Understanding Our Difference
At Chafinity, matcha is not chosen by color or grade alone.
We look at where the tea comes from, who grows it, how the leaves are cultivated, how they are finished, and how the tea expresses itself in the cup. For us, matcha is more than a category. It is a reflection of land, season, process, and intention.
Our role is to prepare it with respect, so each guest can experience the leaf as clearly and beautifully as possible.
Gyokuro is one of Japan’s most treasured green teas. It is known not only for how it is grown, but for how the leaf is finished.
After steaming, Gyokuro leaves are carefully rolled into long, slender, pine-needle shapes. This rolling gently compresses the leaf, helping preserve flavor, aroma, and depth within its structure. When brewed as loose leaf, these needles slowly unfurl in water, releasing sweetness and umami over multiple infusions.
Most matcha is traditionally made from tencha — shade-grown tea leaves that are dried flat and prepared specifically for grinding.—Some farmers, however, take a different approach.
Sakamoto-san first produces true Gyokuro: fully shaded, carefully rolled, and finished as a complete leaf. From there, the tea can be experienced in two forms — as loose-leaf Gyokuro, or stone-ground into matcha from those same rolled leaves
Sakamoto-san first produces true Gyokuro: fully shaded, carefully rolled, and finished as a complete leaf. From there, the tea can be experienced in two forms — as loose-leaf Gyokuro, or stone-ground into matcha from those same rolled leaves
This gives the matcha a distinct expression. It reflects Gyokuro’s depth, structure, and quiet richness, not only the effect of shading..