# CHANOMA
> CHANOMA — the Japanese tea reference, written from Japan. Matcha, sencha, gyokuro and teaware explained with producer-side sources, honest buying guides and a brew timer.

## Brewing & Basics
- [How to Make Matcha at Home (Without the Ceremony)](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/how-to-make-matcha): Sift matcha, add hot-but-not-boiling water, whisk in a zig-zag until foamy. A bowl and a bamboo whisk (chasen) are the only real requirements.
- [Making Matcha Without a Chasen (Whisk): What Actually Works](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/matcha-without-whisk): A milk frother gets closest to real chasen foam; forks and shakers work but won't replicate usucha's fine foam — an honest comparison.

## Buying Guide
- [Ippodo vs. Marukyu Koyamaen: A Spec-Based Comparison (Not Yet Tasted)](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/ippodo-vs-marukyu-koyamaen): Spec-based, not-yet-tasted comparison: Ippodo is a Kyoto tea merchant blending Uji-area leaf since 1717; Marukyu Koyamaen is a Uji grower-processor working the same fields since around 1704. Both skip the word 'ceremonial' on their own product pages, using usucha/koicha suitability and named blends instead.
- [Matcha Price Per Gram: A Verified, Vendor-by-Vendor Comparison](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/matcha-price-per-gram): Verified vendor prices, checked 2026-07-16, span $0.93–$2.57/g in one 30g tin size alone — cultivar and harvest explain it, not the grade word.

## Cultivars
- [Yabukita: Japan's Standard Tea Cultivar, Explained](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/yabukita-cultivar-guide): Yabukita is the specific tea cultivar behind most Japanese tea, bred in Shizuoka around 1908 and nationally registered in 1953 — not a grade, region or brand.

## Green Teas
- [Types of Japanese Green Tea: Sencha, Matcha, Gyokuro, Hojicha & More](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/types-of-japanese-green-tea): All Japanese teas come from one plant. Sencha = everyday steamed leaf; matcha = stone-ground shaded leaf; gyokuro = shaded luxury leaf; hojicha = roasted and mellow; genmaicha = blended with toasted rice.
- [Why Does Hojicha's Caffeine Content Vary So Much Across Brands?](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/why-does-hojicha-caffeine-vary-by-brand): Hojicha caffeine reports (roughly 5–20mg per cup) differ by serving size, leaf part, roast degree and brewing method — not because any single figure is wrong.

## Matcha
- [What Does ‘Ceremonial Grade’ Matcha Actually Mean?](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/ceremonial-grade-matcha-meaning): No Japanese government ministry, trade body or industry-wide standard defines 'ceremonial grade' matcha — it is a label each vendor applies on its own, including in Japan. Judge a tin instead by region, cultivar, harvest flush, milling method and price per gram.
- [Matcha Grades Explained: Ceremonial, Premium, Culinary — Whose Standard Is It?](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/matcha-grades-explained): 'Ceremonial,' 'premium' and 'culinary' matcha grades all trace back to individual vendors, not any Japanese government ministry or trade body — several sellers admit this outright. Score any tin instead on what's verifiable: harvest timing, milling method, named region and cultivar, and price per gram.
- [How to Choose Good Matcha: 4 Things to Check Instead of the Grade Word](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/how-to-choose-good-matcha): Skip the grade word — check region, cultivar, harvest flush and price per gram instead. Each is a fact you can verify yourself.

## News & Harvest Reports
- [Is There a Matcha Shortage in 2026? What Japan's Own Trade and Auction Data Show](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/matcha-shortage-2026): MAFF's own June 2026 data: 2026 first-flush prices up ~2x (Kagoshima) / ~70% (Shizuoka) year-over-year; the Uji tencha auction hit a 10-year high.

## Regions
- [Why Is Uji Matcha Famous? The History and Data Behind the Name](https://ippuku.online/en/articles/uji-matcha-why-famous): Uji's fame traces to 15th-century shogunate patronage and the oishita shading method behind tencha and gyokuro — 'Uji tea' spans a wider region than Uji City alone.