Specialty Matcha Podcast

Thailand's Advanced Matcha Market

In this episode, cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) record from Bangkok the day after Thailand Coffee Fest 2026, where around 40 matcha brands exhibited and the Sanko Usu One

Interview with Lorela Lohan, WanderlusTea

https://www.wanderlustea.com/ In this episode, Ryan talks with Lorela Lohan, founder of WanderlusTea, a Brussels-based consultancy for specialty tea businesses in Europe

Largest *Matcha Factory in the World

*If you consider matcha produced from shaded Chinese-grown tencha as matcha. In this episode, cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) report from Tongren, Guizhou, after touring

Interview with Maren Fichter, Tea Educator and Writer

In this episode, cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) talk with Maren Fichter, a tea educator and writer whose Substack Tea & all the rest covers farming, heritage, tourism, an

Interview with Jeff Fuchs, Tea Explorer

https://www.jefffuchs.com/ In this episode, cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) are joined by Jeff Fuchs, author of The Ancient Tea Horse Road and the first documented wester

Opinion: Where is all the perspective?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uIvpxzwyVbQRTeRrnrlvW?si=KqUfE4DJQFmM0Tw6Cue9Lg Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) discuss the lack of unique perspective in contemporary matcha br

Chinese vs Japanese Narratives about Matcha

In this episode hosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) discuss the narrative differences between Chinese and Japanese made matcha. Sam has recently come back from Hubei and Henan,

The Rise of Chinese Matcha

Recorded: Early May 2026 In this episode, Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) record live from Canton Fair in Guangzhou to map the Chinese matcha scene in 2026. They cover what chang

Debate: What should Uji matcha be?

In this episode, Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) close out the Uji matcha series with a debate: can Uji matcha actually be defined? The episode maps the full spectrum of definitio

"Japanese Tea" GI Granted & Startup Update

Ryan and Sam (Zongjun) discuss the recent GI status granted to Japanese tea, its implications for the industry, and the problems associated with the definition. https:/

What is and was Uji Matcha?

In this editorial conversation, Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) interrogate the term "Uji matcha" and its tangled provenance: what it once meant, and how it has quietly changed ov

Uji-no-Matcha: The inconvenient truth about Japan's most mythologized tea label

https://open.substack.com/pub/sankomatcha/p/uji-no-matcha-the-inconvenient-truth?r=3mxquk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web It started with the disturbing realization tha

Notes at Origin: Nishio, Aichi

Cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) discuss their experience in Nishio, Aichi including learning about pest control techniques, unique tana-shelf shading structures of Aichi,

Notes at Origin: Toyota, Aichi

Cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) discuss their learning journey hand picking tea for 3 days in Toyota, Aichi. They discuss tencha processing (including a unique withering s

Breaking: Japan Seeks GI for "Japanese Tea"

Ryan and Zongjun discuss the legal, cultural, and economic implications of geographic indications in the tea industry. https://open.substack.com/pub/sankomatcha/p/japan-

100th Episode 🎊 : No Easy Answers

We are very proud to upload our 100th podcast and the end of season 4. https://sankomatcha.com/ https://sankomatcha.substack.com/p/load-bearing-myths

Mythologizing in Matcha

Accompanying Substack Article: Load-Bearing Myths https://open.substack.com/pub/sankomatcha/p/load-bearing-myths?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Hosts

Matcha companies we wish existed

Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) explore the evolving landscape of matcha, drawing parallels with the coffee industry, discussing innovation opportunities, and envisioning a future

Our Startup Updates

Hosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) discuss updates on their countertop matcha mill Sanko Usu One, the development of new community tools and projects, and their upcoming resear

Interview with Tea Industry Veteran, Billy Dietz

In this episode, cohosts Ryan and Zongjun (Sam) speak with Billy from BHD Consulting who shares his two-decade journey in the tea industry, focusing on matcha, branding,