FAQ

Welcome to our FAQ page! We're here to help! 

Here we'll answer some of our most commonly asked questions about our matcha. 

(Quick Link to Shipping Questions)

 About Mizuba Matcha in General

1) Who is Mizuba? What is Mizuba Matcha all about? 

• Mizuba is a pure, farm-direct matcha green tea company that works personally with our friends and farmers in Uji, Japan! We are value-driven to honor and uphold traditional shade-grown and stone-milled matcha green tea. Over the past 11 years, we have since grown to support 8 small, family-run farms across the country for a heritage loose leaf collection as well. 
• We never set out to be a business, but it was such a gift for our farmers to share this beautiful matcha with us. Our relationships with our producers drive what makes Mizuba and we are a conduit and platform for their work. We work hard to represent their craft well and to make this exceptional matcha accessible to you! 
• Check out more on our "About Us" page.

2) What is matcha green tea? 

• The best place to learn all about matcha is our Learn page, as well as our blog! We have many educational articles all about the finer points of matcha, but we can give a quick rundown here.
• Matcha is the only tea to have been used in the Japanese tea ceremony for over 800 years. Matcha comes from the same plant all tea comes from (the Camellia sinensis). Matcha can only be matcha if Tencha tea leaves have been properly shade-grown and stone-ground into a fine powder - called matcha! 
• Matcha is 100% pure stone-ground tea leaf. You consume the entire leaf, and therefore receive 100% of the leaf's health benefits! 

 3) So what are the health benefits?

• Matcha is a beautiful experience. That is our favorite benefit. But here are few other amazing properties of matcha. 
• Matcha is concentrated chlorophyll - which helps keep your circulatory system moving & therefore is very anti-inflammatory. 
• Matcha has high concentrations of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine binds with caffeine to not let you spike, crash, or jitter. It is said to help reduce stress and promote relaxation. 
• Matcha is highly concentrated in catechins These are the same super-antioxidants found in blueberries, pomegranates, and açai that fight free-radicals! 

3.5) Ok - so just how many nutrients & antioxidants are there in your tea? 

• Here's the breakdown! Per 100g of leaves, Matcha has: 

4) Is your matcha from Japan? 

• 100%! 
• We personally know our friends and matcha producers in the historic home of matcha: Uji, Japan
• Uji is special because it is where the first tea seeds were planted in the nation, as well as being the birthplace of the iconic Japanese Tea Ceremony (cha-no-yu). 
• Read our blog about the history of Uji and this blog about the history of the matcha in Japan.

We at Mizuba are forever committed to pure, authentic Japanese matcha green tea! 

5) Is Mizuba Matcha certified radiation-free, heavy metal-free, non-GMO, and certified organic? 

- Yes, yes, yes, and yes! We carry official JAS organic certification on the majority of our teas. Check each product page to learn more. 

 6) Is Matcha caffeinated? 

- Yes. Matcha contains about 72mg of caffeine per serving (about 1 teaspoon, or 3 grams). However, that caffeine is inhibited by quality matcha's high concentration of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine binds with caffeine to not let you spike, crash, or jitter. Monks in Japan have described the feeling of matcha's caffeine as a "calm alertness." In other words, L-theanine inhibits the caffeine so it is released over a long period of time. 

 7) Do any of your matcha teas contain sugar? 

- Absolutely not!!!! Our matcha is 100% pure green tea. There are absolutely no fillers or other ingredients besides pure, stone-ground tea leaf! 

 8) How do I make matcha tea? 

- We have nifty videos for you to watch! View them here.

 9) I own a coffee shop. I am a barista. How do I make your matcha at our shop? 

- we LOVE coffee shops!!! Mizuba has over 16 years of professional barista experience and we're incredibly passionate about bar flow and serving this 800-year old tea well.  E-mail us on our wholesale page! 

10) What's the deal with the foil bag inside some of your tins? 

- You may notice that our Daily, Okumidori, Kokoro, and Tsuji-san single cultivar series tins do include an interior foil bag to house the matcha, whereas our House and Nagomi tins do not (where the tea is directly inside the tin). The foil bag is a choice made by tea producers. Some producers feel the bag is helpful to prevent oxidation and help preserve the freshness of the tea, while others don't believe it necessary. Overall, all our tea is impeccably sealed to be shelf-stable for 1 year. Regardless of which tin you have, please refrigerate after opening to help prevent oxidation and ensure you can enjoy fresh tea. 

Orders + Shipping

10) How do you ship your teas, and how long will my order take to arrive?

 - We ship our matcha via USPS first class and priority mail based on the weight of your order. We  process our orders Monday-Friday, and our orders ship in general within 1-3 days of your order. You will receive a shipping confirmation email with your order & tracking details upon shipment. We are actual humans who work diligently to ensure your orders ship as fast as possible. We absolutely love sending matcha mail! :)

11) Do you ship internationally? 

- Yes! You have the option of picking standard mail or DHL at checkout. 

- We also partner with Per Cup – a marketplace that specializes in cheaper shipping for international customers. Please find Mizuba's listing here: https://percup.com/collections/mizuba-tea-co

17) How do you process credit cards? 

 - All credit card and transaction information is protected by the same level of security used by banks: a 256-bit SSL certificate. Of course, we work with PayPal too! 

18) Are you conscious of the environment?

- Yes and we strive to do our best with the resources available to us! 95% of our packaging material is secondhand or recycled. We use cornstarch, soluble packing peanuts that dissolve in water. Our single-serve matcha packets are compostable, and their case recyclable. Our shipping labels are zero-waste. We are always thinking of ways to innovate our company, be green, and keep our Earth beautiful!

You can check out our on-going initiatives by clicking here.
 

19) You have such great reviews. Are they even real? 
- Yes! Our system does not allow us to write our own reviews on our website (also, we're absolutely not about those weird, sketchy business ethics). Each and every review is written by wonderful individuals who truly love their #matchamoment! Feel free to leave us a review on any product page. We're so, so thankful for all the matcha we've shared over the past 11 years and each review is 100% honest feedback we've received! 

21) Where can I find your teas in real life? 

- We have a map on our where to find Mizuba page! Find it under our "About" tab on our homepage. It's a fancy map where you can click exactly what Mizuba matcha you're looking for, or who serves our lattes or treats! 

22) Do you have a rewards or loyalty program? 

- Yes, we do! We like to call it the matcha moments program and you can earn gold stars! Every dollar spent is a gold star earned. You also earn gold stars on your birthday, special bonus weekends (see our newsletter!), and for sharing Mizuba on Facebook & Twitter. There are loads of wonderful prizes to earn! Check it out by logging into your account or by clicking the button "Matcha Moment Rewards" on the lower left side of our homepage.

23) Can I ask you more questions? 

- Certainly! The best way to contact us is by e-mail: info@mizubatea.com or via our website's Contact Us page.