Matcha - organically grown - (Yabukita) | SENRO

Organic stone-ground matcha
Yabukita — “SENRO”
Aroma, umami, a gentle bitterness.
The character of Japanese tea, in a single bowl.

A fresh, generous aroma rises the moment it is whisked.
On the palate a firm umami spreads, and following behind it, a pleasant bitterness draws the flavour together.
SENRO is made from the first-flush harvest of Yabukita, organically grown in Wazuka, Kyoto.
What makes Yabukita compelling is that no single element — aroma, umami or astringency — asserts itself over the others. They hold together.

Roundness alone isn't quite enough.
Nor is bitterness on its own.

A matcha where the fresh aroma of Japanese tea, its umami, and a refined touch of bitterness can be enjoyed in balance.

The flavour of matcha begins long before the mill.

SENRO's leaves are grown in an organic tea garden in Wazuka, Kyoto, managed to the Organic JAS standard.
No synthetic pesticides or fertilisers — the soil is built up, and the state of pests and weeds is checked day by day.
Recording the materials and processes used while protecting the conditions in which the leaves grow well: organic farming requires continuous care of the field, work that isn't visible at harvest time.

Blocking the sunlight to draw out Yabukita's umami.

As the new shoots come, the field is covered with black shading material to block the light.
Limiting light slows the conversion of the umami compounds in the leaf into the compounds behind astringency and bitterness.
What results is the vivid colour and dense umami particular to matcha, together with the full aroma that only shaded leaves develop.
The bitterness isn't removed afterwards. The balance of aroma and umami is built from the moment the shoots are growing in the field.

Selecting only the tender shoots — hand-picked, one bud and two leaves.

We use the first flush, the first growth of the year.
One bud at the tip of the new shoot and the two young leaves beneath it — isshin-niyo — taken by hand, one at a time.
Picking by hand lets you feel how the bud has grown and how soft the leaf is, and choose accordingly.
It is not a way to harvest a great deal at once.
Even so, keeping hard leaves and thick stems out lets the fresh aroma of Yabukita and the definition of its flavour come through. We put the quality of the leaf ahead of the yield.

Dried without rolling, made into tencha.

The picked shoots are steamed before their freshness fades, then dried without rolling — unlike sencha.
Through this process, tencha, the raw material of matcha, is made.
After drying, stems and leaf veins are removed and the leaf is sorted.
Unlike powdered tea made by grinding ordinary sencha, SENRO is made from shoots grown from the outset to become matcha, then finished into tencha.

Ground slowly on stone, to protect the aroma.

The sorted tencha is finally ground on a stone mill, a little at a time.
One mill produces around 30–40 g per hour. SENRO comes in a 30 g tin, so a single tin takes roughly an hour.
The faster the mill turns, the more friction heat builds, and the aroma and colour of the leaf suffer for it.
To hold in the fresh aroma of Yabukita and finish the matcha fine and smooth, the mill is turned slowly.

The aroma that opens the moment it is whisked.
Umami layering in the mouth, with a measured bitterness.
A clear, clean finish that stays after the last sip.

SENRO is a matcha for taking your time over the balance of aroma and flavour that defines Japanese tea.

Name : Organic matcha
Ingredient Name : Organic green tea (Kyoto Prefecture)
Contents : 30g
Expiration date : Described at the bottom outside the frame
Storage method : Avoid direct sunlight, high temperatures and humidity, and be careful of lingering odors.

Seller : Renon Co., Ltd.
〒604-8221
Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Nishikikoji-dori Muromachi-nishiiru Tenjinyama-cho 280
Ishikan Building 4F

Manufacturer : Nakai Tea Factory Ltd.

Per serving: 1 tsp (1.5–2g) / 60–70ml water

1. Place matcha powder into a bowl or cup.
2. Add about 60–70ml of hot water at 70–80°C.
3. Whisk well with a bamboo whisk (chasen), milk frother,
or spoon until it becomes frothy.
4. Once the matcha is smoothly dissolved, it is ready to enjoy.

● Freshness matters with tea. Please enjoy it soon after opening.
● Take care when handling boiling water.