Our journey to finding the perfect ceremonial-grade matcha has been a long one.
With more and more people enjoying it, matcha is having its moment and has become a ritual for many.
This exceptionally unique, shade-grown Japanese tea is bright, vibrant green in colour with a creamy texture that combines sweet, floral, savoury and umami in a way that you don’t tend to find in coffee profiles. It also happens to go beautifully with food.
However, finding one that fitted with our ethos, produced by a partner who shared our values, that tasted exceptional and worked in our bakeries proved somewhat tricky.
Along with the unique and labour-intensive growing, harvesting and production process required to produce ceremonial grade leaves, matcha is all about the ceremony. Centuries of tradition and rituals surround this ancient tea and making it properly requires a certain level of respect, artistry and skill.
And, try as we might, we just couldn’t find a way to replicate that in our bakeries.
We are always looking for partners who amplify their expertise and are actively involved in preserving the traditions, heritage and quality of their produce. Given that craft is at the heart of what we do, it felt disingenuous to introduce matcha to GAIL’s.
Until we came across Sayuri.
Having blind tasted 13 different matchas, we narrowed it down to a shortlist of five and Sayuri stood out both times.
With over 15 years’ experience as a tea sommelier, Sayuri’s founder, Yureeka, has also studied the art of Chado (茶道), the ‘way of tea’ which encompasses the traditional matcha ceremony. Over the past decade, Yureeka has divided her time between her home country of Japan and the West, bringing matcha from the tearoom into the modern world.
Yureeka didn’t want to establish just another tea brand. She wanted to create a refined yet relatable contemporary brand that stays true to the craftsmanship, quality and beauty of Japanese tea.
Working closely with master tea blenders in Japan with over 150 years of experience in matcha, Sayuri have created a ceremonial blend and flavour profile that successfully bridges the gap between an ancient tradition and a busy, modern- day bakery.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a type of green tea made by stone-milling shade grown, green tea leaves into a fine powder. Growing tea in the shade increases the chlorophyll and L-theanine content in the leaves, enhancing antioxidants and giving them a sweet, umami rich flavour.
Instead of steeping the leaves in hot water, matcha is consumed whole as powdered leaves to preserve the rich nutrient content and flavour profile. Rich in L-theanine, matcha has 60 times more antioxidants than spinach, 1/3 of the caffeine in coffee and helps to combat inflammation and improves concentration. What’s more, the chemical composition of matcha means that you don’t get the crash and jitters. Instead of a caffeine high, you simply enjoy a sustained sense of alertness.
Ceremonial-grade production
Producing ceremonial-grade matcha is something of an art in itself. A few weeks before the spring harvest begins, the tea leaves are covered to block out sunlight which enhances chlorophyll production. Once ready for harvest, the baby leaves are then picked by hand or machine, steamed, dried, stems and vines removed and sorted, with only the best leaves being chosen for ceremonial grade matcha.
The final process is the grinding. Matcha is traditionally ground using stone mills, slowly crushing the leaves into a fine powder to preserve the delicate flavour and nutrients. When it comes to large scale production, this method is just not feasible. In order to meet the demand for thousands of kilos, Sayuri use high quality, precision machinery designed to replicate the traditional stone grinding process at a much faster rate, without compromising the quality. These machines are carefully calibrated to ensure the matcha remains cool during the grinding process, preventing the powder from burning and preserving its flavour and nutritional profile.
Not all matcha is the same
With its mild weather and rich, fresh, fertile soil, the southern part of the island of Kyushu is a premier tea-growing region in Japan. Grown in Kagoshima’s organic, volcanic nutrient-rich soils, Sayuri are committed to only using the finest leaves from family-owned fields.
Setting out to honour the traditions of Japanese culture, Sayuri have partnered with multi-generational tea growers and master blenders to preserve the legacy of traditional craftsmanship whilst showcasing the finest matcha.
Sayuri believe that quality matcha should be lush, emerald green in colour with a smooth, rich umami taste, a natural sweetness, fresh grassy notes, a creamy texture and a soft, balanced bitterness.
GAIL’s x Sayuri
Our ceremonial-grade matcha is a special blend of two tea cultivars, harvested from the early spring harvest known as the first flush. In addition to the high concentration of nutrients, the early spring harvest is prized amongst tea growers as the young leaves have a more delicate flavour and finer texture - ideal for producing the most refined matcha.
Our matcha has an intense sweetness, reminiscent of freshly cut grass with a delicate savoury note of green peas. The result is the perfect blend of fresh green sweetness with just enough umami and bitterness to balance and a refreshing, long finish – a true celebration of the craftsmanship and expertise of Yureeka, Sayuri and all the growers they work with.
To whisk or not to whisk?
The matcha afficionados amongst you may be wondering why we don’t hand whisk our matcha.
When we started looking for the perfect matcha five years ago, we knew it would not be practical to whisk in our bakeries.
Working closely with Yureeka, we went back and forth until we got to a recipe and process that we were both happy with. And since the quality of our matcha blend is so superior, there’s no need to whisk it.
Whether you’re new to matcha or a devotee, our GAIL’s x Sayuri Ceremonial Grade Matcha Blend is now available to enjoy in all our bakeries.
