Sueyoshi Tea Atelier #003: 2023 Green Hojicha Kaguwashi 末吉銘茶 青焙じ茶 馨し Sueyoshi Tea Atelier

Roasted delicately by tea farmer Mataki Tatefumi until just before the leaves begin to turn brown, this Green Hojicha or Aohojicha 青ほうじ茶 can be considered a very light roast or a very strong green roasting.

Mataki Tatefumi practices the Chagusaba agricultural method for growing tea leaves in which grass (primarily suzuki) grown around the fields are cut, dried, and laid between the tea hedges to prevent weed growth and to fertilize the soil.

Awards Won

• Great Taste Awards 2020 (2 stars)
• Great Taste Awards 2021 (1 star)
• Great Taste Awards 2022 (1 star)
• Japanese Tea Selection Paris 2019 (Silver

• Medal)
• Japanese Tea Selection Paris 2020 (Silver

• Medal)
• Teas of the World Contest AVPA 2019 (Gold Medal)

Steeping Recommendation

Tea: 5 grams. Time: 60 seconds. Water: 80C/176F, 200 ml.

Flavor Profile

The sweet and simultaneously toasty aroma is unique. Not green tea, but not quite the aroma of hojicha either. The flavor is also a combination of the toastiness of hojicha, with sweet vegetal-ness and a slightly astringent aftertaste. 

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green tea.
• Harvest: Spring
• Region: Soo, Kagoshima
• Cultivation notes: Utilizes Chagusaba Agriculture
• Production notes: Very lightly roasted.

About the Farmer

Mataki Takefumi, 3rd generation tea farmer and CEO of Sueyoshi Tea Atelier, believes tea brings forth connections. With this philosophy in mind, they strive to deliver their delicately and finely grown teas to as many people as possible. They also aspire to promote a meaningful way of living that will extend beyond one’s cup of tea.

The Sueyoshi farm and factory is located in the Soo district (pronounced “Soh-oh”) in Kagoshima Prefecture. A stunning volcanic mountain range rich with biodiversity, the region is on the southern end of the beautiful Kirishima Mountain Range. Mataki-san takes pride in selecting the highest quality tea leaves (harvested once a year), leaves that have been grown with time and deep care.

He is also proactive in preserving the biodiveristy of the region thru the practice of Chagusaba Agriculture from Shizuoka Prefecture, recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2013 by UNESCO.