This Aoi no Homare matcha is the highest grade usucha from AOI Seicha. It is very low in bitterness and has a balanced harmony that is rich with umami, sweetness, and pleasent aroma. Highly recommended for those who are looking for a higher quality matcha. Since this usucha matcha utilizes a very high ratio of varieties of tea leaves, it can also be used to make a koicha. The matcha sommeliers at AOI rate this matcha 5/5 in terms of umami flavor, 5/5 for sweetness, and 1/5 for bitterness (See graph for a visual representation).  Product Info Ingredients: Green tea Japanese name: 御薄茶、葵の誉 Net Weight: 30 grams, can Cultivar: Blended Harvest Season: Spring Cultivation & Processing Notes: Shaded for 4 weeks before harvest. Region: Nishio, Aichi Prefecture Instructions  Tools: matcha, chashaku bamboo scoop, chasen bamboo whisk, matcha bowl, cooling bowl or tea pot Take 2 grams (about 1.5 chashaku bamboo scoops) of matcha, and place it into your bowl Using the tips of your chasen bamboo whisks break apart any clumps (using a sifter may also help). Take boiling water and place it into a teapot or other cooling bowl. Allow the water to cool to 70-80C/158-176F degrees. Pour the water into your bowl, and using the whisk, slowly make an "M" shape in your bowl. As you speed up the whisk, bubbles (froth) will form. For Koicha, use about 50-70 ml of water. For Usucha, use 150-200 ml of water. Vendor Info Name: Aoi Seicha Type: Factory Established: 1910, company incorporated as AOI Seicha in 1966. CEO: Ayano Honda Employees: 60 Address: Kamiyashiki-7 Kamimachi, Nishio-shi, Aichi-ken 445-0894 Matcha for the North American market can be bought from U.S. subsidiary AOI Tea