Matcha Tea: From Generational Farm to Cup

As part of their personalized and quality-driven approach to tea procurement, the Mountain Rose Herbs team often takes trips around the world to meet with farm partners and conduct farm visits. These trips help to strengthen their relationships with farmers and also ensure the quality of the organic products they sell. It is this practice that inspired their recent journey to Japan to meet with one of their farm partners in Wazuka, Japan. After a long and exciting travel day, they arrived in the bustling city of Osaka, Japan where their farm partner, Masashi, warmly welcomed them. They piled in his sedan and headed for the misty hills of Wazuka, where the 350-year-old tea plantation was located.
Masashi first took the team to the fields where he taught about the practices of growing, shading, inspecting, and harvesting the fresh and vibrant green leaves. From there, the team got a behind-the-scenes look at how these organic tea leaves are turned into the famous vibrant green powder we know and love—matcha. After fully experiencing the tea plantation and all of the heartfelt work that goes into making this fine tea powder, the Mountain Rose Herbs team was invited to take part in a traditional matcha tea ceremony.
Having worked with this farmer for over a decade, it was an honor to celebrate Japanese culture over a cup of fresh matcha, and to fully recognize the people who grow and process this special tea for the world to enjoy.