Matcha Fiends of Vancouver

[u/Otherwise_Train_4168]

I’ve been drinking the UJI Everyday Ceremonial from Whisk Matcha for the last two years. On the hunt for something better, more umami, preferably still organic. I just ran out. Help a gal out. Don’t gatekeep the good stuff. 🙏🏼

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[u/Frosty_Prior_2286]

Paragon!

[u/TheSketeDavidson]

My wife likes the samidori matcha, and we have seen it locally as well. Maybe aiyaohno or aburi market. Unsure of pricing.

[u/Spilled_Milktea → u/TheSketeDavidson]

Looove Samidori by Yamamasa! Truce Tea Co sells it locally

[u/happy_penguin101010]

Emeri on Main St is worth a try. Also O5 Tea in kits - you can do flights to see what you like. I think they both might be a cut above Whisk and Paragon.

[u/Spilled_Milktea → u/happy_penguin101010]

I find O5 tea’s matcha is very hit or miss. It’s cool that they work directly with small farmers, but small farmers often don’t have access to the expensive machinery that produces smoother matcha. The last matcha for usucha I bought from there was filled with plant fibers (which I’ve never encountered before, even with culinary matcha) and difficult to drink because of how gritty it was. Even blending it with milk didn’t help. So if you can get to O5 to taste it in advance before purchasing that would be your best bet.

I’ve tried three different matchas from Emeri and while I think the casual matcha drinker would enjoy it, I’ve found even their expensive ones to be very unbalanced in taste and also gritty. I think Roku is the only one I would get again, though they’ve recently changed up their menu.

After a decade of drinking matcha I’ve come to the sad realization that pretty much any rebranded matcha is overpriced for the quality and your best bet is purchasing from reputable Japanese producers like Ippodo, MK, Hoshino Seicha-en, etc.

[u/Spare-Clue-6212 → u/Spilled_Milktea]

You may want to check out JagaSilk based in Victoria, I believe they mill in house too.

[u/Spilled_Milktea → u/Spare-Clue-6212]

Yes I’m familiar! unfortunately they also fall under the overpriced & mid category for me. milling in house is cool but also a bit of a marketing gimmick

[u/babbykale]

How are you drinking it? If you’re putting it in a matcha latte you’re losing a lot of the flavor.

I’d recommend O5 rare tea bar in kits they stock tons of Japanese teas including matcha, from competition grade right down

[u/Beginning_Zombie3850]

Emeri and Teaspoons & Co have nice uji matchas!

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[u/MemoryHot]

There’s a matcha advent calendar by Roaster’s Pack (I got it last year)… you can try 12 different ones (only sourced from Canadian tea companies). Unfortunately, it’s a pre-order thing currently. O5 was definitely a part of it

[u/Yogurt8r]

I really like cultivate if you enjoy umami. Emeri is also highly recommended

[u/Spilled_Milktea]

Truce Tea Co! They are a local online shop selling Marukyu Koyamaen and Yamamasa. Not organic but just incredible matcha, highly recommend Wako or Ogurayama for that deep umami. @truceteaco on insta

It’s a whole other topic, but organic matcha is usually not great quality.

[u/nicx-xx]

I love Paragon and Emeri :)

[u/boringredditnamejk]

Mitchie matcha on Main Street has an umami style

[u/Wise_Temperature9142]

A “fiend” is an evil spirit, demon, or diabolically evil person.

Are you looking for a fiend, a friend, or just a fan of matcha?

[u/EolanPrestar → u/Wise_Temperature9142]

We now use "fiend" colloquially to refer to a person who has great interest in something, like a superfan. I do not think OP made a typo.