Aoyama-no-shiro in the 40 g box
I almost hate to give this “secret” away. This is my everyday, go to matcha. I pretty much always have about 10 boxes of this in the freezer. I found this teahouse after asking a guest speaker at Meijer Gardens lecture series who spoke on Shigaraki pottery from Japan where her teacher gets Matcha from. This was one of the sources she told me about.
The following is the description according to their website in Japan at the 3 century plus old tea house in the heart of Kyoto Japan, Ippodo:
“Possessing a refreshing, slightly astringent taste, Aoyama-no-shiro is ideal for drinking every day. With its light taste, it makes a good choice for people who enjoy matcha on a daily basis or when drinking several bowls of matcha while practicing the tea ceremony. It’s also good for use in cooking and preparing sweets. Enjoy incorporating it into your daily lifestyle.”
Currently at the time of writing this, Aoyama-No-Shiro is ¥500 or approximately $4.27 for 40 grams. No matter how you do the math with shipping, you can figure almost $2.00 additional cost per item from Japan. So around $7.00 a box. This is a crazy good deal. I am telling you no matter how long you search and no matter how many different websites play to your senses with terms like “hyperpremium”, or “organic-super culinary”, with their own grading system and awards posted next to a price tag of more than $100, the only thing hyper about them is the marketing and cost. I’m not saying that there aren’t some amazing brands of Matcha out there offering really, really good quality Matcha, but if you are like me and drink 10 cups a day, that’s 20 grams a day my friend. On a day to day basis, I need a great quality Matcha that I can afford and this is definitely one.
I will also be reviewing other Brands besides Ippodo that are more pricey based solely on the quality of Matcha. Price is a deterrent for most of us, but ultimately does not effect the beauty of the tea itself. If money isn’t an issue for someone, I am still hoping to be able to give my own honest opinion of the tea.
The Review:
Again, you simply cannot beat the price. I have had plenty of Matcha that was far more costly that failed in comparison.
I only drink this tea usucha or thin style which means for me about 3 grams of powdered Matcha sifted first into my Chawan then hot water (less than 190 degrees Fahrenheit) is poured onto it, first about an ounce- then whisked, then another 2 ounces or so, then whisked again to a nice froth.
The color is a nice, bright green. Like all of Ippodo’s Matcha it remains consistent from batch to batch. It is machine picked and milled so it does have some notes of the Kukicha or twig tea in the bouquet and flavor. Cocoa powder. I tend to detect this in a lot of the Matcha that I truly like before I add the hot water. This one has a faint note of it just beyond the grassy first impression. The chocolate note doesn’t carry
on to the tea after the water is whisked into it. This is not a Matcha with any notable sillage. People will not come into the room and ask what that lovely green smell is. The aroma stays within the tea bowl itself. Aoyama does of course have all of the distinctive notes of a good Matcha: Green, grassy, mown hay but it also has a light bite of an earthy asparagus and just a hint of toasted rice or barley like their seasonal autumn tea had this year their Tsukikage. Although the Aoyama-no-shiro has only the slightest notion of these notes. Last years batch seemed to me to have a higher profile to it, a bit of a flowery feel about the smell and taste that I am not getting lately. Tea is tea however and does change from year to year just like grapes.
Ippodo places this tea on the bottom of what the call a light taste (compared to a medium or rich umami.) I agree that it is on the lighter side, but I also feel it must have a good amount of both tannins and l-theanine by the lingering taste an hour or so after drinking a bowl.