Cuzen Matcha
Cuzen Matcha presentation
Cuzen Matcha redefines home matcha preparation by bringing authentic, freshly-ground tea directly from organic Japanese farms to your kitchen. Founded in 2019 by Eijiro Tsukada and Oki Hatta, this California-based food-tech company addresses a fundamental problem: pre-ground matcha powder loses its freshness and flavor over time, much like pre-ground coffee.
The Technology Behind Fresh Matcha
The Cuzen Matcha Maker represents years of engineering precision. Designed in collaboration with San Francisco-based industrial designer Naoya Edahiro, the machine reproduces the qualities of a traditional 130-pound granite stone mill in a compact countertop format. Its ceramic mill grinds organic shade-grown leaves to under 20 micrometers, then automatically whisks the powder into water. This process preserves the tea’s umami-rich flavor and aromatic compounds that dissipate in pre-ground powder.
The system earned recognition as one of TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020, a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree, and winner of the SF Design Week 2020 Future of Foods Award.
Sustainable Sourcing From Japanese Tea Farmers
Tsukada, who spent over a decade at Suntory developing tea products, built relationships with family-owned farms in Kagoshima prefecture. These farmers practice organic cultivation without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The partnership addresses a critical challenge: Japan’s declining domestic demand for high-quality tea threatens traditional farming practices.
Cuzen Matcha sources USDA organic certified leaves (OCO-certified since 2011) that are specially prepared to work with the machine’s compact mill. Each matcha shot costs approximately $1 using Cuzen refills, making premium quality accessible for daily use.
Health Benefits and Versatility
Fresh matcha delivers sustained energy without the caffeine crash associated with coffee. The presence of l-theanine produces calm alertness rather than jittery feelings. Users can enjoy the matcha shot straight, in hot or iced lattes, with sparkling water, or mixed into cocktails and mocktails.
Environmental Commitment
Unlike single-serve coffee pods that contribute to plastic waste, the Matcha Maker system minimizes packaging and eliminates disposable components. The company’s mission extends beyond product sales to supporting sustainable tea production ecosystems in Japan.
From a 2020 Kickstarter campaign to becoming an award-winning brand available through direct sales and select retailers, Cuzen Matcha demonstrates that authentic Japanese tea culture can adapt to modern lifestyles without compromising quality or sustainability.
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Matcha produced by Cuzen Matcha
Cuzen Matcha offers a revolutionary approach to enjoying authentic Japanese matcha through their innovative home grinding system, recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020. Founded in January 2019 by Eijiro Tsukada and Oki Hatta, the company addresses the rapid degradation of pre-ground matcha by providing freshly-ground organic tea leaves on demand.
Product Range
Premium Blend represents the traditional matcha experience with a nuanced, umami-rich flavor profile featuring subtle tasting notes of seaweed and roasted pistachio. Composed entirely of first harvest leaves, this blend contains approximately 23-27mg of caffeine per level one shot and is best enjoyed straight in the traditional usucha (thin tea) style. The Premium blend is certified organic by both Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Signature Blend strikes a harmonious balance with a 50/50 composition of first and second harvest leaves, making it ideal for both mixed drinks and culinary applications. Each level one shot contains approximately 25mg of caffeine. This versatile blend masterfully combines the vibrant green notes of first harvest leaves with the slightly more robust character of second harvest leaves, perfect for lattes and baked goods.
Latte Blend is specifically formulated for milk-based beverages, delivering a bold flavor profile that complements both dairy and non-dairy alternatives. Primarily utilizing second harvest leaves known for their bolder taste, this blend contains an estimated 30mg of caffeine per level one shot, reflecting the higher caffeine content naturally found in second harvest leaves.
Single Origin Offerings
Cuzen Matcha’s Single Origin collection showcases the unique terroir (environmental characteristics) of Japan’s most esteemed tea-growing regions. Uji, Kyoto matcha comes from the undisputed birthplace of matcha, with a tea cultivation legacy spanning over 800 years. This region’s ideal climate, fertile soil, and time-honored farming practices yield matcha with distinctive deep umami flavor, velvety smooth texture, and vibrant green hue.
Kagoshima matcha benefits from volcanic soil and warm, temperate climate in southern Japan. These conditions contribute to a well-balanced flavor profile with both sweetness and gentle astringency, offering a slightly bolder taste compared to Uji matcha.
Grinding Technology
The company’s custom-designed ceramic mill, inspired by traditional stone grinding techniques, gently processes tea leaves without generating heat that could compromise delicate flavors and aromas. This slow grinding process produces an ultra-fine powder with a consistent particle size of approximately 10 microns, ensuring luxuriously smooth and creamy texture.
History of Cuzen Matcha
Cuzen Matcha represents a groundbreaking fusion of traditional Japanese tea culture and modern innovation. The company emerged from the vision of two entrepreneurs who recognized the fundamental problem plaguing matcha consumption worldwide: the rapid degradation of pre-ground matcha powder.
Eijiro Tsukada brought a decade of beverage industry expertise from his tenure at Suntory, where he gained invaluable insights into product development, strategic marketing, and supply chain management. His experience ignited a desire to bridge the gap between traditional Japanese tea culture and global accessibility, while preserving matcha’s delicate flavor profile. Tsukada envisioned democratizing access to freshly-ground matcha, making it a household staple worldwide.
Oki Hatta contributed his unique blend of design and technological expertise, focusing on creating user-centric products. Hatta spearheaded the design and engineering of the revolutionary Matcha Maker, ensuring seamless integration of traditional matcha preparation techniques with cutting-edge technology. His design philosophy, rooted in mindfulness and user experience, perfectly complements the Zen principles associated with matcha consumption.
The company’s innovative approach addresses a critical issue: unlike other teas, matcha involves consuming the entire leaf, making it exceptionally vulnerable to oxidation. Pre-ground matcha suffers significant loss of flavor, aroma, and vital nutrients. Cuzen Matcha’s solution provides a system that freshly grinds organic tea leaves on demand, preserving essential qualities and delivering superior freshness.
The Matcha Maker utilizes a custom-designed ceramic mill inspired by traditional stone grinding techniques. This system gently grinds tea leaves without generating heat that could compromise delicate flavors and aromas. The slow, deliberate grinding process produces ultra-fine powder with consistent 10-micron particle size, ensuring luxuriously smooth texture.
Cuzen Matcha sources from Japan’s most esteemed tea-growing regions, including Uji, Kyoto – the birthplace of matcha with over 800 years of cultivation legacy, and Kagoshima in southern Japan, known for its volcanic soil and temperate climate. Their suppliers employ the satsuma tea-picking style, a meticulous double-handed picking method that selectively harvests only the youngest, most tender leaves.
2 events from Cuzen Matcha's history
January 2019
Company Foundation
World Matcha Inc, the creator of Cuzen Matcha, was founded in California by Eijiro Tsukada and Oki Hatta. Tsukada brought a decade of beverage industry experience from Suntory, while Hatta contributed design and technological expertise to create user-centric products that bridge traditional Japanese tea culture with modern innovation.
January 2020
TIME Best Inventions Recognition
Cuzen Matcha’s Matcha Maker was recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020. The award specifically lauded the Matcha Maker’s user-friendly design and its ability to solve the pervasive problem of pre-ground matcha degradation by providing freshly-ground organic tea leaves on demand, preserving essential flavors and nutrients.
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Frequent questions
Find below some answers to the most common questions about Cuzen Matcha.
What's the difference between Cuzen Matcha's Premium Blend and Signature Blend?
Premium Blend uses 100% first harvest leaves (ichibancha) and delivers a nuanced, umami-rich flavor with tasting notes of seaweed and roasted pistachio. It contains approximately 23-27mg of caffeine per level one shot and is best enjoyed straight in traditional usucha style.
Signature Blend combines 50% first harvest and 50% second harvest leaves, creating a more balanced profile perfect for mixed drinks and recipes. It contains about 25mg of caffeine per level one shot and offers greater versatility for lattes and baking applications.
How does the Cuzen Matcha Maker's ceramic mill work?
The Cuzen Matcha Maker features a custom-designed ceramic mill inspired by traditional stone grinding techniques. This mill gently grinds whole tea leaves on demand, preventing heat generation that could compromise delicate flavors and aromas.
The slow grinding process produces an ultra-fine powder with a consistent particle size of approximately 10 microns, ensuring a luxuriously smooth and creamy texture. This innovation earned Cuzen Matcha recognition as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020 for solving the problem of pre-ground matcha degradation.
Which Cuzen Matcha blend should I choose for milk-based drinks?
The Latte Blend is specifically formulated for milk-based beverages. It primarily uses second harvest leaves that deliver a bold, robust flavor profile designed to cut through the richness of both dairy and non-dairy milk alternatives.
With approximately 30mg of caffeine per level one shot – the highest among Cuzen’s blends – the Latte Blend provides both flavor intensity and energy boost that complements creamy drinks perfectly.
What makes Cuzen Matcha's Single Origin offerings from Uji and Kagoshima unique?
Uji, Kyoto matcha comes from the birthplace of matcha with over 800 years of cultivation history. This region’s ideal climate and fertile soil produce matcha with distinctive deep umami flavor, velvety smooth texture, and vibrant green hue, characterized by subtle sweetness and lingering finish.
Kagoshima matcha benefits from volcanic soil and warm, temperate climate in southern Japan. These conditions create a well-balanced flavor profile with both sweetness and gentle astringency, offering a slightly bolder taste compared to Uji matcha for those seeking more assertive flavor.
How much caffeine is in each Cuzen Matcha blend per serving?
- Premium Blend: 23-27mg per level one shot
- Signature Blend: 25mg per level one shot
- Latte Blend: ~30mg per level one shot
The caffeine content varies based on the harvest composition, with second harvest leaves naturally containing slightly more caffeine than first harvest leaves. The Latte Blend has the highest caffeine content due to its primary use of second harvest leaves.
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