cut grass | Moderate | Daily, morning ritual |
| Gyokuro | Marine, seaweed | High | Special moments, deep focus |
| Hojicha Leaf | Nutty, biscuit, savory | Low | Relaxation and comfort |
| Hojicha Stone-Milled | Milky, roasted nuts | Low | Easy lattes, baking |
| Matcha II | Vegetal, seaweed | High | Daily matcha, lattes |
| Matcha I | Nutty, mineral, umami | High | Traditional ceremony, luxury |
What Makes Japanese Green Tea Unique?
The distinction between green, black, and oolong lies in post-harvest processing.
The key difference: degree of oxidation
- Green tea: Minimal oxidation (leaves are heated immediately after picking)
- Oolong tea: Partial oxidation
- Black tea: Full oxidation
- Pu-erh tea: Fermented through microbial aging
What defines Japanese green tea:
Steaming is done to deactivate oxidation enzymes, rather than pan-firing which is common in Chinese production. This gives the steamed green teas its characteristic vibrant green colour and fresh, vegetal aroma.
At Komeru, our collection includes: steamed teas (sencha, gyokuro), roasted teas (hojicha), and stone-milled tea powder (matcha, hojicha).
SENCHA 煎茶: Japan’s Everyday Green Tea
Sencha is a classic pick in the Japanese tea selection. It is common in Japan for daily consumption at home, in offices, and restaurants. Sencha accounts for approximately 80% of Japan's tea production.
Production:
- Cultivated in full sunlight
- Steamed immediately post-harvest to halt oxidation
- Rolled into fine needles during drying
Komeru's Origin: Kawane, Shizuoka. Albeit small in area, it remains one of Japan's premier tea regions known for mountainous terroir and its spring water.
➜ Sencha Tea Bags (15 pieces, 2.5g each)
GYOKURO 玉露: Japan’s Finest Shade-Grown Green Tea
Gyokuro represents the apex of Japanese leaf tea. It comprises approximately 0.3% of Japan's leaf tea production, a small fraction of the total tea output. This scarcity reflects both the labor-intensive cultivation required and the specialized knowledge necessary for production. With the concentration of flavours it packs, Gyokuro is typically drunk in small amounts and brewed at a lower temperature.
Production:
- Grown under shade covers
- Steamed immediately to arrest oxidation
- Rolled into fine needles during drying
Shading for over 20 days fundamentally alters the leaf. Chlorophyll content increases with its deeper green colour, L-theanine is enhanced for umami, and catechins reduced resulting in minimal astringency. This creates profound sweetness with marine complexity. The leaves become so delicate and flavourful that you can consume them after brewing.
Komeru's Origin: Kyotanabe, Kyoto
➜ Gyokuro Tea Bags (15 pieces, 2.5g each)
HOJICHA ほうじ茶: Roasted Japanese Tea
Hojicha is roasted green tea, bringing warmth without weight. While most hojicha derives from second or third harvests, Komeru's uses exclusively first-flush sencha. Since they are harvested once annually, the volume is limited but quality is non-negotiable.
Production:
- First-flush sent
- Roast at low temperature to preserve the origin character
- Sugars are caramelised and caffeine is reduced
Hojicha's taste and flavour depend on the base material used. Hojicha made from leaves tends to be fuller-bodied with stronger flavour. Hojicha made from stems produces a lighter-bodied, more delicate cup.
Komeru's Origin: Kawane, Shizuoka
➜ Hojicha Tea Bags (15 pieces, 2.5g each)
HOJICHA POWDER ほうじ茶: Stone-Milled Roasted Tea
While hojicha leaf is brewed, hojicha powder is consumed whole, just like matcha. At Komeru, our Hojicha powder begins with first-flush sencha leaves, then slow-roasted at low temperature to develop a smooth, nutty aroma before being stone-milled into an ultra-fine powder.
Production Process:
- First-flush sent
- Roast at low temperature to preserve the origin character
- Stone-milled into ultra-fine powder
Recommended preparation: Enjoyed with milk, in baking or confectionery. Enjoyment is individual.
➜ Stone-milled Hojicha Powder (30g)
MATCHA 抹茶: The Iconic Stone-Milled Japanese Green Tea
Matcha is whole-leaf consumption. Ground into powder, you get all nutrients, fiber, and flavour compounds, not only what extracts into water.
Production:
- Grown under shade covers
- Leaves steamed and dried flat (not rolled) to form Tencha
- Tencha sorted, de-stemmed, de-veined
- Tencha is stone-milled into ultra-fine powder
Why stone milling:
Traditional stone mills operate slowly, 40g per hour, preventing heat degradation that compromises delicate compounds. Larger production employs high-speed grinders that generate heat. Traditional stone milling requires exacting maintenance: grooves kept pristine, temperatures regulated, environments shielded from light and heat fluctuation. The equipment and conditions necessary rarely exist outside dedicated production facilities.
Understanding grades:
At Komeru, we avoid terms like "ceremonial" or "culinary", designations applied without standardised benchmarks. Both our Matcha have been used in tea ceremonies. What distinguishes them is farming philosophy and the principles that guide each producer, reflected in the final leaf. Grade depends on shading method, leaf selection, ageing, and processing rigor.
At Komeru, we offer two grades with full transparency:
MATCHA I 抹茶: Pinnacle of Matcha From Kyoto
Our highest grade. What tea masters use for traditional ceremony (chanoyu).
With Matcha I, every step: cultivation, harvesting, steaming, grinding, occurs at the farm. The complete ownership of Matcha production allows for quality confidence, and with every batch they are freshly ground. Complete quality control. No intermediaries.
- Tea trees up to 40 years old—deeper roots, more complex flavour
- Traditional "Honzu Method" shading using rice straw
- Exclusively first-flush, youngest leaves
Origin: Joyo, Kyoto. The historic Uji region, birthplace of Japanese tea ceremony
Recommended preparation: Traditional with water (koicha or usucha), or over ice. That said, we believe enjoyment is individual.
MATCHA II 抹茶: Everyday Premium Matcha
Exceptional quality made for daily matcha drinking.
The family-owned farm shades the tea under black cloths and employs the traditional cultivation method of shizen-shitate (自然仕立て), allowing tea plants to grow in natural form rather than pruning. Their tencha receives consistent recognition at national competitions.
Production is defined by single-estate, single-cultivar integrity. Only first-flush leaves are harvested.
Origin: Uji, Kyoto. The gold standard for matcha.
Recommended preparation: Traditional with water (koicha or usucha), over ice, or with milk. Holds complexity beautifully across preparations. Enjoyment is individual.
➜ Stone-milled Matcha II (30g)
Finding Your Matcha: I or II
| Factor | Matcha I | Matcha II |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Traditional preparation, tasting pure matcha | Traditional preparation, daily drinking, milk preparation, versatile |
| Flavour | Complex, profound umami | Smooth, balanced |
| Cultivation | Honzu method, 40-year trees | Black cloth shading, shizen-shitate (natural form) |
| Processing | First-flush leaves, traditional stone-mill, full in-house control | First-flush leaves, single cultivar, traditional stone-mill |
Our Promise to Craft and Japanese Tea Heritage
Our work is driven by love for tea and commitment to farms whose principles match our own. We grow together. The tea you receive is the tea we would drink ourselves. Nothing more complicated than that.