Summer Teas
Ode to Sencha: How to Taste the Nuances of Terroir, Cultivar & Craft
Everyone is talking about matcha, but did you know that the spring of 2025 produced one of the highest quality harvests of Japanese sencha in recent memory? We are absolutely enamored with the single-origin sencha selections in our Garden Direct program this year. Today we’d like to take you deeper into our range of 2025 sencha offerings, providing you with a framework to compare and contrast them. We’ll explore how different geographic regions of origin, tea bush cultivars, and processing details all influence the ultimate taste experience.
Maker Spotlight: Hekisuien
Our partner for over 15 years, Hekisuien is a revered Uji, Kyoto-based tea producer dedicated to selecting, aging and blending some of the most exquisite matcha and gyokuro. With a heritage dating back to 1867, Hekisuien stands apart for its refined craftsmanship and timeless approach to Japanese tea.
Journey to the Source: Uji, Japan
Revered as the origin of Japan’s finest matcha, Uji is a haven for centuries-old tea traditions. Discover how these deep-rooted practices have shaped matcha as we know it, cementing Uji’s legacy as an icon in the world of tea.
What is Shincha? Discover Japan’s First Harvest Green Tea of the Year
Shincha, or “new tea,” marks the first flush of Japan’s spring harvest—offering a vibrant, seasonal expression of green tea at its freshest. Prized for its bright aroma, tender leaves and rich umami flavor, shincha is sourced from renowned growing regions like Shizuoka and Kagoshima. This limited release is a once-a-year ritual for tea lovers around the world.
Maker Spotlight: The Nishi Family
The Nishi family is celebrated throughout Japan for their exquisite quality teas and recognized for their dedication to organic tea farming. Rishi has partnered with the Nishi family since 2005.
What Is Gyokuro?
Gyokuro, “jade dew”, is a rare shade-grown green tea from Japan. Shaded in a similar style to matcha, Gyokuro has a deep emerald color, rich taste, and high caffeine.
Kuradashi: Fine Aged Japanese Green Teas
Japanese Kuradashi tea, intentionally “aged tea released for sale” is a unique and highly sought-after style of tea in Japan. Kuradashi tea are teas that have benefited from aging in the traditional method of storing and maturing green tea leaves for 1-2 years in special storage conditions, resulting in a distinctive flavor profile and enhanced quality.
Maker Spotlight: Rikio-san
Discover one of our favorite new tea farmers in the Hon Yama region of Japan.
Nishi-san's Organic Aged Matcha
The Nishi family's expertly crafted, organic aged matcha selection brings three unique cultivars—Saemidori, Sakimidori and Okumidori—aged for over a year to enhance umami depth and flavor complexity.
Hon Yama: Shincha from Japan’s ‘Shizuoka Alps’
The Hon Yama tea growing region is located along the streams and valleys of the Abe and Warashina Rivers at the base of Shizuoka’s Southern Alps. It is a renowned terroir for sencha aficionados with natural micro-climates that are exclusive to the remote inner reaches of the Shizuoka Prefecture.
Japanese Green Tea
Japan is renowned for green teas with a natural and vivid green color, fresh bitter sweetness, and famed umami flavor. This unique character is typically imparted when the tea is steam fired.
Maker Spotlight: Tsuji-san
Our friend and fellow Rishi, Ryo Iwamoto, a Urasenke Tea Master and Ambassador of Japanese Tea based in Tokyo and Shizuoka, had the opportunity to sit down with a 5th generation tea master, Tsuji-san, including the distinction of producing tea for the Emperor and the Imperial Family of Japan for his unrivaled tencha tea farming practices and matcha productions.
Kagoshima First Flush Sencha
Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu (the third largest island of Japan). Kagoshima Prefecture corresponds to the ancient Japanese provinces Osumi and Satsuma.
