Nishi no Mori is a luminous, vivid green matcha with an aroma that recalls fresh young greens, lightly grilled rice cracker and the gentle sweetness of sliced melon. There is a bright, clean greenness in the powder itself — the kind you get from crisp mizuna or the snap of a snow pea.
As usucha, it is remarkably refined. The first sip opens with a natural sweetness and a soft floral lift, followed by an unbelievably bright green vegetal note. The flavour is refreshing and almost juicy, reminiscent of melon, muscat grapes and tender spring greens. The texture is silky with no bitterness, ending in a clean lingering sweetness. This is a connoisseur’s usucha — expressive, elegant and an absolute pleasure to drink.
With milk, it performs best with only a splash. This keeps the sweetness and clean green notes intact while allowing a gentle melon-milk fruitiness to come through. Light, floral and subtly creamy without losing the clarity that makes this matcha so special.
AOI Seicha originates from Nishio in Aichi prefecture, a region with more than 800 years of matcha history dating back to the 13th century. Its emblem, the hollyhock crest, is linked to the Honda family, a samurai clan that rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods and shares lineage with the Tokugawa Shogunate crest.
In the early Taisho era in the 1900s, Honda Yasutaro reclaimed farmland in Nishio and founded the first AOI tea fields. Production shifted from hand-crafted methods to mechanised processing in the 1930s under Meiji Honda, whose leadership elevated Nishio tea across Japan. AOI Seicha’s 1955 Tencha division win at the National Tea Competition cemented its reputation. Successive generations have continued refining production so Nishio matcha can be enjoyed worldwide today.
Serving Recommendations
Usucha (Thin Tea) Recommended amount per cup: 2g
Servings Per Tin: 15 cups
Water Temperature: 60-80ml of water at 80ºC
Weight | 30g
Origin | Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
