shanitara
Member since May 2026
Uji forever 🌿✨ Marukyu Koyamaen is my comfort brand. I split between usacha mornings and afternoon lattes.
Single-cultivar Asahi obsession 💚🌿
Mumon is the first Horii Shichimeien I've tried and now I really get the hype around their stuff. It's a 100% Asahi cultivar matcha which is rare (apparently Asahi is hard to grow??). Anyway, deep umami with this little dark-chocolate hint underneath that I keep noticing. Color is electric green. I prefer it as usucha but I imagine koicha is wild.
Deeply, deeply lovely ✨
Okay Tennouzan lives up to its reputation. The koicha is silky and rich with this gentle sweetness on top of all that umami. The aroma is slightly creamy?? Like it smells warm somehow. I had to be patient because I wasn't crazy about the first cup but by the third whisking I was hooked. Recommend giving it a few chances 🍵
Single cultivar Gokou is so creamy 🌿
Gokou as a cultivar is supposed to be richer/sweeter than other Uji greens and oh my goodness Kettl really lets it shine. The mouthfeel is buttery, almost like shortbread?? Whisked usucha and the finish lingers forever. This is becoming one of my Sunday morning matchas alongside my Marukyu staples ✨🍵
Earthy and a little surprising 🌱
I usually stick to Marukyu but a friend gifted me a tin of Ogurayama and it really opened my eyes to Yamamasa. There's a slightly nori/seaweed note in the aroma which I didn't expect from Uji. Some chocolate-y depth too?? It's interesting and I like it. Better as usucha for me, lattes muted that interesting earthy thing too much 💚
My culinary go-to for baking 🧁
I bake a lot of matcha cookies and Chigi no Shiro is what I use for that 🌿 you can tell the quality is solid, color holds up in the oven (a lot of culinary matchas turn brown!) and it's not bitter when balanced with butter and sugar. I've also whisked it as usucha when I'm out of my fancier stuff and it's surprisingly drinkable for a culinary tier. Don't sleep on it!
Soft sweetness ✨
Unkaku has that warm tea-shop aroma I love. It's sweet but not in a sugary way, more in a "this is just well-made tea" way. I tend to drink ceremonial Marukyu as usucha first to taste them clearly and Unkaku passed that test for sure! Layered umami, very smooth. Will absolutely repurchase 🥰
Refined and forever 🌟
Eiju has been on my radar forever and I finally got around to ordering 30g. So elegant?? The umami is deep but really clean, no rough finish at all. I keep going back and forth between making it koicha and usucha because both are gorgeous. This is one of those matchas where I notice my whole body relax after a sip 💚
Made for lattes 🥛✨
Kettl literally calls this their latte-style matcha and they're not lying!! Shirakawa Midori is so good with oat milk, the almond and pea notes come through and there's enough body that the matcha doesn't get bullied. I keep this one for afternoon latte cravings and save my Wako for mornings. Total cozy vibes 💚
Naturally sweet, dreamy 🌿
Kinrin tastes like Marukyu put extra love into it. Naturally sweet (no sugar needed!), creamy mouthfeel, almost a hazelnut undertone. I prep usucha with about 3g and it's a beautiful color in my chawan. Don't waste this one on a latte friends ☺️
My iced latte queen 🧊💚
Aoarashi is honestly built for iced lattes, I can't say it any other way!! It punches through milk and ice without losing its grassy aroma and that's so rare. I make a batch in the morning, throw it over ice with oat milk, and it's basically my whole personality in summer. Whisked usucha it's a little more grassy/bitter than I usually go for but the latte form ✨
Soft and pretty 🌸
Yugen has the softest aroma when you open the tin, a little floral and grassy at the same time. As usucha it's well balanced. The sweetness lingers on the finish which I love 💕 I'll say it doesn't have the depth of Choan or Tenju but for the price it's a really nice middle-tier Marukyu pick.
My everyday baby ✨
Isuzu is the matcha I make when I'm rushing out the door and I just need something dependable 🍵 mild bitterness, mellow umami, that lovely Uji vegetal aroma. I like it as a latte with oat milk and a tiny splash of vanilla syrup, very cozy. Not as fancy as Wako but a great everyday.
Wako is my forever first matcha 🥰
Wako is what I started with and I will keep buying it forever I think 🌟 it's the friendliest ceremonial matcha I've had. Round, no harsh notes, sweet on the back end. I make it as usucha most mornings and it's just a happy little bowl. Works great for lattes too if you have leftover from your morning whisking ☺️
okay but also wow 🌿
Choan was my anniversary splurge with my partner and we both agreed it was so worth it. The umami is rich without being heavy?? It's like silk in the mouth. We drank it as koicha mostly but I tried it as usucha once and even then it was beautiful. Marukyu Koyamaen really cannot miss for me 💕
Tenju koicha is my happy place 💚
I save this for Sundays only because I cannot afford to drink Tenju every day 😭 but oh my goodness the koicha?? Velvety, deep, the kind of matcha that makes you close your eyes when you sip it. The color alone is gorgeous, like jewel-toned green. If anyone is wondering whether to splurge I will say yes ✨