Organic matcha, summer harvest
Ritual is our everyday organic matcha, grown on the same single estate as Pure in Kirishima, Kagoshima. It comes from the second picking of the year, in summer. Warmer, brighter growing weeks give the leaf a fuller, more savoury character, so Ritual holds its own in milk, over ice or with a little sweetness, where gentler matcha fades.
Where it grows
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Region: Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu
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Farm: The same 80-hectare single estate as Pure, surrounded by organic or organically managed land
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Elevation: About 500 m, in the mountains, where persistent mist shades the plants naturally
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Soil: Volcanic and mineral rich, fed only with on-farm compost fermented for four years
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Inputs: No pesticides, no herbicides, no synthetic fertilizer
The leaf
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Harvest: Summer, the second picking of the year
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Shading: Shade grown before picking
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Plant age: Five years before the first harvest, against the usual three, for deeper roots
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Milling: Steamed, dried and de-stemmed into tencha, then stone milled slowly at low temperature to protect aroma and colour
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Freshness: Milled and packed in Japan, then shipped direct to us
In the cup
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Colour: Deep forest green
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Aroma: Toasted greens and warm hay
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Taste: Savoury and full, with a clean edge that carries through milk
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Body: Creamy, whisks to a steady foam
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Finish: Brisk and refreshing
Choosing between the two? Pure is the quieter, sweeter cup for drinking plain. Ritual is built for lattes and iced drinks.
How to prepare it
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Usucha (thin tea): 2 g to 70 ml water at 75 °C. Whisk briskly for 15 to 20 seconds. Keep the water off the boil or it turns sharp.
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Latte: 3 g to 30 ml water at 80 °C, then 180 ml milk. Works in oat, soy and dairy without extra sweetener.
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Iced: 3 g to 40 ml water at 80 °C, whisk, then pour over ice and top with 150 ml cold water or milk.
Sift before whisking and use filtered water. Store sealed, cool and away from light, and finish within four to six weeks of opening.
Certified organic
Ritual carries both the JAS and Canada Organic seals. Single origin, stone milled, 30 g sealed tin.
