テンチャ

The liquor comes out surprisingly light and clean despite how dark the leaf itself is—that contrast is exactly what I hoped for. I've been hunting for tencha outside Japan for a while, so finally having a source for this base tea feels like a small victory.

The leaves are a deep, dark green and almost glossy before brewing, yet the liquor comes out surprisingly pale and delicate. I've only seen tencha mentioned in matcha-making guides, so finding the actual loose leaf to brew on its own feels like a real treat.

I’ve been looking for unground tencha for ages—it’s genuinely hard to find even in Japan, so this was a treat. The leaves are dark and bold, but the brew comes out light and smooth, which caught me off guard in the best way. I’ll definitely be ordering more before I run out.