Encha

Encha emerged from an unlikely intersection of Silicon Valley engineering and Japanese tea tradition. The company’s story begins with Li Gong, a Stanford University Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, who discovered his calling during a transformative experience in Uji, Japan in the early 2010s.

Working as a busy professional who relied on coffee to combat jet lag during work trips, Li Gong found himself experiencing anxiety and unclear thoughts from his caffeine dependence. This changed dramatically when he encountered the focused energy and clarity derived from delicate, organically farmed matcha in Uji, Japan’s most renowned matcha-producing region.

The contrast was striking – where coffee induced anxiety, matcha provided calm focus. Inspired by the zen-like tea ceremony depicted in the film ‘Ask This of Rikyu’, Li Gong founded Encha in 2014 with a mission to share this superior source of energy and well-being with others.

From its inception, Encha established direct relationships with organic farms in Uji, Japan, a region celebrated for producing the world’s finest matcha due to its unique terroir. The company’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices became foundational, ensuring their matcha promotes both personal well-being and contributes to a healthier planet.

Encha developed a distinctive two-grade system: Ceremonial Grade crafted from the most premium first-harvest leaves plucked each spring from late April to mid-May, and Latte Grade made from standard high-quality first-harvest leaves. Both grades maintain the company’s strict organic standards and traditional production methods.

The company achieved both USDA and JAS organic certifications, guaranteeing production without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Encha goes beyond basic organic requirements, conducting rigorous third-party testing for heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and arsenic, with results available upon request.

Traditional production methods remain central to Encha’s identity. The tea plants are shaded for approximately 20 days before harvest using traditional methods, increasing chlorophyll content and enhancing L-theanine production. The selected leaves are meticulously ground using traditional granite stone mills operated at deliberately slow speeds of 20-40 RPM to preserve delicate flavors and nutrients.