About Us
Matchæologist® ( 抹茶オロジスト) is an artisanal matcha green tea specialist that develops award-winning ranges of Japanese matcha with an aim to define the ultimate #MatchaRitual experience. Our approach is to introduce a modern perspective to the ancient tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony by preparing matcha in a minimalist way for an epicurean tasting experience, while providing education on the joys and benefits to be found in the daily drinking of this ceremonial delicacy.
Our Matcha Expertise
We strive to define and deliver the ultimate #MatchaRitual experience to anyone, anywhere in the world. With a long and fascinating history, matcha is not just a tea, it’s an experience, refined over thousands of years. Inspired by the Japanese tea culture, we don’t just make the world’s finest matcha, we show you how to get the best from it.
Much like wine, artisanal matcha reflects the flavors of the region where the tea plants are grown. Our matcha is grown in the world-famous region of Uji, in Kyoto prefecture, Japan, and artisan-roasted to perfection in small batches using proprietary techniques to ensure the best expression of the terroir, whispering its provenance story from our crop directly to your cup in every sip.
The 'Uji' Terroir
The notion of terroir is extremely important for growing exceptional matcha. It defines all the natural characteristics of the environment that influence the tea. Our matcha is grown in Uji, in Kyoto prefecture, Japan, commonly known as the ultimate terroir for matcha cultivation. Uji has unique agro-climatic conditions: the soil, the climate, the altitude, the humidity and the amount of rainfall, all of which contribute to the distinctive aroma and flavor profile of a matcha that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
With the prestigious ‘Uji-Matcha’ (宇治抹茶) appellation considered by tea connoisseurs as the most distinguished and highly-prized of all, our range of matcha possesses a compelling suite of flavors characterized by ambrosial sweet-savory ‘umami’ (うま味) notes, refreshing green ‘ooika’ (覆い香) aromas, and a deep, vivid pine-green color.
Artisan Roasting
Crafting matcha is one of the most crucial tasks for any matcha maker. As the birthplace and the ‘Holy Land’ of matcha, Uji has long been the epicenter of the art of matcha-making. This is where the expertise in crafting the finest tasting matcha is concentrated and it was subsequently disseminated from here to other parts of Japan.
Our finest grades of matcha come from exceptional tea plants grown from ancient rootstocks, nurtured with utmost care and shade-grown for 30 days before harvest. During the first flush in the spring, only the youngest, topmost ‘virgin’ leaves are handpicked individually before the first ray of sun touches the ground.
After steaming and drying, our matcha undergoes a proprietary ‘artisan roasting’ procedure involving a carefully calibrated light heating to activate the leaves and impart captivating roasted aromas, ensuring that every gram is bursting with its full flavor potential. Though painstaking and time-consuming, this technique offers unparalleled results, drawing out our matcha’s characteristic sweet-savory 'umami' flavor profile in a way that standard matcha simply cannot equal.
Crop to Cup
The traditional production route for matcha and most teas can normally take up to 6-8 months involving multiple middlemen along the journey. We revolutionize the industry by cutting out the middlemen in order to supply our matcha from our crop directly to your cup.
Marrying contemporary technology with long-established artisanal matcha-making techniques, we aspire to supply the world’s freshest and most delicious artisanal matcha to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Redefine the #MatchaRitual
We are pioneers who redefine how matcha should be enjoyed. Our approach is to put the ancient tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony into a modern perspective and to make this ceremonial tea more accessible and relevant for the modern lifestyle. We reinvent the way matcha is consumed by a radically simple approach — preparing matcha in a minimalist way for an epicurean tasting experience not unlike that of fine wine.
We design our matcha-ware to help you get the very best flavor from your matcha. Each piece brings traditional styles up to date, combining minimalist form with contemporary functionality, making your #MatchaRitual a simple everyday pleasure.