River and Stone Tea

The Difference between Freshly Milled and Stale Matcha

At River and Stone Tea, we operate one of a handful of authentic matcha mills in the country. River and Stone Tea mills fresh ceremonial grade matcha daily, resulting in an incredibly smooth and creamy product. In contrast, lower-quality or older matcha can be bitter and astringent. Beyond that, fresh matcha green tea powder has a certain indescribable quality and fragrance that just needs to be experienced to be understood! Our base tea leaves (tencha) come from early spring pickings in Uji, known to be the high-quality tencha-growing region in Japan.

How Matcha Is Made

River and Stone Tea makes some of the best matcha green tea. Matcha is made by grinding whole tea leaves into a fine powder. The best matcha green tea is made in authentic matcha mills from shade-grown tea leaves, which are covered for several weeks before harvest to increase chlorophyll content and produce a brighter green color. Once the highest quality tea leaves are harvested, they are quickly steamed and dried before being stone-ground into powder.

Matcha Quality

The quality of premium matcha powder can vary greatly depending on the quality of the tea leaves and the grinding process. Lower-quality matcha is made from older leaves that have been picked later in the season and may be more bitter and astringent. On the other hand, higher-quality matcha is made from younger leaves that were picked early in the season and have a sweeter flavor. The grinding process is also essential; if the blades on the stone mill are not sharp enough, they will heat up the tea leaves, causing them to lose flavor and aroma.

Why Fresh Milled Matcha Is Better

Because matcha is such a delicate product, consuming it as fresh as possible is crucial. When matcha is made, it begins to oxidize immediately, which causes it to lose flavor and aroma. As matcha ages, it becomes more bitter and less sweet. That’s why at our company, we mill our ceremonial grade matcha daily—to ensure that our customers are getting the freshest, highest quality product possible.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for the best possible matcha experience, look no further than River and Stone Tea, a company that mills its ceremonial grade matcha daily. Freshly milled matcha will be smoother and creamier than lower quality or older matcha, without bitterness or astringency. Beyond that, freshly milled matcha has a certain indescribable quality and fragrance that just needs to be experienced to be understood! Uji-grown tea leaves are considered to be some of the highest quality in all of Japan—so you can trust that you’re getting a great product when you purchase from our company.