Jeju matcha: real matcha, from Korea's first spring harvest

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A mound of bright green matcha powder on handmade paper

Many people assume matcha has to come from Japan. What makes it matcha is how it's made.

Ours comes from the first spring harvest on Jeju, Korea's volcanic island.

It grows on Jeju

Much of Jeju sits on volcanic ash soil. It drains easily and still holds moisture, which tea plants like. Spring comes early here, so the first harvest does too.

Rows of tea bushes on Jeju behind a low volcanic stone wall, with a line of cedar trees
1stspring harvest of the year
Shadegrown before picking
1.6gmatcha in each Focus Mushroom Matcha latte
80mgcaffeine, about a small latte

Jeju, Korea's UNESCO-recognized island.

Grown in the shade

For the last weeks before picking, the tea plants are covered.

A hand lifts a black shade net off tea bushes on a Jeju tea farm, a volcanic stone wall behind

Shaded before picking

More savory. Deeper green. Less astringent.

In full sun

Less savory. Lighter green. More astringent.

How it's made

  1. Tea leaves under a black shade netShadeCovered before the first harvest
  2. A hand picking a tea bud with two young leavesPickThe first spring leaves
  3. Bright green steamed tea leaves on a bamboo traySteamKeeps the color and flavor
  4. Flat dried tea leaf flakes on paperDry flatNever rolled, stems removed
  5. A granite stone mill with green matcha powder around itGrindInto a fine powder

All three ONDO matcha blends use this matcha, packed in a foil-lined, nitrogen-flushed pouch and tested as a finished product. See the lab results

Bright green matcha swirling into cold milk over ice

How to make it taste right

A ceramic bowl of freshly whisked matcha with fine green foam, a bamboo whisk beside it
160–175°F70–80°C, not boiling
Focus Mushroom Matcha 1 tbsp to 5 fl oz of water, hot or cold, or 6 fl oz of milk
Prebiotic Matcha 2 tbsp to 5 fl oz of water, hot or cold, or 6 fl oz of milk
Unsweetened About 2 tsp to 7–9 fl oz of milk

Mix the powder with a small splash of liquid to make a paste, then add the rest and whisk until smooth. Keep the bag sealed in a cool, dark place.

What it does

Clear head, steady energy.

Caffeine and L-theanine: matcha carries both, naturally. Nothing added.

70mgPrebiotic Matcha
80mgFocus Mushroom Matcha
150mgUnsweetened

Caffeine per cup. 70–80 mg is about a small latte. 150 mg is about a large latte.

Steadier attention with caffeine and L-theanine together than with caffeine alone.

Owen et al., 2008 · Nutritional Neuroscience · placebo-controlled · doi:10.1179/147683008X301513

More alert, less tired, with the two together.

Giesbrecht et al., 2010 · Nutritional Neuroscience · placebo-controlled · doi:10.1179/147683010X12611460764840

Faster on a reaction task, and less mental fatigue.

Haskell et al., 2008 · Biological Psychology · randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.09.008

Studies of the ingredients, not of this cup.

In these cups

Focus Mushroom Matcha pouchFocus Mushroom MatchaPrebiotic Matcha pouchPrebiotic MatchaFocus Mushroom Matcha (Unsweetened) pouchFocus Mushroom Matcha (Unsweetened)

Why 1.6 g and 3 g → Why we make it this way

Sources
  • Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association · green tea labeling standards, tencha and shading · nihon-cha.or.jp
  • Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services · green tea cultivation · agri.jeju.go.kr
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022 · shading and tea leaf quality · doi:10.3390/ijms232214169
  • Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Research Institute · how to prepare matcha · pref.kyoto.jp
  • UNESCO Global Geoparks · Jeju Island · unesco.org