Specialty Matcha Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Ryan and Zongjun discuss the launch of Obsidian, the One-Dimensional Matcha Whicking Bowl as well as questions they have on their matcha learning journey.

In this episode, Ryan and Zongjun interview Cole from My Matcha Addiction (IG: @mymatchaaddiction). They discuss the growing matcha community on Instagram, the increase in matcha options, and Cole's journey in creating a matcha-themed Instagram page. The conversation covers the challenges of finding reliable matcha information, surprises from visiting Japanese matcha shops, and topics like matcha cultivation, production, freshness, and the differences between traditional and modern matcha. They also explore experiences with matcha in Japan and the U.S., single origin and single cultivar preferences, and industry challenges and opportunities, including new milling technologies and the need for standardized vocabulary and consumer education.

On this episode of the Specialty Matcha Podcast, Ryan and Zongjun interview Marc from Ooika. We discuss sourcing tencha in Japan, milling matcha in the US, and the new wave of single origin and single cultivar matcha companies. Check out Ooika: https://ooika.co/ For more products and content from Sanko check out: www.sankomatcha.com

Matcha labeling is confusing, perhaps more confusing than any other specialty product. Pick any two random matcha powders from most Japanese or western vendors and it will be very difficult to differentiate them. They’ll use vague language, poetic names, and unclearly specified product details.

In this episode, Ryan and Zongjun deep dive into a multi-part series discussion about matcha labeling.

A technical deep dive into water chemistry and how it forms the foundation of tea flavor and flavor extraction with Founder of Empirical Water, Arby Avanesian.

If you're interested in learning more about water chemistry optimization for tea, check out Empirical Water: https://empiricalwater.com/

The future of matcha is specialty. Matcha isn’t matcha isn’t matcha—there will be a future where consumers from Dubai to Paris and from Bangkok to LA will have acquired preferences for Uji vs. Yame matcha, or Asahi vs. Yabukita cultivar, or fresh vs. preground matcha. As the mystery and mastery of producing matcha becomes better understood by mainstream non-Japanese markets, demand for specialty products will follow.

Ryan and Zongjun discuss designing and manufacturing, Obsidian, the one-dimensional matcha whisking bowl, as well as other products on their roadmap.

Hosts Ryan and Zongjun interview matcha product developer and food scientist, Patrick Penny. The scope of this wide-ranging interview covers matcha as a specialty product, the perception of matcha by Japanese consumers, and the importance of freshness.

In his book “Crossing the Chasm”, Geoffrey A. Moore lays out a framework whereby mainstream consumers adopt new technologies. He segments buyers into “visionaries” and “pragmatists”, between which resides “the chasm” of adoption that all products must cross before fully entering the mainstream.

Matcha visionaries went out of their way to source and prepare matcha. They tolerated inconveniences and lack of transparency, and paid the price for what is now considered an inferior quality product, after innovation in the mainstream worked its magic to make matcha better, cheaper, and easier to source and prepare.

Matcha pragmatists come in many flavors. They’re everyday consumers who don’t like the taste of coffee and want another caffeinated beverage option. They’re people who are more sensitive to the crash or jitters of caffeine and are looking for the functional benefits matcha offers. They’re people who are looking to introduce better-for-you products. They’re people that are really into tea.

Ryan and Zongjun discuss techniques for tasting matcha, tea competitions, and the terminology used to describe different flavor profiles.