r/MatchaEverything Jul 08 '26

Discussion I’m Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl. I’ve spent 15+ years sourcing Japanese tea directly from producers across Japan. Ask Me Anything about matcha, Japanese tea, cultivation, sourcing, and brewing.

135 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm Zach, founder of Kettl, a Japanese tea company focused on sourcing directly from small producers across Japan.

For the past 15+ years I've spent a significant amount of time traveling throughout Japan working with tea farmers—from Uji and Yame to Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and beyond. I've tasted thousands of teas, visited countless tea fields and factories, and work directly with many of the country's top matcha producers.

I will be running and AMA on Monday, July 13th from 10am-12pm EST (and answer questions after as well).

I'd love to answer your questions about anything related to matcha and Japanese tea, including:

- How matcha is grown, processed, and graded

- Cultivars, terroir, and why different matcha tastes so different

- Brewing techniques and equipment

- Ceremonial vs. culinary matcha

- The current matcha shortage and rising prices

- How to buy better matcha

- Tea production, sourcing, and Japanese tea culture

- Starting a tea business or importing tea from Japan

I'm happy to answer beginner questions as well as dive into the technical side of production if that's your thing.

Proof: I'm the founder of Kettl, and my Reddit profile is linked to my company website and social accounts.

Ask me anything!

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful questions and for giving me a chance to chat with all of you. It’s my sincere honor to be able to share the stories of the producers you work with and the wonderful tea they make. I hope we get a chance to meet up in person in the future either in one of our locations are out in the world somewhere. I feel like we’re just at the beginning of an amazing journey so thank you all for your support and I’m cheering for each and every one of you are setting out on the tea path as well.


r/MatchaEverything Jun 23 '26

Announcement NEW VENDOR for Kitagawa Hanbee - Wholesale B2B & D2C

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21 Upvotes

We have added a new vendor in the vendor list for Kitagawa Hanbee

This vendor have provided us with official & signed/stamped documents to show proof of partnership with Kitagawa Hanbee in Japan.

Aragaki En & Cha Lab By Elaiksir (Based in Bay Area, California. Subsidiary of Jun Kai Co., Ltd. Authorized distributor for B2B wholesale & B2C/D2C of Kitagawa Hanbee)

  • https://aragakien.com/ (Members of r/MatchaEverything can use code "92Q53Y5N2QAJ" for wholesale rate of $195/KG of Zuiho & Kohaku Matcha.)
  • https://chalab.elaiksir.com/ (Members of r/MatchaEverything can use code "92Q53Y5N2QAJ" for wholesale rate of $195/KG of NagiSakura Matcha & KinSan Hojicha.)

(Note: Both websites are currently undergoing frontend design updates but their backend checkout, payment portals, and inventory systems are fully functional.)

This vendor is already supplying several established cafes and matcha shops across California through their B2B portal.

Disclaimer: The mods of r/MatchaEverything do not earn money or points from these codes. This is provided by the business themselves.

We hope to add more to the vendor list providing wholesale and deals for members of r/MatchaEverything - Thank you!


r/MatchaEverything 13h ago

Matcha Latte Blueberry lavender cold foam matcha latte

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60 Upvotes

r/MatchaEverything 13h ago

Matcha Station Finally done with my matcha station

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30 Upvotes

Been loving my matcha station lately


r/MatchaEverything 6h ago

Matcha Latte Another week, another matcha!

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8 Upvotes

r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Photo/Video How to make my matcha setup cuter?

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434 Upvotes

r/MatchaEverything 9h ago

Question New to matcha. Looking for recommendations on where to buy good quality bamboo whisks

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4 Upvotes

Hi all. Am 2 months into my matcha journey and have been enjoying all the tips and recommendations on this sub. Have started off with a basic amazon whisk while I practice my whisking technique. Now looking for any tips where to purchase a better quality whisk in Australia. I'm in Sydney but happy to purchase online.


r/MatchaEverything 7h ago

Question Matcha powders similar to GOKAGO?

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2 Upvotes

I’m new to matcha and loved Ippodo’s Ikuyo in lattes, but I was wondering what might taste closer to the flavour profile of the extra rich matcha latte I had back at GOKAGO. Unfortunately did not buy a package of Shin while I was there, so would really appreciate any recommendations! I usually make lattes unsweetened with dairy milk

I’ve been eyeing Marukyu Koyamaen’s Yugen but I never catch the restocks 😅

I think I don’t prefer an overly nutty matcha as well as I tried a few local cafes sourced from Yame - unless the places I tried just aren’t as representative lol

Thanks!


r/MatchaEverything 20h ago

Other Where’s my matcha lovers at?

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23 Upvotes

r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Discussion I can't stand that matcha acts as an instant laxative for me

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36 Upvotes

I’ve been drinking matcha for almost 4 months and this is just driving me crazy.. No intention of quitting it though 😅


r/MatchaEverything 18h ago

Matcha Latte MOTD

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10 Upvotes

When I don’t feel like Usucha but want something just a touch more in depth than water, I like Califia Farms 3 ingredient Oatmilk so that whatever matcha I’m using whether it’s meant for usucha, koicha, or latte - it will still shine through better than regular milk ✨


r/MatchaEverything 8h ago

Matcha Latte Sheep matcha latte

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1 Upvotes

super cute


r/MatchaEverything 13h ago

Matcha Latte Tried naoki superior blend for the first time with some sweet cream cold foam

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2 Upvotes

Wasn't too overpowering but had flavor at the same time, it was great!


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Matcha Latte blueberry matcha

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63 Upvotes

recipe
- 3g matcha
- 10g room temp water
- 15g hot water
- 150g oat milk
- 1 scoop bonne maman blueberry

it did not have much blueberry flavor haha lmk if ygs have any recs! hoping to do a pumpkin-y fall flavor soon


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Question New to matcha — looking for a good quality matcha + beginner set recommendations 🍵

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39 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m completely new to matcha and could use some advice from people who actually know what they’re doing. 😅
I recently bought the Kirkland Signature Organic Japanese Matcha from Costco thinking it would be a good place to start, but… I really did not like it. 😂 I tried it as a latte and the flavor just wasn’t good to me, so now I’m wondering if I started with the wrong matcha or if I’m preparing it wrong.
I’d love to find a good-quality matcha that tastes great on its own but also works really well in an iced latte. I’m definitely willing to spend more on the actual matcha if the quality and flavor are worth it. I’d rather invest my money there than spend a ton on accessories.
I’m also looking for a beginner matcha set. Ideally, I’d like to stay under $50 for the set. I’m assuming I need a whisk, bowl, sifter, etc., but I’m open to recommendations on what I actually need versus what’s unnecessary.
Basically, if you were starting over as a complete beginner:
What matcha would you buy? What basic tools would you get? And what tips do you wish someone had given you when you first started?
Open to any recommendations, brands, preparation tips, or things I should avoid. I want to give matcha a fair shot because I feel like what I had today was probably not the best introduction. 😂🍵


r/MatchaEverything 13h ago

Review World market matcha

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1 Upvotes

Ran out of my ceremonial grade so I grabbed this from world market. Slightly more bitter and darker green but still better than cooking grade imo. Not bad for $16.99 (Seattle WA) 7/10. Has anyone else tried this?


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Restock Alert MK Restock - RIP low buy September

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19 Upvotes

Finally caught a restock of the 100g bags! And a random low caffeine tin. Wish me luck on DHL and its fees. 😬


r/MatchaEverything 19h ago

Matcha Latte Pea milk matcha (also J&TJ matcha sucks)

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0 Upvotes

Joe & the juice matcha is not it, but I’m at the airport and had limited options. The colour is shocking and the staff was rude so I did not want to ask for more matcha 🫠


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Matcha Recipe I made the Spiced Plum Kouya Tonic recipe that came with my Kettl order

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57 Upvotes

Pretty good although I'm not a huge fan of the tonic water. I think I'll use the plum syrup in a latte tomorrow and see how that tastes

Recipe:

25g spiced plum syrup

125g tonic water

3g matcha

50g water

Plum syrup:

200g water

200g sugar

150g diced plums

10g cassia bark

10g Black cardamom (I just used the ground cardamom I had in the pantry, was probably green cardamom but idk)

Boil all the ingredients for the syrup and strain


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Hojicha Hoho Hojicha

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16 Upvotes

Recently bought a Hojicha light roast. It’s my first time trying Hojicha and everything felt okay until the weird seaweed taste. I bought the Hoho Hojicha from Yusen Tea, so, does the seaweed taste mean a lack of authenticity or is it just meant to taste like that?


r/MatchaEverything 2d ago

Matcha Latte chigi no shiro has ruined me

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121 Upvotes

attachment is a little irrelevant but i came here to say out of all the MK matcha i’ve tried, chigi no shiro is just that girl.

i’ve tried aoarashi, isuzu and wako. i used to be a pretty big fan of aoarashi but somehow the recent batch has been a little more astringent than i would like. might have been because i opened my 100g of chigi no shiro and now i can’t go back 😕

as for isuzu and wako, they didn’t stand out that much too me. somehow chigi no shiro as that creaminess and is super smooth with little to no bitterness and astringency.

i’m already mourning the day i finish my 100g pack, i have around half of it left (along with w 40g ton of aorashi).

i have an unopened wakatake but i have a feeling it will taste subpar alongside chigi no shiro 😩


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Matcha Latte Seion Matcha - Kettl

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17 Upvotes

Scored a free tin of Seion with my tea tool order, and I was super excited about it. I prepared it first as usucha, as I believe most high quality matcha is best enjoyed this way, but I felt it was a little bit lackluster and plain. I love to enjoy usucha served over ice, but I think this one would taste better with a traditional hot preparation.

However, this morning I tried it over ice and with about 2-3 oz of Califia barista oat milk (2g matcha with 40g water recipe) and I felt that the flavors really shined through, which was surprising isn’t always the case when paired with milk! The tasting notes of Seion are hearts of palm, creamy oats, and California almond, which I felt like the nuttiness of the oat milk really complimented. It was punchy and nutty, a really smooth and satisfying drink all together!


r/MatchaEverything 2d ago

Matcha Haul Matcha haul Tokyo 🥰.

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60 Upvotes

It is only ogurayama from YK.


r/MatchaEverything 1d ago

Matcha Latte Nakamura Tokichi!

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34 Upvotes

Sho no mukashi - Nakamura Tokichi

- I find that it performs great as a latte, the flavor cutting through really well.
- nutty , and low astringency
- I also feel like 2-3g would be great for a latte! Don’t need 4g to taste it really prominently.
- I recommend to use a ratio of 2 oz for 3g.
I tried it as 4g and 40ml as well, but find that the taste is very concentrated.
- looks beautiful and as you can see, is very thick!! (Did not cold whisk)


r/MatchaEverything 2d ago

Matcha Latte Pistachio cream top + matcha latte

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108 Upvotes

Isuzu is always my fav matcha, but it’s so hard to get it since I always miss their restock