This is the Wakohen Arabikicha Funmatsucha, which we picked up when we visited their store in 2019. Wakohen is a tea house from the Ōsumi Peninsula in Kagoshima and they’re well known for their arabikicha, which won the powdered tea award in 2016 at the Nihoncha Awards.

Arabikicha is a type of funmatsucha or powdered green tea made from kabusecha, using all parts of the leaves. Matcha differs from funmatsucha in that the matcha does not use the stems of tea leaves and is made from tencha, one of the highest qualities of green tea that is cultivated in the same way as gyokuro.

Prepared using 1.5 g of powder stirred into 200 mL of water (80°C or room temperature), the tea has hints of sweetness with a slight seaweed note and dissolves easily to a semi-transparent, vibrant grass green colour with a gentle grassy aroma. At the head of each sip, vegetal notes emerge with natural sweetness in the body before a clean finish that leaves no bitterness or astringency. The tea is smooth and has a roundness of flavour that’s more natural and less grassy than matcha, yet it captured a more concentrated flavour and thicker viscosity than a steeped green while retaining the goodness of the whole leaf of matcha.

Hot or cold, this is a very refreshing and balanced tea and more convenient to prepare as it dissolves in water and doesn’t require whisking as in matcha.

This Wakohen Arabikicha Funmatsucha contained 30 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Kagoshima, Japan in 2019.