Description Brewing Guide 漢字 梨山烏龍抹茶 origin Lishan, Taiwan craft qing xiang, ground flavor notes gardenia, vegetal, sugarcane 漢字 梨山烏龍抹茶 origin Lishan, Taiwan craft qing xiang, ground flavor notes gardenia, vegetal, sugarcane Our Lishan Matcha is a fantastic (and entirely unique) alternative to Japanese matcha. Unlike Japanese green tea-based matcha (which is usually grown in low-elevation mass plantations and manually shaded), the high-elevation growing environment of Lishan provides all the requisite factors to create rich flavor naturally. Peaking at 2200 meters above sea level, Lishan is the third highest mountain amongst the 12 that make up the Lishan Range. The tea garden from which this tea is harvested lies at approximately 2000 meters (6500 feet) above sea level, an elevation that yields temperate weather in the summer and light snow fall in the winter. At this elevation, the tea plants are exposed to strong sunshine only in the morning before they are quickly enshrouded in mist. This short sun exposure allows the leaves to produce intense flavor compounds, but tempers the bitterness that can result from over-exposure. The cooler temperature also slows the plant's metabolism, enabling the leaves to retain and store more flavor compounds. Matcha (抹茶 mǒchá in Chinese, meaning "ground tea") originated in China during the Song Dynasty (CE 960-1279), and was later introduced to Japan by buddhist monks, eventually becoming the foundation of the Japanese tea ceremony. Inspired by the original Song Dynasty practice of drinking stone-ground mǒchá, our Lishan Matcha combines the rich, vegetal flavors of green matcha with the complexity of Formosa oolong. The ground version of this tea offers the same notes of gardenia, sugarcane, and cream as its whole leaf counterpart, but with increased intensity and an extended finish. Our favorite way to enjoy this tea is by cold brewing in our Tea Sachets with a ratio of 10g of matcha per liter of cold water; the tea can infuse for several hours this way with becoming bitter. Lishan Matcha also makes a fantastic latte with milk/oat milk and our Winter Melon Sugar, or a fun addition to homemade ice cream and baking. Our Lishan Matcha is produced in-house in small batches using an industrial herb grinder, which pulverizes the leaves with a blade spinning at 15000 rpm. Kindly note that this results in a slightly coarser granulation than traditional Japanese Matcha. For the best experience, consider preparing in our Tea Sachets. 1g per 2oz at 180°F Our custom Lishan Matcha is ground from high elevation Formosa oolong tea leaves, making it easier to brew than traditional green tea matcha. For a smooth and floral taste, we recommend water around 180°F. Learn the fundamentals of tea brewing and master your technique here.
