Matcha "Seiju"

星野抹茶 星授

Origin
Yame, Fukuoka

This is Hoshino’s second to highest grade of matcha and is a privilege to taste. 

What struck us most about this matcha was its willingness to froth. It whisks into a bright lime-green foam that smells like strawberries and sponge cake. The froth is so dense and such a smooth, consistent suspension, it feels like quite an otherworldly substance to put to your lips.

This matcha has less umami than others we carry from Hoshino, and an excellent choice for those who enjoy the magical transformation of tea leaves into something wholly unlike themselves. It is especially sweet, and especially elegant – explaining its high standing in Hoshino’s collection. 

2g ⋅ 80°C ⋅ 30ml ⋅ bamboo whisk

. . .

Yame, Fukuoka is a tea producing region famous for gyokuro 玉露 and matcha.  It is located on the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu. The tea comes from what was once a small village named Hoshino, before it merged with neighbouring villages to form the city of Yame. Yame spans a mountainous area, with the Hoshino River flowing through it from East to West.

The land here is very fertile and, at a higher altitude, the air is continually moist and foggy. Tea trees grow steadily and slowly in these conditions, which gives both their tea’s sweetness and its savory, “umami” flavors depth and complexity.