faq

why are you called "n2 matcha"?

n2 refers to the nitrogen gas that is used to flush the packages of matcha and hojicha. This is a safe and inert gas that prevents the matcha and hojicha from oxidising. The foil bags also help to prevent any oxygen and light from degrading the product

why do you list your products as imperial/heritage/signature/premium grades rather than ceremonial grade?

I've taken an untraditional approach to my grading system, influenced by Chinese and Japanese tea grading systems.

Japanese tea manufacturers consider "ceremonial grade" matcha to be more suited for tea ceremonies where the matcha can be enjoyed in its pure form (rather than lose its nuances and flavours in food and desserts, etc.). However, this is an unregulated/unofficial term that has been overused in Western marketing.

The matcha I sell is considered to be ceremonial quality in its truest sense, rather than the falsely marketed "ceremonial grade" products that most Western brands slap on their literally third or fourth rate (3rd and 4th harvest) low quality and poorly stored, old matcha.

I don't like to advertise my products as ceremonial grade for that reason, as it actually downplays the high quality of my products. I have no time for or interest in selling low-quality products.

why don't you sell organic matcha and hojicha?

“Organic” teas are almost always inferior to their counterparts without the organic certification. Manufacturers that make legitimately high-quality matcha don’t need expensive organic certification to sell their products. Organically certified teas are often done because those manufacturers may require some marketing advantage (especially in the Western world) to help sell an inferior product at a higher price.

I'd only sell an organic product if it were actually good and met my standards

what if i don't have a matcha whisk (chasen) and bowl (chawan)?

I really don't like expensive equipment getting in the way of enjoying a fantastic product. A $3 electric milk frother is honestly excellent and will get you most of the way there. I use this at work and don't even sift my matcha/hojicha because you don't really need to if you have a good quality product and adaptive technique.

I made a tutorial with it too --> see the Recipes page

do you have any discounts?

Unfortunately no.

Why? Your money goes directly into the quality of the matcha and hojicha powder. I keep my packaging simple for that reason, too. I trust my palate and try many different types, only selecting the best ones that have the best quality for the cost. I have the matcha/hojicha processed to order and air freight it into the country within the following week. Why settle for extremely slow sea shipments with no temperature control that will degrade the products?

If other companies can constantly offer promotions such as "buy 2 get 1 free", 10-20% discounts straight off the bat, or have other similar, heavy discounts, what does it really tell you about the quality of their products? If they are still thriving with those discounts, perhaps it goes to show how much profit they are trying to get out of their customers. Yuck.

My focus is on providing the best matcha and hojicha in New Zealand for high-quality people and businesses that understand high-quality matcha, rather than appealing to those who don't.

n2 matcha is just a small part of my overall food and drink hobby to give back to the community through food and drink

why are you so (over)confident with your matcha and hojicha?

It’s part of the unhinged persona, but also I have a really in-depth food and drink hobby and I'd like to (maybe falsely 😂) think I have quite a bit of knowledge and high standards when it comes to certain aspects of East Asian cuisine.

I trust my palate and constantly strive to improve my tasting menu-style cooking, which I'd like to think is reflected in the ever-increasing quality of my products.

Try any of my signature grade (or above) matcha and hojicha and tell me if you think another New Zealand brand is better, especially for the price.

Also I'm busy working too much overtime saving lives at the hospital, and don't have time for low quality products 😂. For this reason, I apologise in advance if the shipment takes an extra day or two longer than expected; I have a lot of on-call work!

why does your packaging look so basic?

I print off every label and stick them on by myself since I don't order enough to justify paying way too much for custom bags and labels. Be thankful that I didn’t use ugly colours at least 😂😂😂

why don't you offer subscriptions?

I'm not that greedy for your money. If you're here taking your time to read this, you've consciously put effort into visiting my website and found my 💎 hidden gems 💎

I know you want my top tier matcha way more than I need your couple dollars of subscription money 😏