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The Alchemy of Tea

@thealchemyoftea

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🍵 Authentic Japanese Matcha since 2014
🌱 Speciality Teas
🎓 Tea Education & Immersion
🪷 Curated by @jessbonintea
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Tea is a shapeshifter. One plant, infinite voices. 
She speaks in whispers of smoke, perfume, and blossoms. 
In her veins, mist and rain, sun and shadow, soil and stone. 
Her leaf has stirred wars, crowned emperors, comforted the broken, and inspired the seeker. 
Tea is a transmutation of essence, a subtle unveiling of hidden potential, awakened through delicate, intentional craft. 
Camellia whispers immortality through awakening. 
She, the only one truly called tea, is a quiet path to unity. Tea ushers you home. Learn more about the Queen of the Camellias in our online courses. Link in the bio 🦋 #tea #teaceremony #chadao #wabicha #wabi #tao #philosophy #teapractice #onlinecourse by @thealchemyoftea
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a year ago
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This is the alchemy of tea. A devoted love story. What an epic pilgrimage this continues to be. The way of tea is such that you reckon with yourself, ceaselessly. Tea is a great dharma. Take refuge, stay the path and trust in its beautiful process. by @thealchemyoftea
34
4 months ago
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Matcha invites respect. Every gesture is a conversation beyond words. Peace lives here, waiting. This is the way of matcha, Where harmony becomes habit, And every bowl is a journey back to the self. If you want to learn more about Matcha, sign up for our free course. Link in the bio 🍵➡️ 📹 @clairegunnphoto #matcha #chanoyu #wabicha #thewayoftea #matchalover #matchalatte #teaceremony by @thealchemyoftea
4
a year ago
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What is Umami? Umami うま味 translates as “deliciousness” or “the quality of being tasty” in Japanese. Umami is recognised as the fifth basic taste, alongside the classic four tastes of salt, sweet, bitter and sour. Umami is uniquely triggered by a chemical called glutamate, and can be enhanced by other compounds. In matcha specifically, umami comes from a combination of glutamate and L-theanine, the dominant free amino acid that builds up during leaf-shading. Both compounds activate the same umami receptor T1R1+T1R3, the actual biological switch inside your taste buds that detects savoury flavour and sends the signal to your brain. It is the only taste interpreted across your entire palate, tongue, throat and even through the nose. This gives umami its distinctive lingering, mouth-coating quality that feels fuller and more rounded than the sharper basic tastes. It is truly a full sensory experience! Umami is considered a savoury flavour that can communicate many variations such as seaweed, spinach, fish, mushroom, salt, meat and even metallic minerals. Classic sources of Umami include tomatoes, aged cheeses, soy, mushrooms and rich foods that deliver that deep, satisfying, all-encompassing savouriness. Different matcha’s, depending on the cultivar, region and processing, carry different umami notes. In combination with the other tastes such as sweetness and bitterness, thus carrying a cascade of enjoyment. Premium matcha often shows the strongest, most complex umami, turning a simple bowl into something layered, memorable, and deeply satisfying. The umami compounds are associated with blood pressure support / antihypertensive activity, improved gut health, increased satiety and better control of food intake, enhanced nutritional status and appetite, plus antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. #matcha #umami #matchalover #matchalatte #tea by @thealchemyoftea
0
24 days ago
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Is your matcha quality dwindling? With the increase in First Flush production of Tencha leaves for the purpose of making matcha, the overall quality of what is available on the market is dwindling. New inexperienced entrants have saturated the market with poorly produced tea and long standing producers are converting production processes to simpler techniques. Some are even questioning whether we can even call what is on the market matcha. What do you think? With relationships of 14 years, we source from small-scale, family run producers who have been in the game for centuries. Our matcha is produced using traditional processes, not simply first flush for grinding. The flavour profiles are matched by selecting each leaf with care, and batches are produced every 3 months for freshness. Be discerning in your matcha choices. #matcha by @thealchemyoftea
1
25 days ago
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🍵 How much matcha should you use in your cup? Many matcha bars, brands and influencers advocate using 3 grams of matcha. Traditionally, “Koicha”, which means thick tea, is prepared with around 3.75g of matcha, while “Usucha”, which means thin tea, uses roughly half that amount, around 1.8 to 2g. Koicha uses the highest-quality matcha because it is so concentrated that the tea itself has to carry the entire flavour experience. There is very little water and no foam to dilute or soften the characteristics of the matcha. Any bitterness, astringency, roughness or other undesirable qualities are therefore immediately apparent. A genuinely excellent matcha can withstand that concentration because its flavour is sufficiently rich, sweet and umami-driven to remain balanced. Because usucha is deliberately prepared as a lighter more aerated tea, the foam and greater water ratio make it possible for matcha with characteristics that would be unacceptable in a koicha concentration to still produce a balanced cup. Therefore, the aim is not to add more matcha to get more flavour when diluting matcha in a latte. If it’s a great quality, you shouldn’t need any dilution at all and should be able to drink 3g with 60ml of water. If you’re needing more, your quality likely isn’t all it’s made out to be; either lacking the flavour intensity you should expect, or because you are using the wrong grade for your application. It’s simple chemistry. A good matcha holds its own. ➡️ The grade of matcha needs to suit the application. A nuanced high-grade matcha can require more than 2g in a latte because milk mutes its more delicate flavours, not because it’s a better quality. This is why barista-grade matcha exists . It is selected for a flavour profile that works with milk and still gives you the flavour you are paying for. You can essentially be spending up to twice what you need to by making a latte with ceremonial matcha when a good barista-grade matcha would be better suited to the application. The right grade for the right application will ensure you get your money’s worth, and your flavour’s worth. ➡️ Monme was an old Japanese unit of weight, predating the metric syst by @thealchemyoftea
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a month ago
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Tea in a train. A beautiful evening of tasting 4 speciality Japanese teas was had in the iconic and quaint train cart at @sirocco__cafe. Tea sommelier @jessbonintea served delighted guests Sencha, Genmaicha, Hojicha and a high-grade first flush matcha used for Koicha. Thank you lovely tea guests for your presence, receptivity and beautiful engagement. Thank you @sirocco__cafe for having us. Have you tried these teas? by @thealchemyoftea
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a month ago
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Introducing the founder of Jade Samurai Sparkling Matcha, Jessica Bonin. Jessica is an award-winning entrepreneur, tea sommelier and formal student of Chanoyu, the Japanese Matcha ceremony. 🚚 In 2010, she launched South Africa’s first food truck selling tea. 🍵 In 2014, she introduced the first commercial matcha brand to South Africa. 🧋In 2016, she opened South Africa’s first Tea Bar. 🫧🍵 And in 2026, she launches South Africa’s first Sparkling Matcha, Jade Samurai. Get Early Access → link in bio #matcha #sparklingmatcha #jadesamurai #southafrica #matchalover by @thealchemyoftea
42
a month ago
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Join me this Friday 4th September at @sirocco__cafe for a Japanese Tea tasting of 4 select @thealchemyoftea speciality delights sourced from small-scale family run farms in Japan. Explore the genealogy, culture and sensory delight of these unique and exquisite teas. The evening will be held in the gorgeous and famous train. I look forward to sipping tea with you. by @thealchemyoftea
1
2 months ago
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We're serving matcha. But not just any matcha. 🍵 We weren't interested in adding matcha simply because it was trending. We wanted to find one that felt right for Honest. That's why we've partnered with our good friend Jess Bonin from @thealchemyoftea to bring 100% first flush Japanese matcha to our chocolate cafés, specifically blended for a premium matcha latte. Ethically sourced, beautifully prepared and made to be enjoyed slowly. 📍Now available at both of our Chocolate Cafés: Wale Street & Kalk Bay #honestchocolate #honestchocolatecafe #matcha #capetown taken in Cape Town, Western Cape by @thealchemyoftea
6
3 months ago
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This past Sunday, I hosted my second Matcha workshop with 11 incredible guests, 2 of which were very engaged and smart kiddos! It always amazes me how tea, being a mechanism of connectivity and sharing, always brings the perfect dynamic together. We explored the rich history and genealogy of matcha, its masters, lineages, processing methods, terroirs and of course how to taste, discern and properly prepare this ancient elixir. We sipped tea and ate the most insanely delicious chocolate from @honestchocolate, our gracious hosts. Then, to end it off, I performed Hirademae, which is a standard tea preparation process for Matcha in a ceremonial context. I received the most amazing feedback and my heart is so full of gratitude for this precious opportunity. I have a series of tea events lined up for the next few months, stay tuned for a cascade of sensory journeys. If you’d like to keep informed on my events, you can follow me on sociable under “alchemyoftea”, or sign up to my newsletter via linktree in my bio. I look forward to sharing tea. Thank you to my sensei for the ongoing support and encouragement to share my practice as I continue to learn and grow as a lifelong student of Chanoyu. by @thealchemyoftea
2
4 months ago
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Join me for an intimate Matcha Workshop on the depths, history, grading, quality, preparation and tradition of this incredible elixir. Enjoy a Japanese tea and chocolate pairing from @honestchocolate and take home a gift bag of tea. 📅 21 June 2026 🕰️ 11h00-13h00 📌 Honest Chocolate Cafe, Wale street, CPT 🪽 R 650 pp DM or 0836282504 to book. Link to quicker in bio by @thealchemyoftea
3
4 months ago
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