• Came to Japan around 800 AD (some seeds planted near Kyōto), but only became popular around 1200, when Eisai came back from China and planted some seeds in Fukuoka.
• His buddy Myōei then planted some seeds in Uji and all around Japan.
• Shade-growing established in XV century.

• Misty areas produce better tea, so areas around rivers like Uji are quite nice.
• Usually made from cultivars, which could be Samidori, Asahi, Gokou or Uji-hikari.
• Heavily fertilized, and that's why it's hard to find organic matcha.
• Shade-grown, like gyokuro. Towards the end of April reed or straw blinds are spread over the tea bushes. Because of this, the leaves produce more chlorophyll, making the tea greener. (The staw is then used to cover the soil.) Also prevents theanine, an amino acid, from being converted into tannins.

😎 This shade-growing was discovered by accident, the legend goes. Plants were covered to protect them from late frost. The period is usually 21 days, hence the use of 昔 (十十一日) in many names.

• Harvested in May, but only once, since the shade-growing is stressful for the plant. (Sencha can be harvested multiple times per year.)
• Steamed to preserve green colour.
• Remove stems and thick veins.
• Ground in stone grinders: 40 cm, 15 rotations per minute, 114 gr (sais CQ2, others say only 30 gr) of powder per hour. Faster, and you produce too much heat. Particle size around 5-20 microns (1000 microns are one millimeter). Modern teas use a jet mill (🇩🇪 Strahlmühle)
• Vitamin A is not water-soluble; nor is chlorophyll.

• Generally use 一茶杓 for 一柄杓, 88 whisks for comparative tastings.
• Tezumi lists frequent aromas!

🔥 There are two 小山園: 山政小山園(やままさ) and 丸久(まるきゅう)!

• 延年の昔: 坐忘斎好, bought in IX 24, for 20 CHF from 左座園
• 星授: bought in IX 24, for 20 CHF from 左座園. Had it in IV 25, and it was quite dark, dark chocolate; very enjoyable. Might be a good one for July!

• 24 III 20: Quite similar to 和光, deep and umami nose, chicken broth. The taste is very thick, even thicker than 和光, it is very umami and round. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds!
• Western (17 VIII 20): both very powdery nose, light; but this one slightly more depth. Light, pleasant. A bit simple, ever so slightly seagrass notes, but mostly undifferentiated greenery. Pretty much equivalent to 青嵐.

• At 800 ¥ a tin, what would I expect?
• 25 IX 19 (with Simon): Very bitter, demanding presence. Strohfeuer, leaves faster than (5).
• 28 III 20: nose full, almost spicy, cinnamon and vinegared fruits. Medium body; cup quite bitter, actually. Clay-like, almost.
• Western (11 VIII 20): nose decent; a bit hay-like, a few apricots. Taste flat, metallic; bitter; in the finish a tame fruitiness. A very basic tea, better as it chills.
• Western (25 VIII 20): Nose very light, a bit of powdered sugar, and drying apples. Cup bitterness, in the finish a lemony sweetness on the tip of the tongue. It's the bitterness that gives it away.

• Used it for my 雪間の草 茶事 in 2026, it's surprisingly bitter and flat.

• Read きっしょうえん　ろうほ, about 160 years old (= 老舗).
• They only keep small quantities of ground 抹茶 at their store, grinding it somewhat fresh. They measure out the ground 抹茶 to order.
• This is their line-up (for 裏千家, they also cater to the other 三千家 and even the 大日本茶会!)

• I tried the 五山の昔 in 2026. It's quite bitter and dense, almost woody, but has a great presence and is unlike the “made up” pretty teas like KM. Also, it has a peculiar fragrance when you make it, almost lemon leaf and cedar.

• 2020 / 2021
• Goko and Samidori variety, from Kyotanabe in Kyōto.
• CNY (3 VIII 21): Full and a big bulky, not terribly elegant, but full of dried mango and rose stalk and rose wood. Quite interesting, actually; even though I suspect it to be a bit of a lower quality.

Their lineup is:

• 21 III 20: slightly metallic nose, faint tomato dashi; taste again slightly metallic, fresh; hints of lemon peel bitterness; a bit thin, a slightly vinegared finish.
• 25 III 19: Grassy and fresh; lightest of them all, a bit maritime too. Very direct, bodenständig, spring like.
• Western (17 VIII 20): powdery nose, a bit of balsa wood. Lighter still, inconspicuous. Brilliant, not too simple, actually. Long echo, but staying light and clear. Light and quite long.

• 3 VII 21: fresh out of the pack, very decent nose, generic umami-grassiness. It's very fine and subtle, but hell ain't it worth the price!

• It's very light and fresh, but TBH I don't think I prefer it over 和光. However, I did have a sample that was already 1 year old (stored in the fridge), so maybe it had lost some complexity.

• (40 gr, 3.3k, 2025),
• Yabonouchi-school
• Unusually rough for a 小山園, I like it a lot

• 25 III 19: A lot of umami, thick texture, tomato sourness. Long echo.
• 23 IX 19: indeed, very nice umaminess, and nuttiness too in smell (not in taste).
• 23 III 20: Nose of fresh grass and thin hay, ever so slightly metallic. Mouth decent, again, slightly sanguine and hollow, dried tomato broth. Quite nice, if a bit light and possibly metallic from oxidation / being an old sample.
• 1 VII 20: grassy nose, powdered sugar; lime blossom? Cup extremely light. Powdered sugar and hardly anything else. Canola oil finish. It's not unpleasant, but a bit simple and light.
• Western (11 VIII 20): nose aquatic, morsches Holz. Taste quite decent, a bit tomato paste and powdered sugar. Not a hint of bitterness, aquatic mint carries through.

• 3 VII 21: It's a new tea harvested in May. It tried it during CJ's Brissago seminar and in the subsequent weeks, and always thought it was a bit lacking, it didn't manage to wow me ever. It's full, and I actually prefer that fullness over 長安.

• 17 VIII 21: Favourite of someone. Very powdery, but very nice, very light, thinking rock violet and vanilla powdered sugar.

• 22 VIII 21: Surprisingly good, only a dash of bitterness and overall quite smooth. Not much taste, but also not insubstantial.

• Had this for my VII 25 茶事. It was quite sweet.

• 21 III 20: quite full, fresh moist hay; taste very full and rich, pleasant, no sharpness, roast bell peppers; deep pleasantness and roundness. Banana cake?
• 23 III 20: deeper nose, almost dough-like, some umami and again, very ripe bananas. Mouth quite full, some juicy kelp, also. Almost a bit too full for spring?
• 24 III 20: the lack of metallic-ness in the nose is fascinating. Cup so round, very good balance of grass and umami dashi.
• 28 III 20: some wet cut grass, quite deep; this time sweet and maritime, sea urchin? Cup very full, pleasant dashi and sweetness.
• 1 VII 20: deeper nose, tomato skins and brown sugar. Cup still very full and satisfying, tomato broth; brown sugar again.

• 17 VII 22: Drank while practising at home, I find it a really nice 薄茶. A little bit of mint, moderate but pleasant umami, slight bitterness. Very nice!

• 鵬雲斎's favourite 薄茶. Had it in IV 26, and it's nice, but very mild, powdery, maybe violets and blueberries. I found it quite transparent, so I could taste my water more than the tea.

• 式部の昔（しきぶ　の　むかし）: Used this in Hurtebise 22, it's sweet, simple and has slightly smoky undertones, not unpleasant, but sucks water like a big bitch.
• 小倉: I had this as 西園の白 from 青松園, which they repackage. It's a decent everyday 薄茶.

• 有機栽培 抹茶: Even fresh this is bracingly bitter and dull (IX 20)