Howdy,
Roughly twenty years. That's about how long my relationship with green tea lived before matcha and I truly found our rhythm together. For me, this beautiful plant was never a modern trend to jump on or a passing wellness bandwagon; it has been a grounding, lifelong anchor.
So when I fell for matcha, I fell completely.
Naturally, I still love to dive headfirst into the vibrant community of creators and collectors online.
“OMG, look at what I just brought back from Japan!”
If you are anything like us, your feed is likely filled with incredible people like @matcha.4.u.888 emptying what we assume to be an entire suitcase of the most jaw-dropping, jealousy-inducing Japanese hauls you’ve ever seen. We love watching these unboxings! These creators do such joyful work opening many eyes to the breathtaking world of authentic tea, and we are incredibly grateful for the passion they share.
Through them, many first encounter the poetic, historic names of competition-grade blends — names like Baba-no-mukashi, Yame no Hana, or Bessei Hatsumukashi. These names are pure art. They don’t need to be altered or dumbed down for an American audience; they simply deserve to be translated and shared with care, so we can all appreciate the depth of what we are drinking.
But if you’ve ever tried to bring those legendary tins home to your own kitchen, you know that the flights are expensive and the direct import journey can come with real friction.
Go to the Marukyu Koyamaen website on any given day, and you are met with a solid wall of text: Sold out. Sold out. Sold out. Endlessly. Because the global demand has completely exploded (a social media catch-22), securing an authentic tin can feel like winning a lottery. And if you do manage to beat the time-crunched sellout window, you then have to navigate international logistics. If you've spent any time on the matcha subreddits, you’ve seen the horror stories — it has personally happened to us, too — of packages being withheld due to unexpected customs tariffs and surprise duties.
This hyper-focus on a few names has also created a unique challenge in Japan. While the historic, massive tea houses are strained to their absolute limits trying to keep up with global demand, incredible, small, family farms are left out of the global market entirely. They are producing pristine, spectacular tencha leaves, but they don't have the international reach to share them.
When we realized that, we saw part of our true mission. We wanted to celebrate the legendary houses, but also partner with some of these hidden, micro-farms, as well, to bring their exceptional tea to light.
Forging the Howdy Matcha Identity
We believe it’s time for us to start building our own matcha identity — one that treats the source with immense credit and care, but crafts an experience tailored to who "we" are today. Let's bring honor to the farmers trusting us with their precious life's work, all while making it our own.
To do this, we spent a lot of time obsessing over every single detail of our brand, building it from the inside out. For our main website illustrations, we partnered with an exceptional, fine-art illustrator who holds gallery exhibitions in Japan. For our packaging, a specialized Japanese label designer curated the layout, and a calligraphy artist hand-brushed our custom Hiragana "Howdy" script. Lastly, each iconic character was crafted with care, step-by-step, with time and dedication between our outstanding main artist and us to bring those visions to life.
Wrapped in a rich, tactile craft paper and wine-like label style, we wanted the can to be a beautiful piece of art that looks right at home on your counter. And, of course, there is the vibrant green powder inside the can.
Is there such a thing as too much matcha?
Oh, absolutely. When we were in Japan sourcing our leaves, we were sampling 4 to 5 options a day, and back at home sometimes drinking 8 to 10 cups a day. It will send your nervous system completely over the edge! (We'll let you look up the over-caffeinated jitters on your own time, but trust us — it is 100% real.)
The Long Haul
We did all of this because we have a clear vision for the future. We can't wait for the day you walk into your favorite local grocer and find 5 to 10 distinct, beautiful varieties of premium matcha lined up on the shelf.
Market data shows that over the next 5 to 10 years, matcha's presence in the United States is projected to skyrocket. This beautiful, 800+ year-old ritual is officially here to stay, and Howdy Matcha is here for the long haul.
You don't need a passport, a translation app, or an alarm clock. We’ve braved the tariffs, partnered with the hidden farms, and done the heavy lifting for you. Come on over, grab a collectible can, and enjoy the journey with us!
🌞 Have a wonderful Sunday! 🌞
The Howdy Matcha Team 💚🤠🍵
