Shizuoka Premium Matcha

Premium Matcha Wholesale/Bulk Options

You can now purchase Premium Matcha in wholesale and bulk quantities from Shanti Tea Importers, making it an ideal option for tea retailers and brands in the United States and Canada. This matcha, renowned for its vibrant green colour, smooth texture, and rich umami flavour, offers a premium experience that tea enthusiasts cherish. What's more, it's available for private and white-label customization, allowing you to tailor the packaging and branding to suit your specific needs. By partnering with Shanti Tea Importers, you can offer your customers a high-quality, enjoyable tea while enhancing your brand's product offerings.

What is Shizuoka Premium Matcha?

Shizuoka Premium Matcha is a high-quality green tea powder from Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, a region renowned for its tea production. Shizuoka, situated on the Pacific coast, offers an ideal climate and fertile soil for cultivating tea, contributing to its matcha's distinctive qualities.

Key Characteristics of Shizuoka Premium Matcha:

1. Vibrant Green Color: Due to the meticulous cultivation and processing methods, Shizuoka Premium Matcha boasts a bright, vibrant green hue, indicating its freshness and high chlorophyll content.
2. Smooth Texture: The leaves used for Shizuoka matcha are finely ground into a smooth, silky powder, ensuring a luxurious texture when prepared.
3. Rich Umami Flavor: This matcha is known for its rich umami taste, balanced with subtle sweetness and minimal bitterness, providing a harmonious flavour profile.
4. High Antioxidant Content: Like other high-quality matcha, Shizuoka Premium Matcha is packed with antioxidants, particularly catechins, which are beneficial for health.
5. Traditional Cultivation: The tea plants are often shade-grown before harvest, enhancing the matcha's flavour and nutrient profile. The leaves are hand-picked and stone-ground, preserving their quality.

Tea connoisseurs favour Shizuoka Premium Matcha, which is often used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies and culinary applications such as lattes, smoothies, and baking.

What is the difference between regular Matcha and Premium Matcha?

The difference between regular Matcha and Premium Matcha primarily lies in their cultivation, processing, and resulting quality, which affects their flavour, texture, and nutritional profile. Here are the key distinctions:

Cultivation and Harvesting:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Cultivation: Often grown with less stringent shading techniques.
  • Harvesting: Leaves used may include those from multiple harvests throughout the year, including the second or third flush, which can be less tender.
  • Quality of Leaves: Leaves used might not be as young or as carefully selected.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Cultivation: Grown using meticulous shading techniques (often 20-30 days before harvest), increasing chlorophyll and amino acid content.
  • Harvesting: Only the first flush (first harvest of the season) is used, and the youngest, most tender leaves are selected.
  • Quality of Leaves: Only the highest quality leaves are hand-picked.

Processing:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Processing Method: Grinding methods may be used faster and less refined.
  • Production Attention: Less attention to detail in the processing stages.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Processing Method: Traditionally, stone ground creates a fine, smooth powder.
  • Production Attention: High attention to detail during processing to preserve flavour and nutrients.

Flavour and Texture:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Flavour: This can have a more pronounced bitterness and less complexity in flavour.
  • Texture: It may be slightly coarser and less smooth.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Flavour: Rich, complex umami flavour with balanced sweetness and minimal bitterness.
  • Texture: Extremely fine, silky texture that blends smoothly.

Nutritional Content:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Nutritional Profile: Lower levels of amino acids, particularly L-theanine, and antioxidants compared to premium matcha.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Nutritional Profile: Higher in amino acids, particularly L-theanine, and antioxidants, making it more beneficial for health.

Colour:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Colour: May appear duller green due to lower chlorophyll content.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Colour: Vibrant, bright green, indicating high chlorophyll content and freshness.

Uses:

• Regular Matcha:
  • Uses: Often used in cooking and baking where the distinct flavour of high-quality matcha is not as crucial.
• Premium Matcha:
  • Uses: It is preferred for traditional tea ceremonies, drinking as a tea, and premium culinary applications where flavour and quality are paramount.

Premium Matcha is characterized by meticulous cultivation and processing, which results in superior flavour, texture, and nutritional content. In contrast, regular matcha is generally more suitable for everyday use and culinary purposes.

Matcha Recipes

Premium matcha can be used in a variety of recipes, both traditional and modern. Here are some popular recipes that highlight the distinct flavour and quality of premium matcha:

1. Matcha Latte:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp premium matcha powder
• 2 oz hot water (not boiling)
• 6 oz milk (dairy or plant-based)
• Sweetener to taste (honey, agave, or sugar)

Instructions:

1. Sift the matcha powder into a bowl to remove any lumps.
2. Add the hot water and whisk vigorously in a zigzag motion until the matcha is fully dissolved and frothy.
3. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling. Froth the milk using a frother or whisk.
4. Pour the matcha into a cup, add the frothed milk, and sweeten to taste.
5. Enjoy immediately.

2. Matcha Smoothie:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp premium matcha powder
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of choice)
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy.