KYŌ-KLUB
Stories, tea education, and rituals from our café in Amsterdam.
Walk into most Japanese tea shops and matcha gets all the attention. Hojicha sits quietly in the back, often misunderstood as matcha's milder cousin. That undersells it considerably.
People often describe matcha as giving them clean energy compared to coffee. Alert, but without the jitters or the crash an hour later. That description isn't just marketing language. There's a real compound behind it: L-theanine.
Most people's first matcha experience involves clumps floating in lukewarm water. The difference between that and a smooth, vibrant bowl of usucha almost always comes down to technique, not the matcha itself.
Amsterdam has a vibrant matcha scene. From the quiet Jordaan to the lively Pijp, here are the places where you can expect a genuinely good cup of matcha, and what you can learn from each one.
Not all matcha is created equal. Understanding the difference between ceremonial and culinary grade will transform the way you experience Japanese green tea, and help you choose the right one for your ritual.