Gokou Matcha · classic tin, 40 g
Free delivery in Ireland over €60 · Free pickup at OMMA Café, Brown Thomas · Delivery & returns →
OMMA has grown up with every trip to Japan, and has a new look. This is one of the last of our classic tins: our very first design, with the girl who has a whisk on her head. The same matcha inside, now for less.
A rare Uji cultivar from Yoshi and Yukako-san’s tiny family farm in the mountains of Ujitawara, harvested once a year and stone-milled. Soft and light, with fruity notes and a raspberry aroma the moment water touches the powder.
How to prepare (best enjoyed pure)
Usucha
Mix 2 g of matcha with 10–15 g of water (80°C) in circular motions to make a smooth paste.
Once it’s fully dissolved, add 90–100 g of water.
Whisk briskly in a zigzag motion until a soft foam forms.
Iced usucha
Add 2 g of sifted matcha to a shaker or thermos with 200 ml of cold filtered water. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, then pour over ice.
Koicha
Add 25 g of water (80°C) to 3 g of matcha.
Knead slowly with the whisk in circular motions, without whisking to a froth, until thick and silky with no foam.
Iced koicha
Add 20 g of water (80°C) to 3 g of matcha.
Knead slowly with the whisk in circular motions, without whisking to a froth, until thick and silky with no foam.
Place a few ice cubes on top. As they slowly melt, they gently soften the taste.
This matcha opens up space for self-discovery and gives you the strength for it. It offers a sense of grounding and hope, brings back the desire to dream, and fills you with the energy to make those dreams real.
The cultivar: Gokou is a rare cultivar from Uji, selected from local tea bushes in the mid-20th century. It’s grown mainly in Kyoto and is seldom found elsewhere. Gokou is prized for its bright, sweet shade aroma, which is why it’s traditionally used for the finest gyokuro and tencha.
Direct shading. 3–4 weeks before harvest, nets are laid directly over the tea bushes to shield them from the sun. The leaves become softer, vivid green and rich in umami.
Harvest. Before picking, the bushes are cleared by hand of dry leaves, insects, cobwebs and anything else that doesn’t belong. Then, from early to mid-May, only the youngest, most tender first-flush leaves are picked with hand-operated machines guided by the farmer himself.
Steaming. Right after picking, the leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and keep their colour and freshness.
Drying. The leaves are dried flat, without rolling as for sencha. This makes tencha, the base for matcha.
Refining. Smart sorting machines remove the stems and veins, leaving only the pure leaf.
“The tea sleeps”. The tencha is sealed in airtight bags and rested in cold rooms for about 6–7 months. During this time its flavour matures, gaining depth and complexity.
Milling. The tencha is slowly ground on traditional stone mills, only about 40 g an hour.
Storage: keep in a cool, dry place.
Is it ceremonial? There is no certification or grading in Japan that defines a "ceremonial" grade. Matcha is only ceremonial when it’s prepared in a tea ceremony. This single-field, stone-milled matcha is made to be enjoyed pure, as usucha or koicha.
Can I use it in a latte? You can, but its fruity, delicate notes come through best with water alone.