Why We Focus on Gyokuro — Not on Matcha

 In a world driven by trends and fast-paced lifestyles, KANOA chooses to focus on what is quiet, profound, and enduring. Our tea is not about hype — it’s about quality, mindfulness, and a true five-senses experience.

Many know Matcha. It’s popular, vibrant, photogenic, and globally celebrated. Yet, we have consciously chosen to focus on Gyokuro — a tea that is just as precious, if not even more refined. Here’s why:

1. Gyokuro is just as premium as Matcha — or even more.

In Japan, Gyokuro is often called the “King of Tea.” Both teas come from the same highest-grade, shade-grown tea plants. While Matcha is ground into a fine powder, Gyokuro preserves the delicate, hand-picked leaves in their original form. Its taste is smooth, velvety, and full of natural sweetness and rich umami. Gyokuro isn’t “less” — it’s a different, often even more exclusive form of tea craftsmanship.

2. Mindfulness — without complexity.

 Matcha preparation is traditionally part of a formal tea ceremony — beautiful, but also time-consuming and structured. Gyokuro offers a more accessible way to experience mindfulness. Just a few minutes are enough to create a moment of stillness, beauty, and conscious enjoyment — without stress and without complicated rituals.

3. Mindfulness for yourself.

 Gyokuro invites you to pause and turn inward. It’s not about perfection or performance — but about an honest moment for yourself. Feeling the warmth, inhaling the delicate aroma, appreciating the beauty of colour and form, tasting the depth — fully experiencing the present with all five senses.

4. For the future of Japanese tea culture.

 High-grade teas like Gyokuro and Matcha are essential for preserving Japanese tea culture. For more common teas like Sencha or Bancha, many tea farmers in Japan today earn prices that are far from sustainable. Only premium teas — which require craftsmanship, knowledge, and utmost care — make tea farming economically viable and worth passing on to the next generation. Choosing Gyokuro is not just a moment of indulgence — it’s an active contribution to sustaining tradition, craftsmanship, and responsible agriculture in Japan.

🍃 Gyokuro is tea for those who seek what truly matters — in quality, in culture, and in the moment.