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Gotcha Matcha: Direct-Sourcing Brand, Uji and Nishio

Gotcha Matcha sources shade-grown Japanese tea from Uji and Nishio, offering ceremonial and cafe grades for whisking, lattes, and baking.
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Who is Gotcha Matcha?

Gotcha Matcha is a matcha brand that sources from the renowned Japanese regions of Uji and Nishio. Its ceremonial-grade matcha uses only the first spring harvest, ichibancha, and the youngest leaves, delivering a smooth, umami-rich profile with no astringency.

The brand works directly with long-established tea farms that shade plants with Kanreisha cloth, then steam, air-dry, and stone-grind the leaves. Ceremonial-grade lots draw on cultivars like Samidori, Gokou, and Uji-hikari, and are hand-picked (tezumi) for utmost purity.

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Gotcha Matcha products

Gotcha Matcha has 2 products on the platform.
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Gotcha Matcha $11.0 / 100 g

Matcha Source Bamboo Chashaku Tea Scoop

Bamboo Tea Scoop from Matcha Source: the classic chashaku bamboo tea spoon for transferring matcha from the package to your bowl or blender.

$10
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Gotcha Matcha $13.3 / 100 g

Gotcha Matcha Traditional 100 Prong Bamboo Whisk

Traditional 100-prong bamboo matcha whisk, hand cut from a single piece of bamboo, for whisking matcha in a zig-zag motion to a light foam.

$24
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Elevated wellness through authentic Japanese matcha

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Gotcha Matcha in details

Gotcha Matcha brings authentic Japanese tea culture to wellness enthusiasts seeking more than just another green powder. Since 2019, this brand has built its reputation on sourcing pure, shade-grown matcha exclusively from Japan’s most renowned tea regions—Uji and Nishio—where centuries-old cultivation methods meet rigorous quality standards.

Sourced from Japan’s Premier Tea Regions

The difference starts at the source. Gotcha Matcha works directly with family-owned farms in Uji and Nishio, areas celebrated for producing Japan’s finest ceremonial-grade tea. These farms practice traditional shade-covering techniques that boost chlorophyll and amino acid content, resulting in matcha with naturally sweet, umami-rich flavor profiles. Every tin contains 100% pure green tea from Japan—no sugar, additives, or preservatives.

Quality You Can Taste and Trust

Rigorous testing sets this brand apart. All products undergo comprehensive screening for radiation, lead, and other contaminants. Tea farms receive regular inspections for water, air, and soil quality. The result is USDA Organic Certified matcha that meets the highest safety standards while delivering exceptional taste.

Gotcha Matcha’s Ceremony Grade showcases first-harvest leaves picked at peak tenderness. Stone-ground to preserve nutrients, it offers rich flavor with lush vanilla notes and zero bitterness. Each teaspoon provides 35mg of caffeine—half that of coffee—paired with L-theanine for calm, sustained energy without jitters.

From Daily Rituals to Creative Recipes

The brand’s versatile lineup serves different needs:

  • Ceremony Grade Organic: Premium first-harvest matcha for traditional preparation and lattes
  • Cafe Grade: Ideal for smoothies, baking, and culinary applications
  • Matcha+CBD: An innovative blend combining wellness benefits

A 30-gram tin delivers 30 to 35 servings, making quality matcha accessible for daily consumption. Free shipping on subscriptions and multi-tea purchases removes barriers to maintaining a consistent wellness practice.

A Mission Rooted in Mindfulness

Gotcha Matcha exists to create kindness, compassion, and wellness through the joy of matcha green tea. The brand views each cup not just as nutrition but as a mindful ritual—a moment to pause, prepare, and find balance. From sourcing to packaging, every decision reflects this commitment to authenticity and the transformative power of genuine Japanese matcha.

About the Gotcha Matcha Matcha

Gotcha Matcha offers a curated selection of premium matcha, with beverages elevated using ceremonial-grade tea for an exceptionally smooth experience.

Grades

  • Ceremonial Grade is crafted from the youngest, fully de-stemmed leaves, giving a rich, creamy texture with a verdant vegetal essence, natural sweetness, and no astringency. Its vibrant green reflects careful shade-covering, gentle steaming, and stone-grinding, and it draws on cultivars such as Samidori, Gokou, or Uji-hikari.
  • Cafe Grade is the versatile option for lattes, smoothies, and culinary use. Made from more mature leaves with some stem and vein, it keeps the shade-covered, chlorophyll-rich quality while offering a bolder profile with a hint of astringency to balance the sweetness.

Production

All teas are shade-covered for higher chlorophyll and amino acids, steamed, air-dried, and ground on hand-carved stone wheels in small batches, yielding a delicate, slightly sweet flavor.

Harvest location

Gotcha Matcha sources through partnerships with long-established tea farms in Japan's distinguished regions, particularly Uji and Nishio. It especially values Uji matcha for its smoother, richer flavour, working with farms whose rolling hills and misty valleys give ideal growing conditions.

Shading

For at least three to four weeks before harvest, partner farms shade the plants with tarps or bamboo mats to raise chlorophyll and L-theanine. The Kanreisha method, using synthetic cloth canopies, is favoured for good air and moisture flow, though some farms still use the traditional Honzu method with reeds and straw for a more complex shading environment.

Harvest and picking

Hand-picking, or tezumi, is reserved for the ceremonial grade, taking only the youngest, most tender leaves, while machine harvesting serves other grades. The brand prioritises the first harvest of spring, ichibancha, capturing the season's peak flavour.

Gotcha Matcha History

Gotcha Matcha was founded in 2019 by Alissa White, after a friend introduced her to matcha and inspired a mission to educate others about its rituals and benefits. Her earlier travels to Thailand had sparked an appreciation for tea cultures.

In June 2019, White partnered with Ludlow Kingsley to build the brand, and in 2020 the company established partnerships with tea farms in Japan's Uji and Nishio regions. Its first physical café opened in 2021.

January 1, 2019

Gotcha Matcha Founded

Alissa White founded Gotcha Matcha after experiencing a transformative 'love at first sight' moment with matcha shared by a friend. Her travels to Thailand had previously sparked an appreciation for vibrant tea cultures, but this pivotal encounter inspired her mission to educate others about matcha's profound benefits and time-honored rituals.

June 1, 2019

Partnership with Ludlow Kingsley

Alissa White joined forces with Ludlow Kingsley to create an elevated wellness brand focused on empowering individuals to confidently purchase and prepare matcha tea. This partnership provided the strategic foundation needed to transform a personal passion into a comprehensive matcha education and retail platform.

March 1, 2020

Japanese Farm Partnerships Established

Gotcha Matcha established partnerships with centuries-old tea farms in Japan's most distinguished growing regions of Uji and Nishio. These relationships ensured access to premium matcha produced using traditional shade-covering techniques, precise steaming, air-drying, and stone-grinding on hand-carved wheels, maintaining authentic Japanese cultivation methods.

September 1, 2021

First Café Location Opens

Gotcha Matcha expanded beyond online retail to open its first physical café location, offering innovative flavor combinations like mango matcha and hojicha latte. This space became a community hub celebrating morning rituals, beautiful objects, and great food, embodying the brand's philosophy of creating experiences rather than just selling tea.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.

What makes Gotcha Matcha's approach different since they use Ceremonial grade in all their beverages?

Gotcha Matcha elevates every single beverage with Ceremonial grade matcha, which is highly unusual in the industry. Most brands reserve ceremonial grade exclusively for traditional tea ceremonies due to its premium cost.

This means whether you order a latte, smoothie, or any café drink, you're getting matcha made from the youngest, most tender leaves that are completely de-stemmed. The result is a rich, creamy texture with natural sweetness and zero astringency - qualities typically found only in the highest-grade matcha preparations.

How does Gotcha Matcha's founder Alissa White's 2019 epiphany in Thailand influence their current offerings?

Alissa White's transformative experience in 2019 wasn't just about discovering matcha - it sparked her mission to educate others about matcha's profound benefits and time-honored rituals. This founding vision directly shapes Gotcha Matcha's approach today.

Rather than simply selling tea, they focus on empowering customers to confidently embrace and prepare matcha. Their partnership with Ludlow Kingsley reflects this educational philosophy, creating an elevated wellness brand that celebrates morning rituals, beautiful objects, and community building around matcha culture.

Why does Gotcha Matcha prioritize Uji matcha specifically over other Japanese regions?

While Gotcha Matcha sources from both Uji and Nishio regions, they prioritize Uji matcha for its distinctively smoother, richer flavor profile. Uji, located near Kyoto, is renowned as Japan's most prestigious matcha-growing region with centuries of tea cultivation expertise.

  • Smoother taste - Uji's unique terroir produces matcha with less astringency
  • Richer flavor complexity - Traditional cultivation methods enhance depth
  • Historical significance - Uji represents the pinnacle of Japanese tea artistry

This focus on Uji sourcing ensures every cup delivers the luxuriously smooth experience that defines the Gotcha Matcha difference.

What's the difference between Gotcha Matcha's Ceremonial and Cafe grades in terms of leaf selection?

Ceremonial Grade uses only the youngest, most tender leaves that are completely de-stemmed, creating a rich, creamy, and vegetal taste with natural sweetness and no astringency. This grade features the vibrant green color from meticulous shade-covering and stone-grinding processes.

Cafe Grade incorporates slightly more mature leaves with a bit of stem and vein in the blend, making it robust enough for lattes and culinary applications while maintaining shade-covered, chlorophyll-rich quality. The flavor profile offers a delightful balance with a hint of astringency to temper the sweetness.

How does Gotcha Matcha's stone-grinding process affect the final product compared to modern methods?

Gotcha Matcha uses traditional hand-carved stone grinding wheels that produce only about 40 grams of matcha per hour - a testament to their commitment to preserving delicate flavor and aroma. This time-honored process is crucial for maintaining quality.

The stone-grinding method prevents heat buildup that could damage the matcha's cellular structure, preserving the delicate, slightly sweet flavor with hints of vanilla that characterizes their matcha. This careful process, combined with their shade-covering, steaming, and air-drying techniques, ensures the complete absence of bitterness, especially in their coveted first harvest Ichibancha leaves.