It was during the pandemic lockdown 2020, I, like a majority of people, decided to seek a new challenge. For me, I chose to pursue a certification as Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) based in New York City. During the course of my studies, I kept coming back to the fact that health and well-being is constantly at the forefront of my Japanese culture. When you think of health and well-being, Matcha is always at the top of the list. With its rich nutrients and numerous of health benefits for our body, Matcha has reached superfood status and its quickly becoming a mainstay in people's daily routine across the world. Nevertheless, it is still hard to find supreme quality, organic and ethical Matcha here in the UAE. This is where Megumi Matcha comes in. My mission is to bring the authentic Matcha experience directly from the plantation in Kyoto to your cup!
story of
MEGUMI MATCHA
My Journey to Matcha World
In the summer of 2021, and with the seed planted in my mind of bringing authentic Matcha to Dubai, I took a long vacation and went back to Japan. During my stay, I visited a tea plantation in Wazuka, Kyoto.
Wazuka (和束) is a beautiful little town at the southern edge of Kyoto Prefecture. With 800 years of history, Wazuka is known in Japan as the home of Uji Green Tea. Nearly half of all green tea production in Kyoto Prefecture comes from Wazuka. In 2015, with its beautiful scenery and wondeful history of green tea production, Wazuka was registered as a Japan Heritage Site.
Kirokuen (喜六園), my journey's destination, is one of the tea plantations located in Wazuka. Founded almost 100 years ago, it has been in the Hori Family through generations. Today, Megumi Hori, along with her sister and mother, still operate the plantation despite the passing of her father.
I am humbled to partner with the Hori Family to present to you
Megumi Matcha. Together, we honour an enterprenurial journey that pays homage to heritage, womens' empowerment and ethical trading for well-being.
Morning Coffee & Afternoon Matcha
- MEGUMI MATCHA
MEGUMI (恵) is more than a name.
The name Megumi symbolises three powerful meanings.
The first one is attached to my family's culture. In Japan parents choose a name for their children using Kanji (chinese characters). They carefully consider the meaning attached to each Kanji. My parents included this Kanji (恵) in my first name hoping that I would be blessed with health, friends, healthy environment and abundant experiences.
The second one describes my gratidute to be blessed (恵まれた) to meet the Hori family and be trusted to share their distinct quality matcha. It is because of this female-owned tea farm that Megumi Matcha has a unique story to tell. And I blessed to bring it to you.
The third one is attached to my wish for Megumi Matcha to be blessed (恵まれる) with a lot of inspiring soul and bless the souls that trust it with wellness!