Washimine is a single cultivar Okumidori matcha from the Nakai family in Wazuka, in the hills outside Kyoto, sold by Nio Teas, which Oliver Staerkle founded and runs with 11 partner farmers across Japan.
Nio says Mr. Nakai's father is credited as one of the pioneers of the JAS organic logo, and it names the farmer behind every tea it sells.
Nio Teas sells matcha the way a good wine shop sells wine, by grower. Its founder, Oliver Staerkle, is Swiss, and his own page says a tasting on Yakushima, the forested island south of Kyushu, started it. He compares tea to wine there, and the comparison runs through the whole catalogue. Every matcha has a farmer's name, a place and a cultivar. Nio works with 11 partner farmers across Japan and ships from warehouses in the US, the EU and Japan, so American orders arrive from inside the country.
Washimine and the Nakai family
The Washimine page names the Nakai family in Wazuka, the hill town east of Uji where steep tea gardens run up both sides of the valley. The family grows Okumidori, a late-flushing cultivar prized for its deep green, and Nio grades the tea Premium, the grade it describes as first-harvest leaf smooth enough for koicha.
The detail on the page that stays with you is about the family itself. Nio says Mr. Nakai's father is credited as one of the pioneers of the JAS logo, the mark Japan uses for certified organic food. Organic tea is hard to grow well in Japan, because organic fertilisers feed the leaf less nitrogen and the tea loses some of its savoury depth. A family that helped bring the organic mark into being, and still makes tea good enough for thick tea, is a rare thing to find on an American shelf. Nio describes the taste as rich and smooth, with vegetal, seaweedy umami and a faint, palate-cleansing dryness.
The rest of Nio's farmers
| Matcha | Farmer | Place | Cultivar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washimine | The Nakai family | Wazuka, Kyoto | Okumidori |
| Chanoka Okumidori | Takada Masahiro | Ujitawara, Kyoto, at 400 m | Okumidori |
| Zen Sakamoto | Mr. Sakamoto | Shibushi, Kagoshima | Haruto 34 |
| Henta | Mr. Henta | Kirishima, Kagoshima | Saemidori |
The spread is useful for anyone learning matcha. Two Okumidori teas from two Kyoto towns show what a garden does to one cultivar. Mr. Sakamoto's Haruto 34, a less common cultivar grown with an organic fertiliser Nio says he developed himself, is described as buttery florals and white chocolate. Saemidori from Kirishima, in the south, is the bright, sweet cultivar that Kagoshima grows more of than anywhere else.
On paperwork
Nio says every tea it sells is grown without pesticides. Its contact page adds a line that anyone who buys from small farms will recognise, that small family farms do not always carry paperwork, so Nio verifies in person. It is an honest note about how Japanese tea works. Many of the best small growers farm without chemicals and never pay for certification.
Making it
Nio's Washimine page gives usucha as about 2 grams of matcha, water at 70°C or 160°F, and about 80 ml in all, whisked to a foam. Because Washimine is rated for koicha too, it is a good tin for trying thin tea and thick tea side by side.
Questions
Who makes Nio's Washimine matcha?
The Nakai family in Wazuka, Kyoto Prefecture. Nio's product page names the family and says Mr. Nakai's father is credited as one of the pioneers of the JAS logo, Japan's organic mark.
What cultivar is Washimine?
Okumidori, a late-flushing cultivar known for its deep green colour. Nio grades Washimine as Premium, its first-harvest grade that it says is smooth enough for koicha.
Who is behind Nio Teas?
Oliver Staerkle, its CEO and founder, who is Swiss. Nio ships from warehouses in the US, the EU and Japan, and works with 11 partner farmers.
How does Nio say to make usucha?
About 2 g of matcha with water at 70°C, 160°F, about 80 ml in total, whisked to a foam.
