Archives of Us

Archives Of Us works in first harvest okumidori, a rare Japanese cultivar grown on the volcanic soils of Kagoshima, and it is worth understanding why that matters. Okumidori is harder to grow than the common cultivars and rarer still in organic form: by the company's own account, fewer than one percent of farms in Japan produce certified organic okumidori. They buy it from multi-generational farmers who pick at peak season, and the result is smooth and naturally sweet with almost no bitterness in it. Three tins go out under their own label, a Premium Reserve organic ceremonial grade, a Ceremonial Blend and a single-origin organic hojicha. The cafe is Korean-inspired and sits on North Spring Street near Chinatown, open eight until eight daily, pairing that matcha with delicate French pastries. The banana cream matcha latte is the drink people name when they talk about this place. Their matcha now pours at other cafes too. RE:COFFEE stocks it in Northridge and Woodland Hills, and Yala Coffee carries it in Studio City and Silver Lake, so you may have had it without knowing whose it was.