At SORATE, all of our teas are grown, harvested, and packaged in Uji, Kyoto, Japan’s oldest and most celebrated tea-growing region, on the family-owned farm of Sencha Tea creator, Nagatani Soenon.
The Green Tea processing method originated here in the 18th century.
It is a well-known secret that the highest quality Matcha is exclusively grown and produced in the rolling hills of Uji, in the ancient city of Kyoto.
The first teas to be grown in Japan were grown in Uji over 800 years ago.
Japanese tea culture was born in this region and important pillars of that culture, such as the tea ceremony, were developed in Kyoto.
As tea culture blossomed in Uji, it became a hub for skilled farmers and growers who crafted new techniques to yield the highest grade Matcha, and Uji has remained a center for innovation and talent.
Uji provides perfect conditions for the growth and harvest of high-quality Green Tea and Matcha with its misty climate, rich soil, and a wide range of temperatures between day and night.
Each leaf is specially selected and carefully picked by our farmers' skilled hands.
Today, most tea leaves are trimmed by machine, and traditional hand-picked Matcha is rarely grown and is therefore very precious.
The flavor and aroma of hand-picked tea is much more mellow and smooth than tea trimmed by machine.
Green Tea’s benefits go far beyond refreshment. By choosing to source our tea from Uji, it is a testament to our commitment here at SORATE to share only the finest Matcha and Green Tea with our customers.
For the people of Uji, tea is their pride, their livelihood, their love, and their life. The growth and harvest of Matcha and Green Tea is about family - from the farmers who cultivate each leaf with care, to the tea masters who craft the leaves with accuracy, to those of us who enjoy the taste and the way it makes us feel.
If you think you know Japanese tea, try what we have to offer.
Be the judge and taste the difference.
