A mature flavour rich in umami and fragrance

Kanza 20g Can

¥6,000

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# Available year round # By itself # Koicha # Matcha # Online Exclusive # Rich # Standard preparation # Unavailable with Shincha # Usucha

About our
premium select series

Kanza / Kuon

The tea plant, a member of the camellia family, becomes astringent when exposed to the sun. So this matcha is made exclusively with young tea leaves carefully cultivated in tea fields that were completely covered in order to create a highly shaded area to curb astringency and bring out richer sweetness. Growing new leaf buds while keeping them in near-darkness is extremely challenging. Considerable experience is needed to achieve the skill required to manufacture tea that brings out the ingredients of the delicate, freshly picked young tea leaves to their fullest.

Only a limited quantity of these carefully handpicked, premium select tea leaves can be grown. The ultimate expression of tea growers’ passion for Japanese tea, this matcha has a flavour that should be savoured.

A luxurious, adult treat.

How does it taste?

Kanza is the highest-ranking matcha in our lineup. Its beautifully strong fragrance, unwavering umami, clean aftertaste, and silky character are unparalleled in our collection. Our blending and tasting team members have shared their personal tasting comments on this tea below.

“In Kanza you can enjoy a strong and rich umami, with an aftertaste that has remarkable depth. It reminds me of an excellent full-bodied red wine. I will reach for Kanza when I want to have a silent moment alone with my thoughts. Its lush character deserves quiet attention and focus.”
PRESIDENT WATANABE, 7th generation

“Both Kanza’s fragrance and flavor are unequivocally powerful. From the first moment you take a sip to the end of the finish, it has a strong, unwavering umami, and no astringency. But make no mistake; it is not at all light-bodied.”
CHAIRMAN WATANABE, 6th generation

How/when to enjoy it?

The best way is to focus your entire attention on listening to the sound of water boiling and matcha being prepared with a whisk in a quiet space, and the fragrance of matcha wafting into the air, and the flavour and fragrance experienced when drinking the matcha. It’s great for when you want to concentrate.

What to enjoy it with?

Kanza is a matcha that should be savoured straight—as nothing but pure matcha. Relish its deep, bold umami flavour that lasts from the first sip to the last, as well as its rich fragrance.

How do Ippodo staff use it?

Kanza has a smooth mouth feel and a refined, elegant flavour. Another distinctive feature is its magnificent, bright green colour. The best way to savour this matcha to the full is as koicha (thick matcha), adding only enough water to blend the powder into a smooth paste. Savour the luxurious flavour and fragrance produced thanks to the tea leaves having absorbed an abundance of rich nutrients.