Sharing tea with others is one of the things we look forward to most over the holidays. Below, get inspired with our favorite ways to enjoy tea cozy moments with delicious matcha, sencha, hojicha, and more during the coldest time of year.

Matcha at the Holidays

Instead of coffee or a mug of hot chocolate, try serving matcha this season. Its crisp astringency and complex richness pairs well with all sorts of holiday desserts from sweet breads and cakes to puddings.

Latte on a lazy morning

On a snow day, hunker down in the morning with a creamy matcha latte.

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After-dinner matcha

Pour a shot of matcha into espresso cups and serve with dessert after a hearty meal.

View recipe

Recommended Matchas

Kanza

A matcha for special occasions.

Add to bag - $72

Ikuyo - 100g

Our pick for matcha lattes.

Add to bag - $55

Ummon - 40g

This matcha is a treat to be savored.

Add to bag - $58

Tea Strainer (Chakoshi)

Sift before whisking for a smooth taste.

Add to bag - $29

Matcha Whisk - Chasen #2

Our pick for matcha lattes.

Add to bag - $25

Tea Bowl with Spout - Black (Mino-yaki)

Handmade in Japan, with a spout for easy pouring.

Add to bag - $200

Green Teas at the Holidays

Vegetal and crisp, yet surprisingly full-flavored and cozy: sencha and gyokuro are staples this time of year. They shine whether paired with hearty meals, or served with cookies at teatime.

Make sure to leave room on your list for roasted hojicha, one of the comfiest teas when it’s cold outside

Lunch with sencha and gyokuro to share

A light body sencha or gyokuro blend pairs well with lunch, whether it’s a big banquet or sandwiches on a Sunday. Brew a big batch to share with this recipe.

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Cold brew gyokuro with hors d'oeuvres

Lush, delectable gyokuro green tea is a treat when cold brewed and sipped slowly with light snacks at happy hour.

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Cookies and Hojicha

Sweet, generously-glazed holiday cookies. A piping hot mug of hojicha and its toasty roasted aroma. Need we say more?

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Recommended Gifts

Nichigetsu - 160g Can

Classic green tea. Cozy on a cold morning.

Add to bag - $34

Tenka-ichi - 50g

Choose gyokuro, for a lush, smooth brew. An indulgence.

Add to bag - $69

Hojicha - 100g

Sift before whisking for a smooth taste.

Add to bag - $15

Obukucha (Genmaicha) - 100g

Genmaicha with a soft taste.

Add to bag - $15

Gyokuro Teabags - 25 Bags

Light & Calm

Add to bag - $30

Sencha Teabags - 25 Bags

Light & Crisp

Add to bag - $24

Hojicha Teabags - 25 Bags

Light & Roasted

Add to bag - $20

Porcelain Kyusu (Kiyomizu-yaki) - Large 13oz

Handmade in Kyoto for Ippodo Tea.

Add to bag - $180

Porcelain Tea Set (Hasami-yaki)

A small kyusu ideal for tea lovers.

Add to bag - $300

Digital Gift Card

$25 - $100 USD

Select amount

Thank you!
We hope the season brings you plenty of chances to relax and soothe yourself with aromatic Japanese green teas.

Read next: How to Make a Matcha Latte.

Making matcha with a bright green, smooth layer of foam on top is not just about aesthetics (though we have to admit it does look great on the timeline).

The foam adds to the texture of matcha, rounding it off and giving it an aromatic, light, creamy mouthfeel.

But, as many budding matcha mavens have experienced, it’s not that easy to make matcha foam up.

Perfect your technique by learning the key foam-factors below. Then, read why some matcha fans actually prefer to make their matcha without foam. Finally, learn a little about matcha foam chemistry, how to make cold matcha with foam, and more in the FAQ at the end.

Start with Usucha (Classic Matcha)

Our standard usucha (classic matcha) recipe has a good ratio for making foamy matcha. Its taste is concentrated, to be enjoyed almost like an espresso. 

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How to achieve beautiful, delicious matcha foam:

1. Get your ratio right.

Follow the ratio of matcha powder to water in the recipe above (1 tsp. matcha to 2 oz water). Be careful to not add too much water, since this can make it hard for thick foam to develop, in our experience.

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If you do prefer a larger, less-concentrated serving of matcha, try adding hot water to the bowl or mug once you’ve whisked the espresso-like standard recipe.

2. Sift the dry powder first.

Each time we make matcha, we like to sift the powder directly into the vessel we’ll be whisking in, using a tea strainer. Matcha powder will naturally clump up, so this step removes clumps and allows us to whisk quickly, consistently.

3. Use a chasen (bamboo whisk).

The chasen is a bamboo whisk that has been used for making matcha for centuries. It has many fine points that effectively aerate and froth matcha, building that nice layer of foam on top.

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Read more: All About the Chasen - Matcha’s Most Important Tool

4. Practice your whisking technique with water.

Whisking with a chasen can be tricky to get used to. A forwards-and-backwards snapping motion creates the right agitation to create a rich foam. Practice by using a bowl of plain water before moving on to the real thing.

5. Whisk fast for volume, then finish slowly for the perfect microfoam.

When you start whisking, vigorously whisk for around 15 seconds, to fully mix the powder and produce a large volume of foam. To finish, whisk very slowly with your chasen tips on just the foam layer on top. This last step breaks up the large bubbles, smoothing out the foam and improving its texture.

6. Don’t whisk too much! Aim for 15 seconds.

It’s possible to over-whisk matcha. Since matcha is essentially just fine tea leaves combined with hot water, the longer we whisk it, the more bitterness will emerge. We recommend limiting your whisk time to around 15 seconds, no matter how much foam is there, to make sure the matcha itself is as delicious as can be.

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7. Drink soon after whisking.

Foam doesn’t stay forever, so enjoy your matcha while it’s freshly whisked for the best texture and taste.

Essentials for Foam

Matcha - Sayaka

If foaminess is your goal, any Ippodo matcha will do. Why not start with Sayaka, our recommended choice for those new to Ippodo Tea? This blend has a balanced, plentiful richness and an accessible smoothness.

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Chasen (Bamboo Whisk)

Made expressly for matcha, the chasen has many fine springy prongs that are effective at frothing matcha and creating fine foam.

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Matcha Bowl – Chawan

We look for wide, deep bowls for whisking matcha in. The ample room allows us to whisk with a wide motion, whipping up a lot of foam.

Our bowl with a spout has this wide, deep profile, and allows us to then pour into cups mugs and glasses as we like. Handmade in Gifu prefecture, Japan.

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A Case for Foam-Free Matcha

Making foamy, creamy matcha is just one of the ways to prepare it. In fact, in some schools of the tea ceremony, which is the cultural origin of matcha in Japan, matcha is prepared without foam on purpose.

Foam-free matcha is pure, clear-tasting, and displays the tea leaves’ true nuances. To make it, follow all the standard matcha steps, but whisk slowly instead, until it is consistent and pure blue-green. Give it a try on a day when you want to experience your matcha’s full complexity.

Matcha Foam FAQs

Where does matcha foam come from?

Matcha itself is a form of green tea that has been ground up into a fine powder.

First, tea leaves used for matcha are grown under the shade, which encourages natural sweetness and richness to develop. Then, these shade-grown leaves are ground into a powder in a multi-step process. So, when we drink matcha, we are consuming the entire tea leaf.

In these leaves, naturally occurring components like saponin are what allow foam to form. When we mix the matcha powder in water with a chasen, it aerates and churns the liquid. If the ratio is right, these components will bind together to form microscopic pockets of air, creating a nice layer of foam on the top of the liquid.

How do I make cold matcha foamy?

Whisking matcha with cold water naturally makes it trickier to produce a thick foam. If you’re determined to make your matcha foamy, but also want to drink it cold, we recommend whisking it hot first, and then pouring it over ice.

We also like to whisk matcha with iced water, and we enjoy it for its pure, low-foam taste.

Read more: Cold-Whisked Matcha Recipe

Do different matcha blends foam more easily?

In our experience, there is no major difference in foam-ability between Ippodo matcha blends. We find that it is more essential to focus on the tips above, particularly the ratio of matcha powder to water, to get a foamy matcha.

Any suggestions for a foamy matcha latte?

We recommend whisking your matcha first with just hot water, to make it well-mixed and easy to combine. Then, heat and foam your milk separately, using an electric frother, steam wand, or other technique of choice. Finally, combine the two in a mug and enjoy!

Read more: How to Make a Matcha Latte

The chawan – matcha bowl – has been the standard way to enjoy matcha since it was first brought to Japan over 400 years ago. Matcha in a chawan is simple: add your matcha powder to the bowl, add hot water, whisk until incorporated, and drink directly from the bowl it was whisked in.

Is a chawan any different from other bowls?

A chawan is designed specifically with matcha enjoyment in mind, and matcha lovers usually prefer to drink matcha from chawans. A well-crafted chawan will enhance matcha’s fragrance and flavor, and it’s also a treat to hold and gaze at while you sip.

Ippodo Tea’s Chawan Collection

At Ippodo, we worked directly with artisans to design each of our chawans, going through many shapes and sizes of prototypes until we found the right proportions and feel. As tea specialists, it’s important to us that the chawan is easy to prepare matcha in and is a delight to use and drink from every day.

How to Choose Your Chawan

Intended Use

When choosing a chawan, the first question is, how will you use it? Will you mostly make matcha in the bowl and then drink directly from it? Then you’ll want a classic single-serving chawan. Will you primarily use it to make matcha lattes and the like by whisking in the bowl and then pouring into a glass or a mug? Then, you’ll want a larger bowl with a spout built into the side for easy pouring.

Size and Shape

Any chawan should be large enough to hold your matcha and have it not spill over the sides while vigorously whisking. At the same time, since we hold the chawan in our hands to drink from it, the size cannot be too big or unwieldy.

Feel

A chawan’s glaze, the thinness and weight, and the type of clay (rough or smooth?) affect how the matcha feels when we drink from it. For instance, in the tea ceremony, heavier, coarse clay and “rich” feeling bowls are preferred in winter—they make the matcha feel cozy, hearty, and deep. In the summer, practitioners often serve matcha in thin, smooth bowls, making matcha feel breezy, elegant, and cool.

Appearance and Aesthetics

You’ll want to think about the overall appearance and aesthetics of the bowl as well when choosing a bowl. This is a matter of personal taste, and you may gravitate towards certain chawans over others, just like how you might prefer the aura of certain paintings over others in a museum. Trust yourself, and enjoy how each chawan can bring a unique essence to your matcha experience.

Chawans from Ippodo Tea

Matcha Tea Bowl - Cream (Mino-yaki)

This is a solid first single-serving chawan for beginners, and it comes included in our Essential Matcha Kit. It features a deep, wide shape that is easy to whisk in and fits perfectly in the palm.

Its smooth glaze and slightly rounded lip leave a neutral impression. We like to use it when comparing matchas side by side to understand their true character.

Its cream-like color displays matcha served in it beautifully and brightly, and it has a subtle white brush stroke glaze pattern, giving it just a little bit of character.

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Matcha Tea Bowl - Dark (Mino-yaki)

We developed this chawan a few years ago and it’s also included in our Deluxe Matcha Kit. It’s formed in a slightly tapered shape, with a thin lip that makes matcha feel elegant and elevated.

The glaze is glassy and deep: a dark brown-to-black color with tiny flecks that can be seen when viewed up close. It forms a beautiful contrast to matcha’s brilliant green. We recommend this bowl to those looking to experience their favorite usual matcha in a new way.

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Tea Bowl with Spout - White (Mino-yaki)

The third bowl in our collection is designed for pouring, with a spout built right into the side.

It comes in either a black or smoky white. The clay used is rough and textured, and the bowl feels hefty in the hands while pouring. Its deep body lets us quickly whisk up to three portions of matcha at once.

We recommend this chawan for those who like making matcha lattes, cocktails, and other creations to serve in glasses, mugs, and espresso cups.

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Read next: How to Make a Matcha Latte.

Obukucha- a New Year’s Classic

We release Obukucha (Good Fortune Tea) every winter to celebrate the start of a new year.

There is a long tradition of drinking Obukucha in January in Japan to bring good fortune in the coming year.

The History of Obukucha

In 951, a serious epidemic swept through Kyoto. In an effort to relieve the suffering, a Buddhist priest, Kuya, served a special tea to the people. It has been said that Emperor Murakami ushered in the New Year with a ceremonial cup of tea that year. Since then, it has been a Japanese tradition to drink Obukucha (which means “Good Fortune Tea”) around the New Year.

A Versatile Favorite

Our Obukucha is a high grade genmaicha, green tea blended with roasted rice. We find its soft, gentle taste is accessible for just about everyone.

This tea is one of our top recommendations to serve for the whole family this time of year.

Serve a pot of this fragrant, refreshing tea to drink with a meal, or at teatime after eating. It pairs well with all sorts of lunches, like soba, curry, dumplings, or sandwiches.

As a Kyoto-based tea company for over 300 years, Ippodo Tea carries some unique local favorites that are rarely found outside of the surrounding Kyoto area. Iribancha is one of these special local teas.

Iribancha - smoky, refreshing, and surprising.

Iribancha is surprising for many trying it for the first time, given its strong, smoky fragrance. While many Kyotoites will drink it like water daily, we tend to recommend it to newcomers who we know enjoy the smell of campfires, charcoal, or peaty scotch.

Bancha tea, a refresher.

In Kyoto, the top, delicate small leaves are traditionally designated for matcha, gyokuro, and sencha tea production. Right after they've sprouted, the plant's young leaves have plentiful natural sweetness and richness.

In contrast, tea can also be produced from leaves that have grown larger. As they grow, the volume of the tea increases, while the leaves' character becomes lighter, crisper, and more refreshing. And these large-leaf teas are all referred to as bancha.

Kyoto's bancha, and how it's made:

Iribancha has long been a local favorite because it uses one of the most typical methods of producing bancha in the Kyoto area. In fact, it often goes by another name, Kyo-bancha, meaning "Kyoto Bancha.”

For Iribancha, the plants are trimmed later in the season, removing the larger leaves, stems, and tough sticks. This process readies the trees for the next year of growth.

This trimmed material is steamed, baked, and then roasted in a giant hot metal pan while constantly being scooped and moved around. After a short time, everything starts to smoke. The smoke permeates the tea, giving Iribancha its trademark aroma. Finally, the tea is cooled, sorted, and packaged up for consumption.

The resulting tea is reminiscent of a pile of leaves in the fall, with large flat leaves, twigs, and stems all in the mix. Nonetheless, it is cherished by many locals in Kyoto as their everyday tea.

Taste notes - for those who like a smoky flavor profile.

The smokiness is definitely the highlight of this tea. It's a vegetal smokiness like a campfire, burning autumn leaves, or peat smoke.

Underneath the smokiness, the tea has some light sweetness and bitterness to its taste. The body is very light, making it an easy tea to drink by the pitcher.

Iribancha Large Teabags

Our Iribancha is available in larger teabags that conveniently brew an entire pot of tea at once. The material inside is crushed, making it easier to brew quickly and consistently. Use it with a teapot, a large mug, a pitcher, or a thermos.

Read next: Hojicha: The Perfect Tea for Coffee Lovers.

In the rich category, at the top of Ippodo’s selection you’ll find the rarest, most delectable blends that Ippodo produces. Let’s explore what makes this top category so beloved for so many matcha fans.

What do the matchas at the top taste like?

Simply put, all high-class Ippodo matchas have full depth and a sustained, beautiful aftertaste. Their tastes feature the most sweetness and umami in our collection, with the least astringency and bitterness. Finally, their fragrances are lively and bright, and their colors are vibrant blue-greens.

These are the matchas you will want to reach for as a special treat, either once-in-a-while, or as an everyday indulgence.

The Art of Blending

As a tea company founded in Kyoto over 300 years ago, Ippodo is beloved for the aromatic, complex, and consistent teas that it produces.

But, did you know that all Ippodo teas are actually blends? For each one of our matcha, gyokuro, sencha, and bancha teas, the blending team picks and chooses harvests from different farms and fields; different years and batches, and blends them in just the right proportion. This process is done throughout the year, every year.

Why do all this work to blend different harvests together? We are aiming to achieve a reliably consistent, engagingly complex flavor in each tea we produce.

Just like wine and coffee, the climate and growing conditions affect how the tea leaf grows and how the final product tastes in the cup. Blending helps us control the taste, by precisely adjusting the ratios of which harvests are used.

And, since each farm’s harvest has a different character, when we make a complex blend of different harvests, the final product has more depth and nuance when compared to a single harvest that hasn’t been blended.

How does Ippodo produce these high class matchas?

The teas chosen for these highest ranking matcha blends are some of the rarest, most prized in the country. These teas are grown and processed by producers who put a lot of hands-on care into maintaining the tea fields, harvesting, and processing the tea. This is why the character of these teas is so robust, low in astringency, and delectable.

After production, Ippodo blends the harvests to give the final product even more complexity and nuance. And- matcha fans rejoice- the blending enables us to offer these rare harvests as consistent, regular blends throughout the year.

To explain these blends in detail, let’s explore three selections from our lineup:

Kanza

Category: Rich
Taste: Lushness, unwavering umami, and a silky mouthfeel.
Aroma: Unequivocally powerful and clear. More misty than bright.

The Kanza blend is Ippodo’s absolute highest-ranking matcha and is available throughout the year. We developed this blend to be the most luscious matcha in our lineup.

Its taste is full of unwavering, fresh umami, and its character feels silky. It’s the most invigorating matcha we have to offer, a treat to enjoy purposefully.

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Kuon

Category: Rich
Taste: Sustained, elegant finish. Refined crispness.
Aroma: A standout, soaring fragrance. Vibrant and sweet.

The Kuon blend is next after Kanza in the Ippodo regular matcha lineup. It was developed initially as an exclusive offering at Ippodo New York.

Kuon’s character is elegant; it feels lively and crisp among other high-ranking blends. All the same, its finish is long and splendid. Its sweet and bright fragrance is a highlight in every session.

View Kuon

Ummon

Category: Rich
Taste: Little-to-no bitterness, with plentiful, robust umami.
Aroma: Hearty and satisfying. Green, like an evergreen forest.

The Ummon blend has been available at Ippodo for decades. For Ippodo fans, it’s a classic. Alongside its high-class umami and depth, its robust, punchy character leaves a strong impression. Compared to the other top matchas, its taste is less round and its finish is just a little shorter.

View Ummon

Next, read about Koicha, the most decadent way to enjoy a high class matcha.

Ippodo Tea is proud to offer many different blends of matcha. Since many people are new to our tea and matcha in general, we are often asked about which to choose among all of our options.

What makes each matcha in Ippodo’s lineup different?

Different Ippodo matcha blends in our regular selection will have a light, medium, or rich body. Choose a lower ranking matcha in the light category, and you’ll find it has a short aftertaste, a light character, and crisp astringency. Higher ranking matcha in the rich category have a long aftertaste, a robust character, and savory umami and natural sweetness. Matcha in the middle, in the medium category, are somewhere in between: medium aftertaste, just-right richness, and a balanced taste with proportionate astringency and savoriness.

To explain these differences in detail, let’s explore three selections from our lineup:

Hatsu

Category: Light
Taste: Refreshingly bitter. Not a full or long aftertaste.
Aroma: Light and grassy, in a good way. An aroma akin to washi, Japanese paper.
Color: Matte green with the tiniest tinge of yellow.

This is a good matcha for mixing in smoothies or lattes. It also imparts a nice green color for baking matcha desserts. Made as straight matcha, Hatsu’s brisk taste pairs well with sweet desserts.

View Hatsu

Ikuyo

Category: Medium
Taste: A balance of matcha astringency and sweetness.
Aroma: A gentle but bright aroma, like sun-dried straw.
Color: Light, medium green. Brighter than Hatsu, but not quite the deep evergreen of higher grades.

A great everyday matcha. It has some natural sweetness, but it’s not overwhelming, so you might find yourself whisking another bowl after the first. In addition to drinking straight and in lattes, it’s also good for making desserts with a richer green color and more matcha flavor.

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Ummon

Category: Rich
Taste: Little-to-no bitterness, with plentiful, robust umami.
Aroma: Hearty and satisfying. Green, like an evergreen forest.
Color: Vivid emerald green.

Delicious served straight as usucha or koicha (thick matcha). Just one serving is meditative, calm, and fully replenishing. This is a grade for people who truly love matcha.

View Ummon

Read next: What is the difference between matcha grades? (Part II).

Many in Japan take their chocolates very seriously. Wander around the areas near our Main Store in Kyoto and our Marunouchi Store in Tokyo, and you might stumble upon an outpost of a famous European or Japanese chocolatier. Their popular selections draw people to line up outside the door before opening, and some shops will even sell out each day.

At Ippodo we often suggest chocolates to pair with teas like matcha, sencha, gyokuro, and bancha. And, occasionally we will feature a tea with a chocolate dessert in a special menu in our tearooms.

These pairings are delicious in their own right, but they can also bring out interesting nuances and tastes from the teas that weren’t apparent before. Try out this new combination by starting with one of our recommendations below.

Kumpu Sencha & Chocolate-Covered Orange Peel

During a tasting event at our New York store, we discovered that the bright citrus notes of dark chocolate-covered orange peel made it a surprising match for the Kumpu sencha blend.

With umami and sweet notes at the forefront, Kumpu is an elegant full-bodied sencha. Sweet, soft, and delicate with a long finish.

Stems Hojicha & Chocolate Cake

The hearty roasted fragrance of hojicha is an excellent pair to the molasses-like sweetness and fluffy texture of a chocolate cake. The Stems Hojicha variety is crisp and punchy, making it a delicious balance to the cake’s decadent sweetness.

For serving options, try this combination with dessert after dinner. Serve the hojicha cold (as in the above image) for a refined feel, or brew piping hot for a cozy nightcap.

Koicha ("thick tea") is a style of preparing matcha with a thick density. True to its name, a properly-made koicha has a consistency somewhere in-between maple syrup and warm honey. Koicha contrasts with usucha ("thin tea"), the typical matcha preparation style with a cream-like consistency.

Why make matcha so thick?

Koicha is the dark chocolate to usucha's milk chocolate; its robust taste is a pure delight for die-hard matcha fans.

It's simply the best way to experience any matcha powder's full, pure, and unhindered taste.

Take a sip and let it sit heavily on your tongue for a moment. The initial impact of its flavor will develop and expand, commanding your attention and lingering forever in the finish.

Which matcha is good for koicha?

Since koicha produces such a powerful flavor, you’ll want to choose a matcha that has more sweetness and less sharpness.

For Ippodo Tea matcha blends, our matcha recommended for koicha are any that ranks higher than Kan.

How is koicha made?

We use twice the amount of matcha powder and half the amount of water that we use for usucha.

After sifting the powder into a matcha bowl and adding the water, we start by slowly stirring using a chasen. The drink becomes smoother and more consistent as the powder combines with the water. Soon enough, it takes on a beautiful luster that indicates it is ready to drink.

The Recipe

1. Sift Matcha

• Measure 4 g (3 heaping tea ladles, or 2 level teaspoons).
• Sift the matcha into a matcha bowl.

2. Add hot water

• Use 30 ml (1 oz) of 80°C (176°F) water.
• Cool boiling water by pouring it into a teacup first, then pour it into the bowl. There should be enough to just cover the matcha powder.

3. Whisk

• Using a chasen, gently tamp the matcha powder to incorporate it with the water.
• Then, mix for 15 seconds, moving back and forth and in circles. When finished, the liquid should be smooth and have a beautiful luster.

4. Enjoy

• Drink from the same bowl you prepared the tea in. Take small sips and go slowly.

How to Enjoy Koicha

Koicha is best enjoyed on its own, savored as a delicious treat. Since it has such a rich taste, you might want a cup of cool water to sip on the side. We recommend eating something before sitting down for koicha—its strength can be overwhelming on an empty stomach.

For those with a sweet tooth, try pure koicha as a topping or sauce for desserts. Make a matcha affogato by pouring koicha over a small dish of vanilla ice cream.

Recommended Teas

Ummon

Ippodo has produced the Ummon blend for decades. It has the depth and finish typical of the highest quality matchas, with a powerful taste. In koicha, its punchy, eye-opening character is even more prominent.

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Ummon - 40g

Rich & Robust

$58

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Kanza

Kanza is the highest-ranking matcha we produce and a prime choice for koicha. Its long, drawn-out finish and splendid umami are unmatched in our selection.

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Kanza - 20g

Rich & Lush

$72

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Recommended Utensils

Chasen

The best whisk for making koicha is the chasen, a whisk carved by hand from one section of bamboo. Its many fine tips excel at incorporating the matcha powder smoothly with the small amount of water used in this recipe.

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Matcha Whisk - Chasen #1

For Whisking

$48

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Strainer

We recommend sifting your matcha first when making koicha (or any other matcha recipe). This removes the lumps found in the powder and prepares it for smooth stirring.

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Tea Strainer (Chakoshi)

For Sifting

$29

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With the springtime comes the beloved blossoming of cherry tree flowers in Japan. In Kyoto, where Ippodo Tea was founded, after the bonds of winter loosen, these flowers transform the city into a pink wonderland.

It is a tradition to have a picnic with friends, family, or co-workers, under the boughs of these trees on a warm spring day. On the spacious banks of the Kamo river that runs through central Kyoto, many of our staff like to hold their own picnic, and will set out tarps every year to relax under the beautiful blossoms.

While gazing at the flowers and chatting, we eat snacks and drink tea. This simple tradition makes us feel refreshed and renewed each year.

If the weather allows it, why not invite some friends to enjoy tea outside with you this season? While enjoying the view of a beautiful flowering tree, relish the fresh, soothing, and warm feeling that sharing tea with others provides.

Here we have gathered our favorite teas that we find convenient and delicious at a picnic in the spring.

One-cup Tea Bags

Single-serving tea bags are perhaps the most convenient format of tea when outside. Bring a thermos with hot water, and let everyone brew their own cup of hot tea. It helps to stay warm, as a sunny spring day can suddenly turn to clouds and wind.

One-pot Tea Bags

These large size tea bags are handy for preparing enough to share with everyone at a picnic. Add one or two to a pitcher or a thermos with hot water, and serve after the tea has developed a rich color. For this season, we recommend:

It’s lunch, and a group of friends are over. You’re just about to sit down to eat, but you don’t have anything to drink!

Japanese green teas-sencha, gyokuro, genmaicha, and hojicha- pair really well with all sorts of lunches, from sandwiches to stews; burritos to bowls of salad.

Pick your favorite aroma, and with a kettle of hot water, you can have a pitcher full of tea ready to serve in about 3 minutes.

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Recommended Teas

Refreshing, brisk, green: Nichigetsu Sencha

Classic Japanese green tea with a balanced, medium body.

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Misty, soft, green: Tekiro Gyokuro

Smooth green tea with depth. Less sharpness and astringency than sencha.

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Soothing, hearty, appetizing: Genmaicha

Popular fragrant blend of green tea and roasted rice.

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Roasted, malty: Hojicha

Unique roasted green tea with a satisfying fragrance.

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Hojicha - 100g

Light & Sweet

$15

 Add to bag

Recommended Utensils

Ippodo Tea - blending teas that deserve to be rebrewed

As a Japanese tea specialist established in Kyoto three centuries ago, we blend and produce each of our teas with experience and high standards of quality.

Since our tea leaves have endurance, you can rebrew them three times without sacrificing flavor. Between each brew, peek inside the pot—if it looks like the tea leaves have not fully opened up yet, you can even try brewing a fourth or fifth time.

Throughout the long history of the tea ceremony in Japan, various tools were developed and improved over centuries, with the goal of producing a transcendent serving of matcha. The chasen, a special whisk made from bamboo, is perhaps the most recognizable matcha utensil.

Even in modern settings of casual tea at home or the office, the chasen is one of the keys to making aromatic and delicious portions of matcha.

Why use a chasen?

After testing a lot of alternatives from metal forks to blenders to modern tools designed for matcha, we concluded that the chasen is still the best tool for whisking matcha.

Bamboo is the key to the chasen’s effectiveness. Bamboo can be whittled down into thin prongs, which are able to combine fine matcha powder fully with water. Bamboo is sturdy enough that it won’t break easily, and it has springiness for quick agitation. At the same time, it is soft enough that it won’t damage your bowl.

A bamboo chasen easily churns matcha, aerating it, improving its texture, and drawing out its wonderful aroma.

Since the chasen is made from only bamboo, it whisks up an aromatic, thoroughly-mixed matcha in seconds.

Choose your chasen.

Matcha Whisk - Chasen #1

The chasen matcha whisk is an essential tool for making the perfect bowl of matcha. The Chasen #1 is recommended for those who enjoy making matcha with a chasen on a daily basis.

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Matcha Whisk - Chasen #1

For Whisking

$48

Unavailable

Matcha Whisk - Chasen #2

The chasen matcha whisk is an essential tool for making the perfect bowl of matcha. The Chasen #2 is recommended for those curious to try using a chasen for the first time.

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Matcha Whisk - Chasen #2

For Whisking

$25

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Essential Matcha Kit

This full set comes with our standard chasen and a stand, a matcha bowl, a bamboo scoop, and our recommended matcha for beginners.

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How to whisk with a chasen.

First, add the matcha powder and water to your bowl.

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Hold the chasen with straight fingers in a loose grip, resting your fingers comfortably on the ridge in the handle. Hold the bowl steady with your non-whisking hand.

Place the chasen tips in the water, and start whisking. Whisk with a wide motion by just moving the wrist. Your whisking motion should be in an “M” shape, zig-zagging forwards-and-backwards repeatedly. We take care not to heavily scrape the bottom of the vessel, though we do touch the front and back sides of the bowl.

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After 15 seconds, your matcha is ready.

Mastering the motion.

The forwards-and-backwards motion for matcha is different from the circular motion used when whisking eggs or whipping cream. A straight, zig-zag motion is more effective at quickly agitating and aerating matcha.

It takes a little time to get comfortable with this motion. We recommend starting with a slow motion at first. You can also practice with plain water in a bowl until it feels natural.

It’s not all about the foam.

Don’t be frustrated if you aren’t able to make a foamy matcha! It is a common misconception that matcha needs to have perfect photogenic foam.

Matcha without foam is actually a style that we also intentionally make, depending on our mood. Foam-less matcha made by whisking slowly has a clearer, purer taste.

Note: No matter how fast you whisk, we recommend finishing in 15 seconds, since whisking for longer will produce a more bitter taste.

How to care for your chasen.

Before whisking.

When you get out your chasen, wet and soften its tips by placing it tips-down in a cup of water. This makes the whisk more supple before whisking. It should be ready to use in a minute or two.

After whisking.

Before the chasen dries, clean the matcha off by rinsing in plain water. If any matcha particles are stuck on the chasen, you can gently brush these off with your fingers under the water.

How to store the chasen.

Store your clean chasen in the open air to let it dry. We recommend storing it tips-down on a clean Whisk Stand (Chasen Tate) to keep its shape.

Each chasen is shipped in a protective case, which was not meant for storage. (The chasen may form mold if kept in this case.)

Bonus tips.

You can still use a chasen with a crack in the handle.

With changes in the humidity in the storage environment, the chasen can develop a crack in the handle portion. Don’t worry! The thread weaving at the base of the prongs prevents any cracks from spreading further. In fact, many of our chasen that we use daily at our stores and tearooms have a crack in them.

When to replace a chasen?

Since each chasen is made by hand from bamboo, it will not last forever. If your chasen has a lot of broken tips, and if you can’t whisk matcha as easily as you once could, it is probably time to replace it with a new one.

Chasen - an indispensable companion to matcha.

Just like getting the right dripper, gooseneck kettle, and grinder for making delicious pour-over coffee, getting the right set of matcha utensils, including a chasen, is key for making delicious servings of matcha.

Treat your chasen gently, and after a little use, you’ll find the chasen an indispensable companion to your everyday matcha routine.

On hot days when a hot cup of tea seems unbearable, we turn to our favorite iced tea recipes.

There are different ways to make cold, refreshing Japanese tea, and we recommend different recipes for different tastes.

This recipe is especially refreshing, and it happens to be one of the most popular among our staff at our Kyoto headquarters.

Its advantage is that you can quickly brew a large batch of iced tea in a few minutes. All you need is ice, your favorite Ippodo (loose leaf) tea, a kyusu, and a large pitcher.

At the office, we use this recipe for tea to serve at meetings. At home, we use it to brew a large pitcher of tea to go with dinner.

How to Prepare

Brew the tea with boiling temperature for a minute, producing a rich, concentrated flavor brew. Then, pour the tea into a small pitcher full of ice. The ice dilutes the tea to the right strength, and quickly cools it off at the same time. The result is an aromatic, flavorful, and refreshing iced tea, brewed up in just a few minutes.

Recipe:

1. Place 10g (2 tbsp) in kyusu teapot.
2. Add 210 ml (7 oz) of boiling water.
3. Brew for 60 sec.
4. Pour into glass or small pitcher full of ice.

Recommended Teas

Hosen Sencha

Classic sencha balance of sweetness, umami, and astringency. Brewed in the quick iced tea recipe, Hosen’s aroma stands out as energetic and refreshing.

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Tekiro Gyokuro

Choose for a smooth, naturally sweet green tea with a mellow character. In this recipe, it produces a crisper, “greener” tasting brew with a beautiful green color to match.

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Hojicha

Roasted green tea, Hojicha has a malty, roasty fragrance that is eye-opening in this recipe. Choose if you enjoy iced coffee.

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Hojicha - 100g

Light & Sweet

$15

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Recommended Utensils

A matcha latte combines the crisp, green bite of matcha powder with the creaminess of milk. From the variety of matcha to the type of milk and ratios in your recipe, a few factors determine the character of a matcha latte.

How to choose a matcha for lattes.

For Ippodo matcha varieties, we often recommend ones in our light or medium categories. Matchas in our light category like Wakaki have less body and more astringency, which balances well with the milk's sweetness. For a little more body, choose matcha in the medium category like Ikuyo. Matchas in the rich category like Seiun have less astringency and more sweetness on their own, so choose one of these if you like an exceptionally creamy, full-bodied latte.

Ikuyo - 100g

Medium & Snappy

$55

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What type of milk should I use?

We recommend using whatever your favorite is. We often will make our lattes with soy milk since it has a pleasant round taste.

Recipe

We prepare our latte by first making matcha as usual, in a bowl or mug with a chasen bamboo whisk. Then, we simply add warmed, foamy milk.

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Did you know some of the earliest cocktails were made with tea? Back in the 1700s, British sailors on merchant ships mixed heaping bowls of high-octane arrack punches flavored with spices, raw sugar, and cups of brewed tea. When American drinkers started making single-serving cocktails, the tea-powered punch mostly died out, but in the past couple decades, bartenders from Kyoto to New York have rediscovered tea’s potential to transform a drink. Try these recipes next time you’re feeling thirsty.

Brew it: Hojicha Old Fashioned

If you have leftover hot or iced tea, you’re just one ingredient away from making a potent simple syrup that will easily swap into recipes and keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Green teas like sencha and gyokuro play well with clear spirits like gin and vodka. For a nice aged whisky, like something you’d use to make an Old Fashioned, try dark, roasty hojicha.

Stir sugar into tea until completely dissolved, then chill. Syrup will keep several weeks. For the cocktail, place a large ice cube in a rocks glass and pour the whisky, bitters, and ½ ounce of hojicha syrup over the top. Stir for 30 seconds to chill and dilute the drink, then serve.

Infuse it: Ikebana

“Unlike some simple infusions, sencha vodka has layers,” says cocktail writer Carey Jones, co-author of the book Be Your Own Bartender with the bartender John McCarthy. “It’s robust and earthy, but still lively and nuanced. Its light grassy character plays beautifully with fruity or floral elements.” Several of their cocktail recipes make use of a bottle of vodka steeped with 3 tablespoons of sencha, such as a basic Collins with simple syrup, lemon juice, and club soda, as well as this nuanced, floral drink.

Add tea to a large tea filter or a loose tea filter bag. Place it in a large (1 quart or larger) container with a lid, and pour vodka over the top. Let it steep for 1 hour, then remove the tea filter or filter bag and funnel the vodka back into the bottle.

Combine 2 ounces of the green tea vodka with other ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until very well chilled, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Take a 1-inch round of lemon peel and squeeze over the surface of the drink, skin side down, then discard. Garnish with a slice of plum or, ideally, pluot.

Shake it: Matcha Milk Punch

Finely ground matcha adds a potent umami and creaminess to any mixed drink without the need for advanced prep. This milk punch from Bar Goto’s award-winning bartender Kenta Goto uses sencha-infused vodka and a touch of matcha to cut the richness of cream while replicating the frothy feel of a freshly whisked bowl of hot matcha.

Sift matcha through a fine mesh strainer to remove clumps. Combine with remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously without ice to froth the drink, at least 30 seconds. Then add a large scoop of ice, cover, and shake vigorously for an additional 30 seconds. Strain and serve in a tea cup.

There’s a time for cold beer and a time to bust out the Champagne. Tea is the same way. If you’re looking for something luxurious to mark a special occasion (or just treating yourself for kicks), gyokuro is what you’re looking for. This precious deep-green tea yields a rich, sweet, and umami brew of unmatched intensity. And like Champagne, it’s great to drink all year long.

What is gyokuro?

Just like our sencha, we only select young, tender spring tea leaves grown in the Kyoto region for our gyokuro blends. The two styles of tea are grown more or less the same way, with two key differences. The soil used for planting gyokuro is especially rich and nourishing, which encourages the tea bush to produce extra high levels of theanine and amino acids—the compounds responsible for gyokuro’s umami character. Then, about three weeks ahead of plucking, farmers hoist giant straw or nylon tarps over the tea bushes, shading them from direct sunlight. Suddenly starved for energy, the plants go into overdrive, producing extra chlorophyll to soak up the remaining light. The absence of sunlight also prevents the plant’s abundant theanine from converting into astringent catechins, as it would with sencha bushes. The result? Intensely umami tea with virtually no bitterness or astringency, plus a lush green hue.

If this shading sounds similar to what you’ve heard about matcha, that’s because both teas are grown and harvested the same way. But where matcha leaves are de-veined and ground into powder, gyokuro leaves are left whole, and in the cup, the two teas taste totally distinct. Gyokuro is renowned for its heady fragrance and thick, lipsmacking texture. As soon as you taste it, you know you’re drinking the good stuff.

How do I brew it?

Traditionally, gyokuro is steeped with a high proportion of leaves at a cooler temperature for a longer time, to extract a rich, concentrated brew with heavy sweetness. For a small 3 ounce (80ml) teapot, use 2 tablespoons (about 10 grams) of leaves, and steep with 140°F (60°C) water for 90 seconds. No worries if you don’t have a thermometer; you can cool your water down to the right temperature by transferring it between three teacups, like in the graphic above. This is the ideal temperature to draw out the tea’s sweet and umami qualities while minimizing bitterness.

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Or go iced: Gyokuro is a wonderful tea to drink iced, and only takes 15 minutes to brew. See our video for the full recipe!

And don’t toss the leaves: Since gyokuro leaves are so potent, you can re-steep them three or four times before they lose their sweetness. And once the leaves are spent, give them a common Japanese treatment: Toss with a couple drops of soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil, then top with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over rice or stirred into eggs for a super-green tea snack.

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Choose your style

Every year, Ippodo’s master blenders release several styles of gyokuro, each with its own unique character.

Not all green tea is green. In fact, one of the most popular everyday green teas in Japan brews as dark and toasty as coffee.

We’re talking about hojicha, an aromatic roasted style of tea leaves and stems. When brewed hot, it’s a hearty, soothing way to warm yourself on cool days. When iced, it’s as crisp and refreshing as a cold swim. It’s even used as an ingredient to add a toasty, roasty character to pastries and desserts. And it’s so affordable you can drink it every day.

Tea for the people

Hojicha is a kind of bancha: tea made from older, more mature leaves instead of the tender young shoots we use for sencha, gyokuro, and matcha. Compared to those baby leaves, bancha tends to have a simpler flavor, lighter body, and more astringency. But it’s also much less expensive to grow and process, and it’s the tea of choice in Japan for everyday casual drinking. If you’ve been served tea in a casual Japanese restaurant, there’s a good likelihood it was bancha. It goes great with food, either alongside a meal as a palate cleanser or afterward, to settle your stomach.

To make our hojicha, we roast dried bancha leaves and stems until they develop flavors of coffee, caramel, and roasted nuts. We’ve found many coffee drinkers gravitate to this tea for its dark aromatic elements and smooth, refreshing taste that lingers after you sip. And it’s more or less foolproof to brew yourself.

How do I brew it?

To get the most of hojicha’s dark, roasty flavor, brew it with full boiling water. Bancha leaves are fluffier than sencha or gyokuro, so you’ll need 4 tablespoons (about 10 grams) to make an 8 ounce (240ml) pot. Steep for 30 seconds to extract a flavorful cup. After you pour, take the lid off the teapot so the tea can work its aromatherapy magic.

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Hojicha (and bancha generally) is more forgiving to brew than other Japanese teas, as it doesn’t get too bitter or astringent with overbrewing. So feel free to experiment with leaf ratios and steeping times to find a brew that’s just right for you.

And when it’s hot out, ice it: Hojicha is an amazing alternative to iced black tea. Steep the tea with the same parameters above, but for 60 seconds instead of 30, then pour over ice. There’s no tea more crisp and refreshing.

Try it now

Our Gokujo Hojicha is made with roasted leaves and stems for a balance of sweetness and aroma with a light but satisfying body.

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Hojicha - 100g

Light & Sweet

$15

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When your company is 300 years old, keeping historic traditions alive is a critical part of the job. The Watanabe family is that keeper at Ippodo, and as the company’s Vice President, Mrs. Watanabe is Ippodo’s public face. Not only does she educate the public on Japanese tea traditions; she also selects seasonal flowers and sweets at our Kyoto café. Here’s a taste of how she does it in her own words, and what it all means for your cup of tea.

What do you do at Ippodo?

In Japan, tea isn’t just a beverage—it’s a ritual and cultural institution. So when guests come to our Kyoto store, we want them to enjoy the complete atmosphere that tea can provide. Everyone should feel welcome there. I am responsible for making that experience as welcoming as possible, which includes the beautiful floral arrangements we have inside and outside, as well as seasonal wagashi: traditional Japanese sweets ideal for pairing with tea.

Changing seasons are important to the Japanese mindset. We keep our floral displays and wagashi fresh to highlight these seasons at our cafe. For example, during spring I select Yamabuki for many arrangements, while in fall I like to arrange a bouquet of Toad Lily and Patrinia.

How do you keep connected to the past?

Tea is a generational business: we learn about it from our parents and teach it to our children. Only five people at Ippodo are responsible for screening every batch of tea that comes to our factory and blending batches to produce a specific house taste. Two of them are my husband and my son, and it falls to me to take care of their palates. Did you know that overly spicy or salty foods can alter your sense of taste? I make sure my family maintains a diet that won’t interfere with their tea tasting.

This is important to any tea business, but especially a Japanese one. Skillful blending of different cultivars and regions is a critical part of making quality Japanese tea. We aim to make tea that is rich and flavorful but won’t disturb your palate, and it should leave a clean, refreshing finish after you sip. Since every harvest is different, we’re constantly tasting and adjusting blends to maintain the house taste that we’re known for.

What’s in your cup right now?

I love showing people how to cold brew gyokuro. It’s so easy, and it makes a delicious full-bodied cup of iced tea with zero astringency. It’s especially good during times of the year when it’s hot and humid in Kyoto.

Brewing loose leaf tea isn’t difficult, but a few special tools makes it even easier. And with centuries of artistic tradition behind them, Japanese tea-making tools are just the thing to turn your at-home tea cupboard or office nook into a calming, beautiful tea room.

Kyusu: The Japanese teapot

‘Kyusu’ is simply the term for Japanese teapots designed for brewing Japanese tea. It is both an art object and a tool, and like a chef’s knife or artist’s brush it should feel like an extension of your hand. Small details in a teapot’s design can make a big difference in how it brews, so when designing our line of kyusu, we gave special attention to a few key factors.

• A fine filter built right into the spout, giving the leaves ample room to unfurl and infuse as you steep.
• In our ceramic kyusu, a traditional hollow handle, which is light and comfortable to hold and doesn’t draw heat away from the pot, as that would throw off the brewing temperature.
• Handles placed at the side of the pot—perpendicular to the spout—an ergonomic position that makes it easier to pour.
• Carefully shaped spouts that minimize drips as you pour, to make sure you get every last drop.

Choose your style

Our teapots come in a wide range of materials designed to give each a unique, lively character. Our Hakuji Kyusu's ice-white color leaves a cool impression, while matching with any set of teacups. A flat, wide-mouth porcelain pot brings a modern sensibility to any tea table. Transparent glass is especially lightweight and lets you watch loose leaves dance as they brew. And our fully handmade Yakishime Kyusu’s rough, rustic finish will develop a rich patina over time.

Hakuji Kyusu (10oz)

Porcelain

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Porcelain Kyusu (4oz)

Porcelain

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Glass Teapot (24oz)

Glass

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Yakishime Kyusu (8oz)

Ceramic

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Matcha may be the most well-known Japanese green tea in North America today, but when it comes to a daily brew, nothing is more quintessential than sencha. 80 percent of tea in Japan is made into this loose leaf style, which provides a perfect balance of sweetness, umami, and refreshing astringency. See why we at Ippodo love this classic tea!

What is sencha?

Only young, tender spring tea leaves grown in Kyoto Prefecture are selected for Ippodo’s house sencha blends. After picking, fresh leaves are steamed in a process that halts oxidation, contributing to the crisp green character of Japanese green tea. Then the leaves are rolled into delicate needle shapes, gently dried, sorted, and packaged.

Unlike matcha and gyokuro, sencha tea bushes are cultivated in direct sunlight, which makes them uniquely high in vitamin C as well as tannins that result in a crisp, structured tea. And since sencha is made from young spring leaves, it has an inherent sweetness as well, leading to a balanced brew that shows everything that’s great about Japanese green tea.

How do I brew it?

Sencha is a delicate tea to savor alone or share with good friends, but be careful: overly hot water or oversteeping can lead to a bitter cup. For a balanced brew, measure out 2 tablespoons (about 10 grams) for a 7 to 8 ounce (210ml) standard size Japanese teapot, called a kyusu. If you use a larger Western-style teapot (around 16 ounces or larger), we recommend starting with 3 tablespoons (about 15 grams) and adjusting the proportions to your taste.

Sencha is best brewed with hot but not boiling water: 176°F (80°C). But if you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry; just pour boiling water into your teacups, then pour from those cups into your pot over the leaves. The two pours will cool your water down enough for brewing. Steep for 60 seconds, then strain evenly between cups. Be sure to pour out every last drop to fully extract the tea’s flavor. You can re-steep the same leaves once or even twice to get the most out of your precious purchase.

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Or go iced: There are two ways to brew sencha for iced tea. For drinking right away, you can pour a concentrated steeping over ice. With more planning, you can cold brew sencha as well.

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Choose your style

Our master blenders produce seven blends of sencha. All are made with high quality leaves and are processed the same way, but small differences in how they’re grown lead to distinct characters in the cup. Ippodo sencha with a higher price isn’t necessarily better quality; the choice is really about your own personal tastes