Chitose - Yame Matcha
KogachaBoasting the signature nutty aroma that Yame matcha is known and loved for, this usucha has a round and balanced body with a gentle sweetness and lasting finish
Chitose (千歳) means "a Thousand Years"
Producer: Kogacha
Region: Yame, Fukuoka
Cultivar: Blend
Harvested: May 2025
Located in the south of Japan, Yame (八女) is best known for its shaded teas, namely gyokuro and matcha. Each year, the award for the best gyokuro in Japan usually goes to Yame (with Uji in second place).
Part of why Yame excels is their preservation of high-quality, traditional shading practices in the form of Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro (八女伝統本玉露): Yame Traditional True Gyokuro. This designation is applied to hand-picked teas shaded under straw for at least two weeks.
Outside of their gyokuro, Yame is known for finishing their teas with a relatively strong firing, imparting a nutty aroma, especially in their matcha and sencha.
Brewing Instructions
Usucha
Thin Tea
Heat water to 70º C (158º F)
Add 70 ml (2.4 oz) of water to 2 g (2 tea scoops) of sifted matcha
Whisk briskly in a back and forth motion for about 20 seconds
Hot Matcha Latte
Tea and Milk
Mix 4 g (2 tsp) of sifted matcha with 40 ml (1.4 oz) of 70° C (158° F) water
Heat or steam 180 ml (6 oz) of your preferred milk
Pour milk into matcha base
Iced Matcha Latte
Cold and Refreshing
Mix 4 g (2 tsp) of sifted matcha with 40 ml (1.4 oz) of 70° C (158° F) water
Pour 180 ml (6 oz) of your milk of choice into a ice-filled 10-12oz (300-350 ml) glass. Optionally, add ~5ml of syrup to add texture and sweetness to the milk
Pour the matcha base over the ice
Kogacha (古賀茶)
Remaining a family business to this day, Kogacha is headed by Koga Satoko, a Nihoncha Advisor and Associate Professor of the Urasenke school of Tea Ceremony. Head of tea blending is 7th-dan chashi Koga Kazuhiro with 6th-dan chashi and Nihoncha Instructor Koga Tomoko managing the team.
Founded in 1938, Kogacha is dedicated to promoting and improving the true flavour of Yamecha: tea from Yame, Fukuoka. One of their specialties, and a tea well-known from the area, is gyokuro. Additionally, Kogacha produces matcha, sencha, and even experiments with white-leaf teas.