SHOURAI Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$70
- Wind through the pine trees Shorai-en's finest matcha

SHIUN Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$58
- Purple Cloud Tantansai okonomi / favored teas

KISHOU NO MUKASH Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$50
- Joyous pine trees

KINRYU Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$45
- Golden dragon

HOUSHOU NO MUKASHI Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$38
- Abundant pines Hounsai Daisosho okonomi / favored tea

KASHOU Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$38
- Happiness and joy Tantansai okonomi / favored tea

WAYU NO SHIRO Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$35
- Harmony among friends

CHIYO NO HIKARI Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$34
- Light of 1000 years Tantansai okonomi / favored tea

KIKU MUKASHI Koicha / Thick Tea	40g -$34
- Eternity

SATSUSATSU NO MUKASHI Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$30
- Refreshing Hounsai Daisosho okonomi / favored tea

KONOMI NO SHIRO Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$30
- Favorable

HOUCHO Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$27
- Signs of richness Tantansai okonomi / favored tea

HOUUN Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$27
- Precious clouds Hounsai Daisosho okonomi / favored tea

MIDORI MUKASHI	40g -$27
- Greenery

CHIGA NO URA Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$27
- 1000 treasures along the seashore Tantansai okonomi / favored tea

ZUIHO Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$25
- Joyous fragrance

KIRI NO KAGE Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$25
- Shade of the paulownia Tantansai Daisosho okonomi / favored tea

SHIOGAMA Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$23.50
- Stove to make salt from sea water

KURETAKE Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$22.50
- Giving bamboo

TOKIWA Usucha / Thin Tea	40g -$21
- Evergreen / Eternity

Which matcha to choose? It can be confusing to choose from many blends. The quality is reflected in the price. The higher priced matcha have a more complex, smoother, rounded flavor and a gentle, natural sweetness. The difference in flavor among the blends of matcha is more subtle than with steeped teas. For a beginner, choose a thin tea in the middle range. We offer our Taste of Matcha set, which includes 20g of Shouhaku thin tea and a bamboo whisk. A bamboo whisk is a necessity to properly prepare a bowl of matcha; a wire whisk will not produce the light, fine foam that is part of what makes matcha so delicious.

Thick tea or thin tea? The powder for thick tea and thin tea look the same; however, the quality of matcha powder for thick tea is the absolute best. The tea leaves for thick tea are still picked by hand; they are the new, young leaves from older plants. To prepare a bowl of thick tea, there is proportionally more tea and less water, and using a bamboo whisk, they are blended into a creamy smooth mixture, similar to a creamy soup. A bowl of thick tea is concentrated, therefore, the matcha needs to be of the highest quality for the most delicious flavor. To prepare a bowl of thin tea, there is less matcha and more water and again, using a bamboo whisk, they are whipped together into a light, frothy mixture. (See How to Make a Bowl of Matcha) Matcha powder for thick tea makes a very delicious bowl of thin tea. For more information about matcha, see What is Matcha.