Stone-Milled in Uji, Kyoto, Japan
Why Uji Matcha
Matcha is grown in many places, but only a small share earns the ceremonial label. Three things set ours apart: shade, season and stone.
Shade-Grown
Weeks Under Shade
For the final weeks before harvest, Uji’s tea bushes are covered to block the sun. Less light means less bitterness and more L-theanine, the amino acid behind matcha’s savory umami and calm, focused lift.
First Flush
The Youngest Spring Leaves
Ceremonial grade uses only the tender top leaves of the first spring harvest. They give the vivid jade color, silky texture and sweet finish that later, tougher leaves can’t match.
Stone-Milled
Ground Slowly on Granite
The dried leaf, called tencha, is ground between granite millstones that turn slowly to keep heat away from the tea. One mill makes only about 30 grams an hour, for a powder as fine as talc.
The Origin
Tea arrived in Kyoto more than 800 years ago. Planted in the misty river valley of Uji, just south of the city, it found ideal ground: fertile soil, river fog and cool nights. Uji soon became Japan’s benchmark for fine tea.
In the 1500s, Uji growers began shading their gardens with reed and straw canopies, a method called honzu. The shaded leaves gave a deeper green, sweeter matcha, prized by tea masters such as Sen no Rikyū, who shaped the tea ceremony still practiced today.
“In Uji, some farmers still shade their gardens the traditional honzu way, with natural reed and straw.”
At Aqeek, we bring ceremonial grade matcha from Uji, Kyoto to your cup, with centuries of tea craft in every scoop.
Ritual & Tradition
In Japan, matcha is more than a drink. It sits at the heart of chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, where every movement, from warming the bowl to the final whisk, is made with care.
Ceremonial grade matcha is made for exactly that moment: whisked with water alone, nothing added, so the quality of the leaf has nowhere to hide.
“Ichi-go ichi-e: one time, one meeting.
Every bowl deserves your full attention.”
800+
Years of Uji Tea
1500s
Shade-Growing Begins
~30g
Stone-Milled per Hour
From Leaf to Powder
Matcha isn’t simply ground green tea. It starts as tencha, a shade-grown leaf that is steamed, dried and stripped of stems and veins before it ever meets the millstone.
Shade the Garden
Tea bushes are covered for the last weeks before harvest, boosting chlorophyll and L-theanine.
01
Pick the First Flush
Only the young, tender leaves of the spring harvest are gathered for ceremonial grade.
02
Steam, Dry, De-vein
Leaves are steamed to lock in color, dried flat, then cut free of stems and veins to become tencha.
03
Stone-Mill Slowly
Granite mills turn slowly, grinding tencha into a fine, vivid green powder without scorching it.
04
“Shade, first flush, stone. Skip any one of them and it isn’t ceremonial grade.”
How to Prepare
Our recipe takes about two minutes: 4g of matcha whisked with 40g of hot water for a rich, velvety bowl. You need a bowl, a bamboo whisk called a chasen, a fine sieve and a small scale.
THE PREP
THE WATER
THE WHISK
Prefer a latte? Whisk the matcha with a splash of water first, then pour it over milk and ice.
Ways to Enjoy
From a traditional bowl to an iced latte, ceremonial grade matcha shines wherever you whisk it.
Iced Matcha Latte
Whisk 4g with 40g of 180°F water, then pour over ice and cold milk. Ceremonial grade keeps it smooth and bright green.
The Traditional Bowl
Whisked with water alone into a fine, glossy foam. The purest way to taste the sweetness of first-harvest Uji leaves.
Pure, Talc-Fine Powder
Slow stone-milling gives a vivid green powder fine enough to whisk smoothly, with no grit left in the bowl.
Know Your Grade
Not every matcha powder is made for sipping. Here’s how to tell the grades apart, and when to use each one.
Vivid green, naturally sweet
Ceremonial Grade
First-harvest leaves, stone-milled to a fine powder. Bright jade color, creamy umami and very little bitterness. Made to whisk with water and drink on its own.
Bolder and more astringent
Culinary Grade
Usually from later harvests with more mature leaves. Its stronger, slightly bitter flavor stands up to milk, sugar and heat, so it suits lattes, smoothies and baking.
Check before you buy
How to Spot the Real Thing
Look for an electric green color (not olive or yellow), a talc-fine texture that clings to your fingertip, a clear origin like Uji, Kyoto, and a fresh, grassy-sweet aroma.
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions we hear most about ceremonial grade matcha.
Bring Uji Home
Shade-grown, first-harvest and stone-milled in Kyoto, Japan. Your first bowl is less than two minutes away.
