Matcha Story

Wazuka Cha™
Entsu Estate
By Akihiro Nakai
Since the 13th Century
Certified Organic Matcha

Wazuka district is the birthplace of tea in Japan. Jishin Shounin, introduced tea tree seeds from China to Wazuka, Uji District in the 13th century. The tea cultivated here was the first official tea of the Imperial Palace.

It was here that Urth personally selected Akihiro Nakai, a local family tea farmer to provide exclusive organic matcha green tea from his Entsu Estate to Urth Caffé. This tea is carefully harvested for Urth exclusively every spring by Akihiro, his brother and son. Nakai San’s family farm is at a high altitude, away from chemical usage on lower grown tea gardens. Akihiro Nakai has a reputation of being a maverick tea cultivator: using secret family organic compost comprised of local herring and tea tree trimmings to produce the finest tasting green tea without any chemicals. Fewer than 10% of Japan’s tea gardens are certified organic. All of this exclusive organic matcha is harvested for Urth Caffé.

Wazuka Estate matcha tea is ceremonial grade – the very highest quality and grade of green tea in Japan. This tea is grown under the shade of blanket canopies forcing the tender leaves to produce a deep, dark color – fortified with flavor and nutrients. Only the new leaves are picked from the top of the bush and must be harvested within 45 minutes before the sun can lighten the color of the leaves. Wazuka matcha is a prized, naturally dark green color. Drinking fresh matcha is like taking a multivitamin super-food filled with antioxidants, B-complex, Vitamin C, B1, B2, E, beta karoteen, iron, calcium, and amino acids for a healthy body.

Enjoy this 900 hundred-year-old tradition from the family of Akihiro Nakai san in Wazuka, Japan to your family, available exclusively at Urth Caffé.