Matchaeologist
Matchaeologist is an artisanal matcha brand from Kyoto, they have recently moved to London to help spread the word of their highly unique matcha ranges. They aim to bring a modern perspective to the ancient Japanese traditions of the Matcha Tea Ceremony by fusing science and traditional formulations to make this healthy delicacy more relevant to today’s modern lifestyle.
Founded by Anthony (Tana-San) who prior to starting Matchaeologist worked in investment banking and before that he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. Tana told us about some of the special qualities of the Matchaeologist matcha, in particular the amino acid L-Theanine. This is a type of amino acid that is known to contribute to the state of ‘calming alertness.’ It counteracts the jittery side effects associated with caffeine enabling you to achieve a sense of mental clarity.
Matchaeologist’s matcha is particularly high in L-Theanine as their matcha only comes from the topmost, burgeoning buds of shade grown tea trees. Tana tells us that shading the plants 6 months before harvest makes the tea trees compensate for the lack of light and they therefore produce more chlorophyll into their young shoots. This results in the vivid bluish green colour, the refreshing ‘ooika’ (覆香) aromas and the sweet/savoury ‘umami’ (うま味) taste found within Matchaeologist’s products.
Matchaeologist matcha is all artisan roasted, the entire manufacturing process is done by hand from tree to pot. They first pick the buds, then roll, roast and grind the leaves by stone. They extract only the most tender highly prized parts of the youngest shoots of the tea trees, filtering out any harsher veins and stems to produce some of the most sought after, delicious, health benefiting and energising matcha.
Matcha lattes are an all time favourite at The Interview (London), especially after lunch or as a late afternoon boost, giving a whole new experience to afternoon tea. They help steady and maintain your energy levels and create a feeling of calm alertness, unlike our beloved coffee, which can create the infamous ‘crash,’ which we can now understand, as unlike the Camellia Synsensis plant coffee beans do not contain L-theanine to balance out the effects of caffeine.
To experience the full Matcha Tea Ceremony take a look at Matchaeologists brewing kit https://www.matchaeologist.com/