How should you store matcha after opening?
Written by Dian VAULTIER·
In Brief
- Matcha is a whole-leaf powder: its contact surface with the air is immense.
- Oxygen oxidizes pigments and aromatic compounds.
- The expertise of the HOLLIN tea sommelier: how to store your matcha after opening, explained by a purist Tea House, with no added flavorings, based in Sartrouville (Île-de-France) and shipping its finest teas worldwide.
The Matcha is a whole-leaf powder: its contact surface with the air is immense. As soon as it is opened, the oxidation of chlorophylls and catechins begins, and the color slowly shifts from jade green to olive green.
The powder's four enemies
Oxygen oxidizes pigments and aromatic compounds. Light accelerates the degradation of chlorophyll. Heat activates residual enzymatic reactions. Moisture clumps the powder and traps surrounding odors.
A Matcha opened and left at room temperature in a transparent container loses most of its vibrancy in three to four weeks. The liquor becomes flat, the foam subsides more quickly, and bitterness takes precedence over umami.
The storage method
Reseal the tin tightly after each use, keep it away from light, and place it in the refrigerator if you consume it slowly. Take the tin out thirty minutes before use and open it only once it has returned to room temperature, to avoid condensation.
Choose small packs: a Matcha is ideally consumed within a month of opening. This is why we favor smaller formats rather than volumes that age in the cupboard.
Recognising a matcha that is still vibrant
A Matcha fresh is an intense, luminous green, its powder is silky and not grainy, its aroma evokes freshly cut grass and vegetable broth. A yellowed hue or a smell of hay indicates a tired powder.
Our Matcha are tasted batch by batch, with no added flavouring, and available at the Hollin du Goût counter in Sartrouville, Monday to Saturday from 10h to 20h.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What should you remember about storing matcha after opening?
- The Matcha is a whole-leaf powder: its contact surface with the air is immense. Oxygen oxidizes pigments and aromatic compounds.
- How does the house of HOLLIN select its teas when it comes to storing its matcha after opening?
- We taste every batch before listing it and work exclusively with pure teas. Oxidation, roasting and terroir are what create the notes: sourcing therefore focuses on the artisan's craft, not on added flavourings.
- Where can you discover and taste these teas in Île-de-France?
- At the HOLLIN du Goût counter, 22 avenue de la République, 78500 Sartrouville, open Monday to Saturday from 10h to 20h. There, you can smell the dry leaves, compare several grand crus and leave with the batch suited to your practice. Orders are also shipped throughout France and internationally.