The team at STITCH COFFEE receive a lot of questions around “What is second harvest matcha” and “Is our matcha ceremonial grade”?

Given we’re right in the middle of the second harvest season (June-July), we thought now was the perfect time to answer all of your questions with help from our Japanese matcha green tea suppliers: the Hirai family!

Specifically, we got in touch with Gaku and Maria from the Hirai family to discuss all things matcha, from how it’s created to the many ways you can enjoy it!

Matcha is a distinctly Japanese powdered green tea. In Japan, matcha is harvested four times a year: the first harvest is in the Northern Hemisphere spring (April-May), the second harvest is in early summer (June-July), the third harvest is in late summer (August), and the last harvest is in autumn (September-October).

No tea grows in winter, so the soil rests during that time.

First harvest matcha (spring) is the best tea of the year as the leaves are plucked at their youngest age from the tip of the tea plant! Second-harvest matcha is the next best quality.

No: when people request “ceremonial grade” (Grade A), they want first harvest matcha.

However, real ceremonial matcha [used in Japanese tea ceremony] should not only be the first-harvest matcha but also traditionally stone-milled, which incurs an expensive price point.

Alternatively, second-harvest matcha plucked in early summer is perfect for daily use, like drinking in matcha lattes and baking. That’s why it’s also known as “culinary grade” matcha.

The second harvest still boasts a vibrant green colour like first harvest matcha, with natural subtle sweetness and a smooth texture.

The difference in taste between first and second-harvest matcha is astringency; depending on the farm, some second-harvest matcha brews with a mild bitterness.

Our family [Hirai] tea plantations are in the famous Kawane region of Shizuoka, which is home to many green tea plantations! We grow award-winning teas yearly, topping the Kawane regional competitions with numerous trophies over our generations of farming. Our farm is now in its fourth generation.

Although situated around the middle of Japan’s main island, Shizuoka is on the northernmost edge of where it’s possible to grow green tea. Any further north and the conditions (climate and landscape) are no longer suitable for green tea farming.

Shizuoka is hence renowned for its perfectly lined, cylindrical green tea plantations. Here, the slopes of the mountains and the valleys make it ideal for growing tea plants.

Lying at the base of Mt Fuji,  our farm also benefits from the rich minerals in the soft volcanic water.  These nutrients in the soil make the tea leaves rich with flavour, aroma, natural sweetness, and vibrancy in colour.

A combination of family members, seasonal workers, and our local tea farming communities work together to keep our green tea plantations going all year long.

As mentioned above, tea is seasonal. Therefore, our busiest season is April when the first harvest matcha is plucked most days before before dawn.

Shade-grown green tea

Matcha is different to ordinary green tea starting from how the plants are nurtured on the farm. Three weeks before the first harvest, the plants are covered with a dark sheath.

This process makes the tea leaves work harder to search for sunlight, generating energy that pulls more minerals, nutrients, and moisture from the rich soil.

Eventually, these extra nutrients reach the tips of the tea leaves. This is what gives matcha its vibrant green colour!

However, this farming process of shade-growing makes the final matcha extra sensitive to heat and light. For this reason, we package the matcha in aluminium-lined packaging that reflects heat, light and minimises the oxidisation process.

Harvest

Once harvested, leaves are immediately steamed and sterilised to prevent oxidisation of the leaves, retaining their green colour. After dividing up the plant (branches, stems, and leaves), we dry the leaves open and flat. We do this instead of rolling them, which is the usual process for ordinary green tea.

Processing

The tea leaves are then cut, which makes the raw version of matcha known as tencha. We steam and roast the tencha. Similar to how every roastery roasts their coffee differently, every matcha supplier has their own tea processing recipe. After this, we mill the tencha into the fine powder we all call matcha.

All of our matcha is milled to a quality-controlled mesh size that is so miniscule it could go into your skin pores! This is what makes our matcha very smooth.

The smoother, high-quality matcha is the most creamy when prepared and whisked with our bamboo whisk (chasen).

Think the OG second-harvest matcha powder, matcha pods, yuzu matcha chocolate, oat matcha latte cans, and Origami matcha bowls.

What’s more, we’re celebrating the second harvest matcha season with 15% off all matcha products and menu items from now until July 31!

Shop online or head into the cafes to make the most of the special today.