Hello, I'm Aunt-Tea.
Three generations of my family have grown tea on these hills. Let me tell you how we make matcha this green — and why I still whisk a bowl every single morning.
Made with love
It started with my grandmother's hands
I grew up between the tea rows. My grandmother would wake before the mist lifted, tie on her apron, and walk the fields running her fingers over the youngest leaves — the ones she said held all the sweetness. She never measured anything. She just knew. By the time I was tall enough to reach the high branches, she'd already taught me the most important lesson: good tea cannot be rushed.
For years I watched cheaper matcha flood the shelves — dull, yellowish, bitter stuff that turned people off the drink I loved. Powder ground hot and fast, blended from tired old leaves, sold in shiny bags that promised everything and tasted of nothing. It broke my heart a little. So I started Aunt-Tea with one stubborn idea: bring people the real thing, the way my family has always made it, and never apologise for taking our time.
"You shade the leaves, you wait, you pick gentle, you grind slow. That's the whole secret. There just isn't a shortcut for love."
Today I work with a handful of farmers I trust completely — in Shizuoka, Chiran, Kagoshima and Ureshino — people who've tended their gardens for decades. I visit. I taste every harvest. And nothing goes into one of our little tins unless I'd happily drink it myself, which, between you and me, I always do.
With love, Aunt-TeaFounder & head tea-tender
The "extra love" isn't just a saying
That brilliant jade colour everyone asks about? It comes from one patient step most producers skip: shading. For three to four weeks before harvest, we cover the plants to keep them out of direct sun.
Starved of light, the leaves work overtime to make chlorophyll — that's the deep green — and pack themselves with sweet amino acids called L-theanine instead of bitter tannins. Then we pick only the tender top leaves by hand and have them stone-ground slowly, in the cool, so the colour and aroma never scorch.
It's slower. It's fussier. It costs more. But that's the love you can actually taste in the bowl — bright, smooth and never harsh.
A little bowl of good
I'm a tea farmer, not a doctor — but here's why matcha has earned its place in my morning, every day, for forty years.
Calm, steady energy
Matcha pairs caffeine with L-theanine, so you get a smooth lift without the jitters or the crash — alert and calm at the same time.
Rich in antioxidants
Because you whisk and drink the whole leaf, you get far more catechins — antioxidants like EGCG — than you would from a steeped, strained green tea.
Gentle focus
That same L-theanine is loved for promoting a relaxed, clear-headed kind of concentration — my favourite reason to whisk a bowl before a busy day.
A moment that's yours
Honestly, the best benefit is the ritual itself. Two quiet minutes of whisking is a small daily kindness you give to yourself.
A friendly note: matcha is a lovely part of a balanced life, not a cure for anything. If you're pregnant or watching your caffeine, enjoy it in moderation.
My favourite summer recipe
The one I make on warm afternoons, with our boldest matcha. Try it once and you'll be hooked.
Aunt-Tea's Honey-Cloud Iced Matcha
Bold Kagoshima matcha over cold milk, with a whisper of honey and vanilla. Rich enough to stand up to ice, smooth enough to sip slow.
You'll need
- 2 tsp Kagoshima Sunlit Bold matcha
- 60ml warm water (80°C)
- 1 tsp honey (or maple)
- 2 drops vanilla extract
- 200ml cold milk of choice
- A tall glass of ice
Method
- Sift the matcha into a bowl, add the warm water and whisk in a "W" until smooth and frothy.
- Stir the honey and vanilla into the warm matcha while it's still loose — it melts right in.
- Fill your glass with ice and pour over the cold milk.
- Slowly pour the matcha over the back of a spoon for that pretty layered look. Stir and sip.
Aunt-Tea's tip: Sunlit Bold is the one for this — its depth cuts through the milk so the matcha doesn't disappear. For a treat, swap in oat milk and a pinch of cinnamon.