If you’re a matcha fan, you’ve probably noticed something special about Marukyu Koyamaen: the flavor is vivid yet gentle, and it shows up that way every time. Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes.
1) Shaded tencha, grown for umami
Matcha starts as tencha—leaves grown under reed and straw covers that block over half the sunlight. This boosts chlorophyll, deepens color, and reduces astringency while increasing umami before the leaves are ever ground.
2) Cold-stored tencha, refined just-in-time
After harvest, tencha is refrigerated in sealed boxes and only brought out as needed. It’s then cut to uniform size, sifted clean of stems/veins, and given a light finishing dry to lift aroma. Tight control of this pipeline means fresher inputs and fewer off-notes.
3) Blending (“gōgumi”) for year-round sameness
Koyamaen blends tencha from different cultivars and soils to match the profile of each named tea, so your favorite label tastes like itself every year, despite harvest variation. That’s the core of their consistency.
4) Precision stone-milling for mouthfeel
Only after blending do precision stone mills turn tencha into micro-fine powder. Ultra-fine particles whisk easily, give a silky texture, and release aroma without heat damage—one reason the cup feels effortlessly smooth. marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp
5) QC that measures what you can taste
Koyamaen doesn’t stop at tradition; they measure it. Their quality assurance program tracks moisture, color (with a colorimeter), and particle size with modern instruments, and they hold ISO 22000 food-safety certification (plus Kosher/Halal). This is how “craft” becomes repeatable.
6) A house trusted by tea schools and temples
The company has supplied matcha to leading tea schools, top hotels, and shrines/temples for generations—one reason many enthusiasts discover Koyamaen through formal tea. (They’ve also won numerous national/regional awards.)
7) Koicha vs. usucha: why some cans are “for thick tea”
On Koyamaen’s own guide, Kinrin and up are suitable for both koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin), while Wako and below are recommended for usucha only. That mapping reflects the low-astringency, high-umami balance needed for koicha.
8) How to keep that flavor at home
Matcha hates heat, humidity, light, air, and odors. Koyamaen’s storage advice is simple: keep it cool, dark, and sealed; refrigerate; if you freeze an unopened can, let it warm to room temp before opening to avoid clumping. Fresh handling preserves that signature taste.
TL;DR
Great matcha isn’t an accident. At Marukyu Koyamaen it’s a system: shaded leaves → cold-stored tencha → meticulous refining → blending to spec → precision stone mills → measured QC. That’s why the cup is vibrant, balanced, and remarkably consistent.