How to store your matcha

Why is matcha so delicate?

Ground into a powder, matcha exposes a far larger surface to the air than loose-leaf tea. Five things affect it: air, light, heat, moisture and odours.

Of these, moisture is the most harmful. The Kyoto Prefectural Tea Research Institute studied how green tea keeps after opening: tea that has absorbed moisture turns reddish and more astringent within a month.

Before opening

• Cool, dry and away from light: a cupboard, away from the oven, the hob and sunny windows.
• Away from odours: matcha easily picks up the smell of spices, coffee and strongly scented products.
• The fridge is an option for an unopened pouch. One precaution, though: when you take it out, let the pouch return to room temperature, still closed, before opening it. Otherwise, moisture from the air condenses on the cold powder.
• The date printed on the pouch (“Best before…”) is a quality date: it shows how long the matcha keeps its qualities when stored as indicated on the packaging.

After opening

1. Close the pouch tightly after each use, pressing out the air. If it has no zip, roll it down and hold it with a clip.
2. Always use a completely dry spoon. Never a damp spoon or a wet whisk near the pouch.
3. Scoop, close, then prepare: do not leave the pouch open while you whisk your bowl.
4. For daily use, a small opaque, airtight container, such as a natsume (棗, the tea caddy used in the ceremony) or a simple tea tin, can hold a few days’ worth of matcha. The rest stays in the closed pouch.
5. In the fridge after opening? It is not necessary if your cupboard stays cool and dry. Going back and forth between the cold and the kitchen exposes the powder to condensation. If you choose the fridge, let the pouch return to room temperature before each opening.

How long after opening?

Matcha does not spoil after opening, but it gradually loses its freshness. A long-established Kyoto tea house recommends drinking it within a month of opening. The Kyoto Tea Research Institute observes the same: opened green tea kept in its original pouch had lost some of its taste after about a month.

Our matcha will come in 30 g and 50 g pouches. At 2 g per usucha, a 30 g pouch makes 15 bowls.

How to tell matcha has lost its freshness

• Colour: the bright green turns duller and leans towards brown.
• Aroma: fewer vegetal notes, a flatter smell.
• Taste: less sweetness, more bitterness and astringency.
• Texture: small hard lumps often mean the powder has absorbed moisture.

Slightly less fresh matcha still has its place in a matcha latte or in baking, where milk and sugar accompany it.

In short

• Unopened: in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from odours.
• Opened: pouch tightly closed, a dry spoon, and ideally enjoyed within a month.
• Fridge: only if you let the pouch return to room temperature before opening it.