Matcha is a finely powdered form of green tea. Tencha, the precursor to matcha, is a flaky tea that is never rolled and has had the main leaf vein removed as well as stems. It is this unique tea that is milled to make traditional, high-quality matcha. That being said, you can find any old tea ground down and called "matcha" even though it has not undergone these processes. Additionally, our teas are shaded for about 3 weeks, which prodcues a leaf with a relatively high level of L-Theanine. This amino acid lends shaded Japanese teas their sought-after umami richness, and also works synergistically with the naturally present caffeine to aid memory, focus, and calm.

Fun fact - it takes approximately one hour to mill 30g of matcha using a traditional stone mill. You might be asking yourself, "Why not mill it faster and make more matcha?" Friction causes heat, and excess heat will negatively affect the matcha which has been so mindfully cared for from field to your cup.

Matcha is harvested several times per year, but the first harvest of the year will yield the highest-quality matcha with the best flavor and the most nutrients. This first harvest matcha is ceremonial-grade, while the second and third harvests are culinary grade.

Even among ceremonial-grade matchas, there is some variance in quality. One company's ceremonial matcha could be similar to another's culinary. Firebelly Tea matcha is always A1 Matcha, made of shaded leaf and processed as tencha before being milled into matcha. Check out the first FAQ above for more on this.

Premium quality, ceremonial-grade matcha will be a much brighter, more vibrant green.

Our matcha is 100% first harvest leaf from Fukuoka, Japan, a prefecture on the island of Kyushu. It is shaded for about 3 weeks and milled on a traditional stone mill.