About Sorate

Our Founder's Story

Sorate was born from a moment of clarity. A solo road trip through Japan that I took when I knew I needed to slow down and reconnect with myself.

Somewhere between the rice fields and winding mountain roads, I found something I hadn't expected: stillness. It came not from doing less, but from doing certain things with intention. At a small, family-run tea farm in Uji, in the south of Kyoto, I watched the rhythm of the day unfold around a simple ritual: the reflexive pause of a tea break. Nothing dramatic. Just presence. It was there I understood that serenity isn't a destination; it's a daily practice.

I came home carrying that lesson like a gift. Green tea became my anchor. It also inspired the way we share ceremonial matcha with others.

Growing up in Italy, I'd always known this feeling, though I'd never named it. The morning espresso at sunrise — that sacred pause before the world rushes in — is its own kind of meditation. A moment of clarity before the leap.

Sorate is born from both of these worlds. It's a love letter to Japan, which taught me mindfulness, and to Italy, which taught me to find beauty in the everyday. Two cultures, one philosophy: that small, intentional rituals are the quiet foundation of a life well-lived.

— Silvia Mella, Founder

Our Roots in Uji, Kyoto

A Legacy of Tea Cultivation

Sorate Tea and Matcha are grown in Ujitawara-cho, the small countryside town in Kyoto prefecture, where the farmer Nagatani Soen invented the method of manufacturing Japanese green tea in the middle of the Edo period.

This is also the place where the first tea tree seed was planted by a Japanese Buddhist priest who imported both Zen Buddhism and green tea to Japan from China around 700 A.D. and advised the priests in Uji on how to cultivate and produce the beverage.

Today, well-organized tea plantations stretch out on the green hillsides surrounding the town.

In Uji, our farmers still hand-pick the leaf that is softest and freshest. This method is most often used for the manufacturing of premium-grade and competition grade.

The pleasant scenery where the residences of the farmers and their tea plantations lie side by side is the typical landscape made by tea productions which they are all very proud of.

While Uji is a relatively small area of cultivation, producing only 3% of Japan's total green tea production, it is world famous for its outstandingly fine quality Green Tea and Matcha. Learn more about Uji.

Meet Our Tea Master

Keiko Kitazawa — 25+ Years of Tea Ceremony Mastery

At Sorate, our commitment to authenticity is guided by Keiko Kitazawa (宗紫), one of the highest-ranking tea ceremony authorities in the United States. With over 25 years of study in Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, and 15 years of teaching in New York and New Jersey, Keiko holds certification as an Omotesenke Style Tea Ceremony Instructor and serves as Secretary General of the Omotesenke Domonkai Eastern Region. Her mastery ensures every cup of Sorate matcha reflects the true spirit of tea: precision, presence, and respect for tradition.

Visit Our Teahouse in SoHo

Experience our teahouse in person at 103 Sullivan Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood. Step inside for an authentic tea ceremony led by our certified tea master, or simply enjoy a quiet moment with a bowl of ceremonial matcha. The space, designed in collaboration with Venice-based Studio Architecture AMAA, combines Japanese design principles with warm, intimate hospitality, a physical embodiment of the ritual we share.

Experience the Ritual

Explore Sorate's teas, matcha, and tools for making space for a thoughtful cup at home.

Sorate was born from a moment of clarity. A solo road trip through Japan that I took when I knew I needed to slow down and reconnect with myself.

Somewhere between the rice fields and winding mountain roads, I found something I hadn't expected: stillness. It came not from doing less, but from doing certain things with intention. At a small, family-run tea farm in Uji, in the south of Kyoto, I watched the rhythm of the day unfold around a simple ritual: the reflexive pause of a tea break. Nothing dramatic. Just presence. It was there I understood that serenity isn't a destination; it's a daily practice.

I came home carrying that lesson like a gift. Green tea became my anchor.

Growing up in Italy, I'd always known this feeling, though I'd never named it. The morning espresso at sunrise — that sacred pause before the world rushes in — is its own kind of meditation. A moment of clarity before the leap.

Sorate is born from both of these worlds. It's a love letter to Japan, which taught me mindfulness, and to Italy, which taught me to find beauty in the everyday. Two cultures, one philosophy: that small, intentional rituals are the quiet foundation of a life well-lived.

— Silvia Mella, Founder

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Sorate Tea and Matcha are grown in Ujitawara-cho, the small countryside town in Kyoto prefecture, where the farmer Nagatani Soen invented the method of manufacturing Japanese green tea in the middle of the Edo period. 

This is also the place where the first tea tree seed was planted by a Japanese Buddhist priest who imported both Zen Buddhism and green tea to Japan from China around 700 A.D.—in fact advised the priests in Uji on how to cultivate and produce the beverage.

Today, well-organized tea plantations stretch out on the green hillsides surrounding the town.

In Uji, our farmers still hand-pick the leaf that is softest and freshest. This method is most often used for the manufacturing of premium-grade and competition grade.

The pleasant scenery where the residences of the farmers and their tea plantations lie side by side is the typical landscape made by tea productions which they are all very proud of.

While Uji is a relatively small area of cultivation, producing only 3% of Japan’s total green tea production; it is world famous for its outstandingly fine quality Green Tea and Matcha.