More to Discover
IKICHA began with a simple curiosity:
What if there was more to matcha than we thought?
I've been drinking matcha for almost a decade. Being particularly sensitive to caffeine, I was drawn to matcha as a way to support my energy throughout the day — a source of caffeine that felt gentler and more sustained for me.
I've also spent years working in hospitality, primarily as a barista, with a little time behind the bar, and it's made me appreciate just how personal our relationship with drinks can be.
I've watched people come through the same doors every morning, around the same time, ordering the same familiar cup before work.
It's a small thing.
But it's their thing.
A familiar drink to start the day. A few quiet minutes before work. Something they look forward to in the middle of a busy day.
Over time, I've come to love that about drinks — how something so simple can become a little ritual, and sometimes, a little joy.
And I began to wonder:
Why couldn't matcha be that for more people?
Beyond the expected
When I first started drinking matcha, I didn't know there was so much to discover.
As I became more curious, I started learning about different cultivars, harvests, origins, processing and preparation — and, most importantly, I started paying attention to how different matchas actually tasted.
Some were bright and grassy.
Some were creamy and nutty.
Some were floral, sweet, savoury or deeply umami.
It changed the way I thought about matcha.
I realised that there isn't one single flavour that defines it, and there isn't one single way to appreciate it.
Even the things we often use to describe a "good" matcha don't tell the whole story.
A first harvest/ceremonial grade isn't automatically the right matcha for everyone. A single cultivar isn't necessarily better than a blend. And the deepest green doesn't always mean the one you'll enjoy most.
Taste is personal.
And that's where our curiosity begins.
There's no perfect way to enjoy matcha
We believe matcha should be something you can make your own.
You don't need the perfect chasen, the perfect bowl, or a perfectly styled setup to enjoy it.
Of course, there are techniques that can help bring out the best in a matcha — and we want to share those with you.
But preparation should never feel like a test you can fail.
Make it with the tools you have.
Drink it straight.
Add milk.
Make it sweet.
Keep it simple.
Experiment.
If it brings you joy, that's part of the ritual.
Learning to love matcha
Think about coffee.
Many of us didn't start with an appreciation for an Americano or a long black.
Maybe our first taste was something sweet.
A coffee candy.
A mocha cake.
A vanilla latte.
Or, for little me, a caramel Frappuccino
We didn't start by loving the bitterness of coffee itself. Little by little, we became familiar with the flavour.
And eventually, some of us started wanting to taste the coffee itself.
We see matcha in much the same way.
If your first thought was "matcha tastes like grass," we understand.
It does.
That grassy, vegetal character is part of what makes matcha matcha — and for some of us, it's exactly what we look for.
But there is so much more to discover around it.
Our vision
IKICHA is here to help you explore that world.
We're starting with two matchas, each with its own personality.
ASA is bright, refreshing and approachable, with a distinctive matcha character and a naturally sweet, smooth finish.
SENJA is deeper and more expressive, with creamy, nutty and biscuit-like notes that hold beautifully with milk.
They're not here to tell you which matcha is better.
They're here to help you start noticing the difference.
And as IKICHA grows, our hope is to bring you even more matchas, flavours, preparations and experiences — so you can keep exploring until you find the ones that feel like yours.
Because we don't want to tell you how to enjoy matcha.
We want to give you more ways to discover it.
Taste. Explore. Find yours.
Welcome to IKICHA.