Answers to the questions we're asked most, from choosing a matcha to storing it well. Can't find what you need? Get in touch and we'll help.
Choosing your matcha
What's the difference between your matchas?
We group our matcha by how you'll drink it:
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Ceremonial matcha: made from first-harvest spring leaves, smooth and sweet enough to drink whisked with water alone. Tsubaki is our everyday ceremonial, Haru is certified organic, Eiko is our Ceremonial Reserve, and Sakura is a single-cultivar Uji matcha with a natural floral aroma.
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Latte and baking matcha: made from bolder summer-harvest leaves, with a flavour that comes through milk. Choose Café in 50g, or Natsu, certified organic, in a value 250g pouch.
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Beyond matcha: Sen (powdered sencha), Honoka (roasted hojicha, lower in caffeine) and Kuwa (caffeine-free mulberry leaf tea).
Which matcha is best for lattes?
For everyday lattes, Café or Natsu give the best value and a flavour that holds up to milk. If you also like to drink matcha straight, Tsubaki is lovely both ways.
Is your matcha organic?
Haru and Natsu are JAS-certified organic. Our other matcha is conventionally grown in Japan.
Where does your matcha come from?
All our matcha comes from Japan. Eiko, Tsubaki, Haru, Café and Sakura are from Uji, Kyoto, Japan's most famous matcha region. Natsu is organic matcha grown in Kagoshima. Kuwa, our mulberry leaf tea, is grown and made in Kofu.
Making and storing matcha
How do I make matcha?
For a traditional bowl, sift 2g (1 level teaspoon) into a bowl, add 70ml of water at 75–80°C, and whisk in an M or W motion until a fine froth forms. For a latte, whisk 2g with 30–40ml of hot water into a smooth paste, then top with 150–200ml of milk. Each product page has detailed instructions.
Do I need a bamboo whisk?
A bamboo whisk (chasen) gives the finest, creamiest froth. For lattes on the go, our Mini Matcha Shaker works without a whisk.
How do you store matcha?
Store unopened pouches in a cool, dry place away from light. Once opened, reseal tightly and keep the pouch in the fridge, a tip from Eiko, Sakura's mother and a tea ceremony sensei. Let the pouch come to room temperature before opening it, so condensation doesn't form inside. Enjoy within 6–8 weeks of opening for the best colour and flavour.
Does matcha have caffeine?
Yes. A 2g serve of our ceremonial matcha contains about 50–70mg of caffeine, generally less than a typical brewed coffee. Matcha also naturally contains L-theanine, an amino acid that builds up while the tea is shade-grown before harvest. Want an exact figure? Try our Matcha Caffeine Calculator. For a lower-caffeine option, try Honoka hojicha, or Kuwa, which is caffeine-free.
How long does matcha keep?
Matcha has a best-before of 12 months from milling, but it's at its best fresh. That's why we keep our pouches to modest sizes: we'd rather you finish a pouch and reorder than have one sit half-used for months.
Freshness and packaging
How do you keep your matcha so fresh?
We bring stock in on a monthly cycle rather than in large bulk shipments, so your matcha spends as little time as possible in storage before it reaches you. Matcha's biggest enemies are light, moisture and air, so how recently it was milled and how it's been handled matter as much as where it's grown.
Why did you move from tins to pouches?
Our resealable pouches remove more air at packing and reseal more tightly between uses than a tin lid. They're also lighter and more compact to ship, which means less packaging waste. Same matcha, better packaging.
What sizes do you sell, and how many servings is that?
Our matcha and tea powders come in 50g pouches, about 25–50 servings depending on how you take it. Natsu, our everyday latte matcha, comes in a value 250g pouch.
Ordering
Do you offer subscriptions?
Subscriptions are available on our collagen. We're not offering matcha subscriptions yet. Matcha supply depends on seasonal harvests and high global demand, so we want to be sure we can guarantee consistent supply before committing to recurring orders. It's something we're actively working towards.
What about shipping and returns?
We ship across New Zealand, with free shipping on orders over $55. See our Shipping Policy for delivery times and costs, and our Return Policy if something isn't right with your order.
Do you supply cafés?
Yes. We supply matcha to cafés across New Zealand, with samples available and staff training included. See our wholesale page.
About Wabi
Where does the name Wabi come from?
Wabi comes from wabi-sabi, the Japanese idea of finding beauty in simplicity and imperfection. Wabi was founded by Sakura in 2014. Her mother, Eiko, is a tea ceremony sensei in Japan, and our Ceremonial Reserve matcha is named after her. If you have a question about the traditional tea ceremony, ask us and we'll do our best to answer it.
