October 2024 Newsletter

d:matcha’s New Tencha Factory (Daiki T.)

D:matcha is building its own Tencha processing factory in Yubune, Wazuka Town, aiming to have it ready for the spring 2025 harvest. Until summer 2024, D:matcha used its own sencha factory to produce sencha, hojicha, and gyokuro. For matcha, however, it relied on shared tencha processing facilities. At these shared facilities, D-matcha reserved production capacity in advance to ensure that only leaves from its own fields were processed exclusively, paying processing fees for the service.

However, due to a growing number of farmers shifting from sencha to tencha production, capacity at these shared tencha factories has become increasingly limited. Despite long standing arrangements, in 2024, D:matcha faced unexpected refusals from its main tencha processing partner, with notifications sometimes arriving casually via email the day before delivery. This forced D:matcha to scramble for alternative facilities and adjust production schedules repeatedly.

This shortage of capacity, coupled with challenges D:matcha faces as a pesticide-free, organic fertilizer-only producer, highlighted the need for its own facility. In addition, D-matcha's organic practices sometimes led to stricter inspections or complaints from shared facilities when processing leaves affected by natural fungi.

While D:matcha managed to secure alternative facilities on certain days, many of these were also operating at full capacity. Consequently, delays in the harvest schedule occurred, leading to missed opportunities for second harvests on some plots.

With a growing number of tea fields each year, D:matcha anticipates that a dedicated factory will be financially viable, allowing for efficient harvest timing, improved quality, and potentially higher yields. This decision was made possible by the consistent demand from loyal customers, which has provided a stable foundation for expansion.Thank you once again for your kind support. Moving forward, D:matcha is committed to further enhancing the quality of its products.

About the Fields: Regarding the Organic Layer (Hiroki A.)

In tea plantations, various organic materials accumulate, decompose, and are utilized by tea plants. The accumulated organic matter includes not only fertilizers applied artificially but also fallen or pruned branches and leaves. Pruning is conducted at least twice a year in tea gardens, and when combined with edge trimming, a substantial amount of organic material is returned to the tea fields. This organic material mainly accumulates between the rows of tea plants. Although some of it decomposes and is eventually used by the tea plants, a large portion remains as undecomposed organic matter between the rows.

The part of the organic material in contact with the soil decomposes more quickly, so when we want to promote decomposition, we till between the rows. However, if there’s too much organic matter, it becomes challenging to mix the organic layer with the soil layer through tilling. As more organic matter accumulates, decomposition slows, leading to further accumulation. This accumulated organic layer can then hinder fertilization efforts and nutrient absorption, becoming a problem.

To reduce the organic layer, it’s essential to limit the introduction of organic matter and to promote decomposition. One way to limit organic matter is to thoroughly harvest late-season tea to reduce its input. Mixing the organic layer with the soil during tilling can further promote decomposition. Additionally, this year, our company plans to apply a special fertilizer containing soil microorganisms to further stimulate organic layer decomposition. While organic matter is necessary, maintaining balance is crucial for producing delicious tea.

How Sencha is Processed (Misato T.)

Sencha is a type of tea made by steaming the leaves, then rolling them multiple times into needle-like shapes. As green tea is a non-oxidized tea, it is essential to steam the leaves immediately after harvesting to prevent oxidation. Ideally, this steaming should occur the same day as harvest.

In tea production, the farmer's role is not only to cultivate tea but also to handle the initial processing, which requires having the proper equipment and skills. The goals of sencha processing are (1) to deactivate oxidizing enzymes, (2) to dry the leaves, and (3) to break down the leaf structure by rolling, which allows the tea’s flavor to be released when brewed. Without proper drying, tea leaves cannot be stored long-term, and without sufficient rolling, the flavor will not fully emerge when hot water is added. Sencha is completed through several rounds of rolling.

In the past, this rolling was done by hand, but today, it has been divided into several steps carried out by machines. Hand-rolling, however, is very challenging and requires significant time to master.

1. Steaming

Steaming is a crucial step to deactivate the enzymes in the tea leaves. The steaming time depends on the condition of the leaves but generally lasts about 30 to 90 seconds. If the leaves are under-steamed, they can develop a grassy smell, while over-steaming causes the tea's flavor to be lost. The length of steaming has a significant impact on the taste of the tea, so it is essential to carefully determine the optimal steaming time.

2. Primary Rolling

In this step, hot air is applied as the tea leaves are rotated using “kneading hands” and “leaf sorting,” allowing moisture to evaporate evenly and efficiently. Before primary rolling, excess moisture is sometimes removed using a leaf-beating machine to soften the tea leaves.

3. Kneading

This is the only step where the tea is kneaded without adding heat. Moisture is thoroughly kneaded out of the leaves, including the stems, to balance the moisture levels in the tea and shape it properly. This process takes about 15 minutes.

4. Intermediate Rolling

Here, the tea is further kneaded while being heated to roughly body temperature. This step lasts around 10 minutes.

5. Fine Rolling

Fine rolling shapes the tea leaves into needle-like forms, a process that takes about 40 minutes.

6. Drying

The tea leaves are dried, reducing their final moisture content to about 5–6%. This completes the primary processing of sencha.

Light-steamed Tea and Deep-steamed Tea

The steaming time significantly affects the flavor of sencha. Light-steamed tea is steamed for about 30-50 seconds, while deep-steamed tea is steamed for around 60-90 seconds.

Light-steamed Tea:

• Leaf Shape: The original shape of the tea leaves is more preserved.
• Tea Color: Light yellow.
• Flavor: Retains the original taste of the tea leaves, allowing subtle differences between leaves to be enjoyed.
• Brewing Method: Takes longer to brew and requires more skill.
• Region: Sencha from Kyoto is typically light-steamed.

Deep-steamed Tea:

• Leaf Shape: The leaves become finer due to the longer steaming.
• Tea Color: A cloudy, deep green.
• Flavor: Less bitterness, making it easier to drink, though different teas tend to have a similar flavor profile.
• Brewing Method: Requires a shorter extraction time and is easier to brew.
• Region: Sencha from Shizuoka is typically deep-steamed.

Matcha Latte Art (S. Mahdaria)
For so long, I've wanted to learn latte art, especially since our hotel guests sometimes order a Hot Matcha Latte for breakfast. Up until now, I’ve been serving them something closer to “abstract art” in their cups! I dream of giving them a beautiful Matcha Latte with a lovely heart shape—something to brighten their day a little more.

That’s why I was thrilled when our latest intern arrived, a skilled barista from a renowned coffee shop in California. She’s been teaching me Matcha Latte art, and every week, I’ve been learning new skills. It’s been so much fun discovering how to steam the milk just right and how to angle the steaming wand for the perfect pour.

I’ve had my fair share of failed attempts! More than once, my heart shape ended up looking like an anatomical heart, which made us both laugh. But despite my basic latte art skills, our kind guests have always appreciated my efforts. Their warm smiles and heartfelt compliments keep me inspired to keep trying.

Our intern’s time with us has now come to an end, and I’m so grateful for all that she taught me. I’ll keep practising on my own and updating her on my progress. Follow along on Instagram @sitimahdaria to see my journey in creating beautiful latte art and tea pairing!

Let's Buy Our Favorite Tea Utensils! (Seiya H.)

Sometimes, I buy tea utensils for myself, and other times, I go with friends to help them find their ideal tea utensils. Some friends want a bowl for drinking matcha daily, while others want to start practising the tea ceremony. When tour guests ask me which tea utensils are the best to buy, it’s often difficult to give a straightforward answer since it depends so much on each person’s preferences. For beginners, many start with a basic set or an affordable tea bowl, but as people become familiar with the tea ceremony and making matcha, they may want to upgrade their tools. However, some aren’t sure what to choose next.

When it comes to buying tea utensils, I have one piece of advice (just my personal opinion): unless it’s something you truly want, there’s no need to force yourself to buy it. Some items, like the tea whisk, are essential and need to be replaced regularly, but if you’re just practicing, everyday items can sometimes work as substitutes. When it comes to selecting ideal utensils, people often focus on appearance, type of ceramic, etc., and I myself have purchased some tools reserved for special occasions. I tend to buy bowls seasonally and prefer bowls with a narrow base (because they froth matcha more easily than those with a flat base).

Friends who have studied tea ceremony with me often go to tea shops but sometimes leave empty-handed because they didn’t find anything that really called to them. It’s not that they aren’t interested in buying; it’s just that finding a piece that genuinely feels right and makes a strong impression can be quite challenging. Even if two tea bowls or tea caddies look the same, the year they were made and the artist can significantly affect the price, so I also think carefully when shopping. Owners of truly fine tea utensils often store them carefully and only use them for special tea gatherings (some may only bring them out once every ten years or so).

When visiting tea shops, the staff sometimes provide detailed explanations about various utensils, and seeing all the beautiful pieces is a great way to learn about tea tools. Although books and encyclopedias can be useful for learning about different types of ceramics and tools, I believe there’s nothing like seeing the real thing.

Everyone has their own preferences for tea utensils, but since they’re also a type of art, if you find something you love and want to treasure, it can be a great matcha companion if it’s a tea bowl. 

Last week, I accompanied my friends in choosing their favorite matcha bowl in Kyoto city. One bowl that was especially interesting was the Kuro Raku-yaki, or Black Raku pottery, which is popular in tea ceremonies. The shape of this Raku-yaki bowl is unique because it is more suitable for summer, with a wide, open surface and a flat base.