At first, Richard was told he wouldn't be able to provide such a high quality Japanese green tea in a bag.

“Tamayo…what?”

That’s many tea drinkers’ reaction when first seeing our delicious, prized Organic Tamayokucha (pronounced “tammy-o-koo-cha”) green tea.  However, after one sip of this smooth, creamy, vegetal green tea, pronunciation issues are put aside, replaced by simple enjoyment.

But if you’re an ardent Tamayokucha lover and still can’t figure out how to pronounce it, feel free to adopt our office pet name for the tea: just call it Tammy!

The Story of Tamayokucha

Two leaves and a bud CEO Richard Rosenfeld was travelling in Japan, exploring green teas.  He had tasted dozens, but one stood out from the pack: tamaryokucha.  Translating literally from Japanese as “rolled green tea”, the moment Richard tasted tamaryokucha, he wanted to make it a part of the two leaves and a bud family.

The Japanese tea masters, however, told him no: “They said it was much too expensive and high quality to sell in a bag,” says Richard. “They said Americans wouldn’t appreciate it.  But I said I didn’t care—I wanted to provide a great green tea.”

Richard couldn’t be swayed from his urge to provide tea drinkers with something as wonderful as tamaryokucha.  He began talking with tea gardens in China to offer him a (relatively) more affordable way to provide this incredibly high-quality, Japanese green tea to two leaves and a bud customers. He began sampling Chinese green teas to see if there was a fit.

“At first, the Chinese green teas I sampled didn’t even come close to approaching the green tea I had sampled in Japan. But over the years, certain gardens began to produce more high-quality, Japanese-style teas and were able to provide the exact flavor profile I was looking for.”

Tamaryokucha, it seemed, would become a possibility after all.  But first, a small name change:  Richard changed the name of the tea to “Tamayokucha” to make it easier to pronounce.  Whether he succeeded or not in that task still seems to be up for debate.

The Taste of the Tea

Organic Tamayokucha is one of the smoothest green teas you can find in a bag.

Tamyokucha is a simple, unflavored green tea.  It stands out for its simplicity—not mixed with any additional flavors, it relies on high-quality, prized “gyokuro” (shade-grown) green tea that is steamed, not roasted during its preparation.

(Why does the fact that it’s steamed matter?  Simply look in your cup—when steeping Tamayokucha, you’ll see a bright green cuppa’ tea, as opposed to the brown color of roasted green teas.)

Tamayokucha’s flavor profile couldn’t differ any more from the sharp, bitter tones of lower quality green teas.  In the words of Richard:

“If there was a taste that was ‘green’ this would be it. It’s smooth, creamy and mellow, and just lets the vegetal flavor of green tea stand out. I’d honestly say this is one of the best green teas you can find in a bag.”

Thus ends the story of Tamayokucha.  What do you like about Tammy, and how does it compare to other green teas you’ve had in the past?