Most matcha tins on the shelf say “from Japan”. That is about as precise as “from Europe” on a bottle of wine.
Kagoshima
Our matcha comes from Kagoshima Prefecture, at the very south of the island of Kyushu. The south is warmer than the better known growing regions further north, so the harvest starts earlier.
We buy first harvest only. The first leaves of the year are the most delicate and give the mildest profile. Later harvests are cheaper and give a stronger, more astringent tea. Both are matcha. They simply taste different, and the price differs considerably.
Shaded before harvest
In the weeks before harvest the bushes are covered. Less light means slower growth, thinner leaves and a different aroma profile than unshaded tea: darker in colour, softer in taste.
This is the most demanding part of production. Shaded fields yield less, and the cover has to be put up and taken down again.
One origin rather than many
We buy from one producer in one region. That is not a romantic decision but a practical one. Blending several sources evens out variation, but it loses the signature. Buying from a single source gives you a profile that holds across the batch, and someone you can ask.
For a business putting matcha on the menu that is the point that matters: the matcha in March should taste like the one in September.
What happens in Austria
Filling, storage and quality control are ours in Vienna. Shipping goes out of Austria, and the contact sits in the same time zone as the business placing the order.
How to judge a statement of origin
Ask about the region, not the country. Ask about the harvest date. Ask whether the tea was shaded and for how long. Anyone who cannot answer those three questions does not know their goods.
How leaf becomes powder is covered in the post What matcha is. What it means behind the bar is in Matcha on the menu.