Fresh + Vibrant
Our Fresh & Vegetal teas take you on a journey through nature’s purest flavors. Refreshing, vibrant, and umami-rich, these specially selected teas offer notes of nori, artichoke, and sea mist, balanced with the bright crispness of fresh-cut greens. Ethically sourced, each loose-leaf tea is a nod to nature’s green goodness.
$ 18.00
Grown in the foggy hills of Kirishima, this tea is made by two brothers who are producing some exceptional quality teas. The moisture of the air and fertile soil from the nearby volcano create a perfect environment for growing complex teas. This Sencha is plucked from a single farm that is completely self-sustaining and bio-dynamic. This is one of the most full bodied and balanced senchas I've had the pleasure of cupping. Part of that is because the tea plants are nearly 100 years old with gnarled trunks and roots reaching deep into the earth to pull up all the minerals the volcanic soil holds. The aroma of the leaves is invigorating and fresh and steeps to an amazingly smooth tea. The mouthfeel is silky with a deep umami character and a bright finish. This is an asamushi tea so the leaves are not as broken as the Asatsuyu, creating a softer tea that is often more approachable for people new to Japanese greens.
Process: Organic
Region: Kagoshima, Kyushu
Harvest: 2024
$ 26.00
Our top grade sencha from Kirishima. This tea is from the Asatsuyu cultivar of tea and has earned the nickname of "Natural Gyokuro" for good reasons. Although it is not shade-grown, it has a vivid green liquor and deep umami characteristic that is typically associated with gyokuros. The farm it is grown on is completely self-contained, bio-dynamic and the oldest tea farm in the region. The aroma of the dry leaves is compelling and rich and only grows as it is steamed. The resulting tea is out of this world and a gift to any sencha-lover.
Process: Organic
Harvest: Spring 2024
Origin: Kirishima, Japan
$ 40.00
Picked and processed by hand in the small village of Xi Ping in Anxi, this expertly-crafted Tieguanyin is a perfect representation of the depth and complexity this tea can offer. Plucked in the spring and roasted over hot charcoal in bamboo baskets the dried leaf gives off hints of toasted biscuits and soft magnolia blossoms. Once steeped, it exudes enticing aromas of fresh baked goods while preserving the underlying freshness of the green leaf. The mouthfeel is full bodied and silky and the flavor is crisp, sweet and warming with an herbaceous note reminiscent of squash blossoms. The warming sensation stays in your mouth and throat urges you to take another sip.
The leaf itself is medium-oxidized and plucked from old Tieguanyin plants that have been in the family for generations. The soil it grows in is rich with minerals which add to the depth and roundness of the flavor. Only a small quantity is available.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Anxi, China
$ 15.00
This classic, wok-fired green tea has a delicate, decidedly sweet flavor and steeps to a lovely, yellow-green color with fresh scent. The taste is both green and slightly nutty with a slight astringency in the finish. The overall cup is refreshing and soothing and is reputed to help keep the mind stimulated yet clear. This leaf is more forgiving than most and can handle longer or hotter steeps without getting too astringent.
Process: organic
Origin: Zhejiang, China
Harvest: 2024
$ 26.00
There is up to a 2 week ship time for the Forest Dew currently due to an increased in demand. We get our matcha ground and shipped fresh each month and have had to place additional orders to keep up with orders. Thank you for being patient.
We are so pleased to offer Blue Willow private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced an exceptional organic Matcha, which we now use for lattes in our shop.
Introducing Forest Dew: a robust, yet smooth ceremonial grade matcha stone ground from five cultivars in Kirishima, Kyushu. This matcha can be made into usucha for a lively, grassy matcha bowl, or can be made into a latte. The flavor is strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk and/or sweeteners without getting overpowered, and has very little astringency.
We switched to this for matcha lattes in our shop and were just featured on the cover of the SF Chronicle Food and Drink newspaper for best Bay Area Matcha!
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea) or lattes. You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well.
Process: Organic
Region: Kagoshima, Japan
Harvest: 2023
Sold Out
One of the most popular teas in Japan, Genmaicha blends green tea and toasted brown rice, some of which is popped. This blend is visually exciting and produces a sweet, vegetal flavor with a brothy mouth-feel, complimented by the toasty addition of rice. This green tea is already naturally lower in caffeine content than black teas, has even less due to the presence of the brown rice. Enjoy this tea at any time of day clear and pure without any additions.
$ 27.00
This tea is one of the highest quality teas being grown in Japan. Grown in shaded small gardens in Uji, by Koyamaen, a tea grower that has been in the Koyama family for over 300 years, this tea is truly special. The tea is grown the same way as tencha and matcha; The shading of the plants before harvest causes the leaves stretch and grow very thin and delicate and produces higher levels of chlorophyll. This process also increases the catechin antioxidants and decreases the tannins, making this tea less bitter and extremely high in health benefits.
The deep green needle-like leaves infuse into a bright green liquor with a hearty flavor. Fresh and full of life, this tea has medium body and a lingering sweetness. Don’t pass this extraordinary tea up, limited supplies are available only at certain times of the year!
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Uji, Japan
$ 19.00
This is the sister tea to the Tamaryokucha, grown in Ureshino. Both these teas are shade grown and harvested in the spring, when the leaves are still young and approximately 1/2"-3.4" long. The difference lies in the processing. While the Tamaryokucha is steamed, typical of Japanese senchas, the Kamairicha is pan-fired in a large wok, similar to certain Chinese teas. This method was adopted from mainland China in an area just north of Nagasaki, which is known for it's melting pot of international cultures.
The result of processing this robust Japanese tea with traditional Chinese methods is a completely unique experience. The aroma is both sweet and vegetal with notes of hazelnut. The mouthfeel is smooth and full-bodied has just enough viscosity to linger long past the tea is gone. Steeping to a soft yellow-green, the soup is both bright and grounding. The vegetal depth and umami characteristics balance perfectly with the warming toasty notes the pan-firing imparts.
This tea is made by a third generation tea producer and only a limited quantity is available this year.
Harvest: Spring 2024
Origin: Ureshino, Japan
Sold Out
Kinrin is a flavorful matcha that can be used for making Usucha (thin tea) or Koicha (thick tea). The Kinrin whisks to a velvety-smooth bowl of matcha with robust umami flavor and offers rich notes of steamed kombu and a light sweetness. To prepare this as Koicha, use three times as much tea with less water and whisk with a chasen at least 200 times!
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 11.00
The green teas of Japan are unexcelled for vegetal freshness and sweetness. The dark green leaf of this tea yields a light-bodied, pleasing taste with clean and sweet aroma. An everyday “house tea” of the Japanese countryside, Blue Willow Bancha is appealing to those who are looking for a mellow pick-me-up that you can be enjoy with a variety of foods. 30% of leaf weight consists of polyphenols, a key component in Ayurvedic medicine.
$ 28.00
This high-grade, pre-rain, pan-fired tea is a delicacy. Each tip is perfectly flattened in the wok by expert hands and the leaf integrity is undamaged as a result. The flavor is sweet, fresh, crisp and soothing. Its silky mouthfeel coats your mouth and throat and has a lingering flavor of asparagus and buttery artichoke. This tea is plucked in the early spring and is available for a limited time. Once we run out, it's gone until next year!
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2024
Region: Zhejiang, China
$ 9.00
Plucked from the southernmost tea garden in Yunnan, just above the Vietnam border, this tea has a unique personality. It is harvested a few days before the Lunar New Year, towards the end of winter. The leaves have been dormant all winter long, soaking up nutrients in the soil as they rest. The air is dry and cold this time of year and the leaves pick up a notes of smoke in the air and a dewy sweetness.
When picked, the leaves exude flavors and aromas that range from savory charcoal-smoked veggies to sweet red bean paste. The long winter hibernation has harbored a stamina that will allow this tea to be steeped at least 10 times, each yielding vibrant new notes. The first few steeps offer warm hints of smoke and charcoal, and as each steep reaches deeper within the leaf, it accesses reserves of nectar. Each cup has a healthy amount of body and brings to mind steamed artichoke hearts and summer squash.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 9.00
Blue Willow designed this blend of domestically-grown, certified organic mints to soothe the mind and body.The perfect combination of peppermint and spearmint creates an aroma which clears the mind and coats the belly with fresh sweetness. Allopathic and Ayurvedic health systems use mint to aid many health maladies, especially digestive ailments. Because this blend contains no caffeine, it is a great option any time of day and is quite calming as a bedtime treat.
Process: Organic
Region: USA
Harvest: 2024
Sold Out
For all of you Japanese green tea lovers I am so happy to finally offer this tea! This is a tea I was first introduced to a few years ago while visiting Kagoshima in October. Not only are the brothers who make this tea crafting extraordinary teas, they are also avid motorcycle enthusiasts, so we have a lot in common.
The aroma of the dry leaf is intoxicating and refreshing. Steeped, the tea slides into your mouth coating it with a rich, brothy soup that intensifies as it reaches your throat. The flavor notes fill the spectrum between earthy and astringent without touching either. A thick umami lays the base with tones of kombu and a soft hint of sea mist. The flavor lingers and cools the palate and throat with each breath.
This tea can be steeped 4-5 times. The second and third steeps should only be 10 seconds, and after that can go up to 30 seconds. After steeping 5 times you can pour dashi or soy sauce on the leaves and eat them
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
$ 12.00
Grown in Kagoshima, this sencha is perfect for a smooth, everyday cup of tea. The tea is versatile and can be steeped stronger to bring out more seaweed notes, or lighter to catch the sweet, dewy undertones. Excellent hot or made as a cold brew, this tea is an excellent tea for those new to sencha or who just want something easy to steep and drink. If you were a fan of the Sencha Hanase, try this tea; it has more depth and steeps sweeter without astringency.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
Sold Out
There is up to a 2 week ship time for the Shohaku currently due to an increased in demand. We get our matcha ground and shipped fresh each month and have had to place additional orders to keep up with orders. Thank you for being patient.
Shohaku is a great everyday matcha that is excellent prepared traditionally and still has a slight tannin characteristic so it won't get lost if you add it to a latte or smoothie. The color is vivid green with a deep seaweed-like base and bright grassy finish.
Both of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 35.00
If you're a fan of Japanese green teas and haven't tried Tamaryokucha yet, you're missing out. This tea has some of the most robust flavors out there. Grown in Ureshino, it is produced in a way that is a cross between Gyokuro and Sencha. The tea plants are shade grown similar to Tencha (for making Matcha) or Gyokuro. This step increases the chlorophyll and decrease the bitterness. Then the leaves are plucked, but much younger than even a Sencha. The result is an incredible tea with vivid green liquor and an flavor that excites the senses. The aroma is like seaweed and fresh cut grass and the flavor saturates your whole mouth with umami.
To get the most out of this tea steep it lower than usual (around 140°-150°) for 1 minute. When resteeping, pour after 10 seconds. This tea is great for over 4 steeps and the leaves can be eaten afterwards with the addition of a little salt, dashi or soy sauce.
Origin: Ureshino, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 28.00
We are so pleased to offer our first private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced our first one from an organic, woman-run tea farm.
Introducing Uji Jade: an incredibly smooth and satisfying ceremonial grade matcha from Wazuka. This is harvested from the Samidori cultivar, a lesser-known cultivar developed in Uji for matcha production. The flavor is rich yet smooth, with a perfect balance between bright/peppy and sweet/umami. The color is vivid and pure and the energy it provides is clean and uplifting without making your brain too busy.
I've been personally drinking this every morning and it leaves me feeling invigorated, satisfied and motivated, without any jitters. It's been the perfect morning companion for me and I'm so happy to share it with you.
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea). You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well. While you can use this for lattes, the flavor is so smooth it can get overshadowed when adding other ingredients. Try it straight up and go from there!
Process: pesticide-free
Region: Uji, Japan
Harvest: 2024
$ 10.00
Plucked from wild Yunnan Camelia Taliensis, these leaves are quite large and covered on one side by silver downy hairs. The steamed leaf offers aromas of sweet lemon cucumbers and steeps to a cup with a refreshing satin mouthfeel. The flavors are light and cleansing with notes of clover honey and melon seed.
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
Harvest: 2024
$ 9.00
A Blue Willow specialty, World Peace is a caffeine-free herbal blend that surprises with its subtle, soothing flavors. Breathe freely and cultivate inward peace with the help of this blend of all organic herbs and spices. The freshness of peppermint is complimented by the soothing sweetness of licorice root and accented by the spice of cloves. World Peace is an excellent treat anytime, but is especially comforting to those suffering from colds, flu or allergies. The scent penetrates and opens the lungs. Sipping World Peace coats the throat with soothing herbs and comforts the stomach. For an added perk and immune-boost, add fresh, finely-sliced ginger.
Process: Organic
Region: Blend