How is Matcha Made - Plants Used for Production

Matcha is a widely loved traditional Japanese beverage, and behind its popularity lies a delicate cultivation method and careful manufacturing process.

First, the tea leaves used to make matcha are grown in a special way, under a cover that shields them from sunlight. This gives the tea leaves a bright green color and rich flavor. Once harvested, the tea leaves are steamed and dried, then the stems and veins are removed. The tea is then finely ground on a stone mortar to produce smooth powdered matcha.

Through this painstaking process, delicious and nutritious matcha arrives at our doorstep.

What is Matcha?

Matcha was brought to Japan from China more than 800 years ago during the Kamakura period (1185-1333).

In 1191, when Eisai, the founder of the Rinzai school of tea ceremony, returned from China, he brought back tea tree seeds and introduced the matcha method of stirring powdered tea into hot water.

By the Muromachi period (1336-1573), matcha etiquette and tea house design were established, and matcha became an integral part of Japanese culture.

Matcha is a type of green tea that is unfermented, meaning that the tea leaves are produced without fermentation. While there are many different types of tea, including sencha, gyokuro, bancha, and hojicha (roasted tea), matcha is made from specially grown tea leaves.

Generally, tea leaves grown under cover are rich in chlorophyll and amino acids (especially theanine) because they are shielded from sunlight.

Matcha is a special kind of tea that requires a lot of time and effort to produce, resulting in a beautiful color and aroma.

Where is the Matcha Plant Grown?

Matcha tea leaves are grown mainly in Uji, Kyoto; Shizuoka; and Nishio, Aichi, Japan.

These regions have climates and soils suitable for matcha production, and Uji and Nishio are especially famous for their high-quality matcha.

Matcha production in Uji began during the Kamakura period. The tea ceremony spread primarily among aristocrats, and tocha (a Japanese pastime to identify different types of tea) became popular, leading to the cultivation of tencha (the tea leaves used to make matcha) because Uji’s natural conditions were suitable for its cultivation.

Uji matcha is known as the epitome for matcha because of its bright green color and mild flavor.

On the other hand, Nishio City in Aichi Prefecture is also one of the leading matcha production areas and is known as a branded tea of Aichi Prefecture. Nishio produces more than 90% of the tea used to make matcha and accounts for much of Japan’s total production of tencha.

Nishio’s matcha is mainly used as an ingredient in sweets, ice cream, and cakes, and is highly valued for its rich flavor.

The Tea Plant - Camellia Sinensis

Have you ever heard of tencha, the tea leaves used to make matcha? Tencha is a tea leaf specially cultivated and processed to produce the unique flavor and bright green color of matcha.

The character "碾" in “tencha (碾茶)” means “thin” or “ground” and refers to tea that is ground using a stone mill. Matcha is completed when tencha is finely ground on a stone mill.

The quality of tencha determines the taste of matcha, so superior tencha is essential for producing particularly high-quality matcha. Since tencha is used as a raw material for matcha, it is a rare tea available in small quantities on the market.

It has a different flavor from gyokuro and has a sweeter taste as a tea.

When enjoying matcha, please pay attention to its raw material, tencha.

How is Matcha Plant Grown?

Tencha, the raw material for matcha, is carefully grown under shade, much like the highest grade of gyokuro.

Several weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered with shade nets and straw to prevent the tea leaves from being exposed to direct sunlight. Tencha has been produced in Kyoto since the late 16th century, when the undercover cultivation method was born.

The reason for covering the tea leaves is to prevent the flavor from becoming astringent. When the amino acid theanine is exposed to sunlight, it is converted into catechins, which produce astringency.

To bring out a mild flavor with little astringency, tea leaves are grown away from sunlight.

Additionally, the slow growth of the tea leaves increases the chlorophyll content, resulting in the bright green color characteristic of matcha.

This painstaking cultivation process gives matcha its bright green color and deep flavor.

How is Matcha Processed?

Matcha is produced through delicate cultivation and careful manufacturing processes.

1. Cultivation and Harvesting

Tea plants are carefully cultivated under shade and harvested in spring when the sprouts are tender.

2. Steaming

Once harvested, tea leaves are immediately steamed. This keeps the tea fresh and the leaves green in color.

3. Cooling

Rapid cooling is used to cool the tea leaves evenly to room temperature, preserving their color and aroma.

4. Drying

After steaming, the tea leaves are dried. This gives the tea leaves a firmer texture and enhances their aroma.

5. Sorting Tea Leaves

After drying, the tea leaves are sorted to remove stems and powder.

6. Storage and Aging

The tea leaves are aged in a cool, dark place to deepen their flavor.

7. Grinding

The selected tea leaves are finely ground on a stone mill. Matcha powder is made in this process.

Matcha is completed through these processes.

1 - Picking

Matcha tea leaves are picked mainly in the spring, and the tea leaves harvested at this time of year are soft and flavorful, making them ideal for matcha. Only the young, tender sprouts are carefully plucked before the leaves grow too large. The tea leaves were usually plucked by hand until the Taisho era (1912-1926), but nowadays machine plucking is the most common method.

Relatively inexpensive tea leaves used to make matcha are also plucked by machine, but the raw materials for high-quality matcha are still picked by hand. Hand-picking is the most time-consuming and highest quality method. Tea leaves for high-quality matcha require skilled manual labor, as quality is of the utmost importance.

Experienced tea pickers can harvest more than 10 kilograms of tea leaves in a single day, a result of many years of experience and skill. This time-consuming and labor-intensive process, combined with the skilled techniques of the artisans, produces delicious matcha.

2 - Steaming

Fresh leaves of matcha picked at undercovered tea farm are immediately steamed to stop oxidative enzymes from working and to remove any unpleasant odors while maintaining freshness.

This steaming process prevents the oxidation of the tea leaves and is key to preserving their bright green color and aroma. Matcha differs from other teas in that it is made without rubbing during the production process.

The leaves are dried without rubbing and then ground to a fine powder using a stone mill to make matcha.

3 - Cooling

Steamed tea leaves are cooled by blowing air over them to prevent them from overlapping. Leaving tea leaves at a high temperature will result in a loss of color and aroma. Rapid cooling ensures the tea leaves are cooled evenly to room temperature, thus preserving their color and aroma.

4 - Drying

The steamed tea leaves are spread evenly to prevent overlapping and then dried in hot air at 170 to 200 degrees Celsius (or 338 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 30 minutes.

Underneath the dryer is a brick furnace, which provides moderate heat to the tea leaves. The tea leaves are slowly drained of water and transformed into dried tea. This state is called “aracha” or “tencha aracha.”

This process brings out the aroma and flavor of the tea leaves. Additionally, since the tea leaves are ultimately ground into a powder form, steaming and drying them makes them easier to grind.

5 - Vein and Stem Removal

After the drying process is completed and the tencha aracha is ready, the finishing process begins.

First, the aracha is cut into small pieces, and the stems and veins are removed. Leaves of various shapes and sizes are mixed together and neatly arranged. The few old leaves (leaves that are not new sprouts) that are mixed in are also carefully removed at this stage.

Next, the prepared leaves are further sorted. This sorting is done through a combination of machine and manual labor to ensure that only the highest quality leaves are selected.

Once sorted, the leaves are dried again to completely remove any excess water. This step improves shelf life and preserves the flavor of the matcha for a longer period of time. The finished product at this stage is called “tencha” and is the raw leaf for matcha.

6 - Storing and Freezing

Tencha is aged and preserved to bring out the unique flavor of matcha. Matcha made from unpreserved tencha lacks matcha’s distinctive aroma and flavor and is said to be less foamy.

Tencha is best preserved in its finished form, with the watery stems and leaf veins removed. Therefore, it is usually stored as finished tea and ground on a stone mill to make matcha just before shipping.

Matcha is stored until it is ready to be stone ground into matcha, depending on demand.

7 - Blending

Matcha blending (gougumi) is the art of combining matcha leaves of different types and origins to create a specific flavor or quality. This is an important process that utilizes the characteristics of the tea leaves to achieve a balanced flavor.

The purpose of blending is threefold:

First, to enhance flavor. By combining tea leaves of different varieties and harvest times, a complex and deep flavor is created.

Second, to stabilize quality. This is done to prevent fluctuations in quality due to climate and harvest conditions, ensuring that the same quality of matcha is always available.

Finally, to pursue specific flavors. This involves blending to create unique flavors that suit the tastes of the customer.

Craftsmen use their experience and senses, such as touch, to achieve balance and harmony in taste, aroma, color, and texture, resulting in matcha of consistent and high quality.

8 - Grinding

Grinding matcha in a stone mill is one of the traditional methods of making matcha in Japan. The stone mill grinds the tea leaves at low speed and under even pressure, producing a fine powder without breaking the cell walls of the tea leaves. This method preserves the bright green color and rich aroma of matcha.

Matcha ground in a stone mill has an exceptional flavor. The low speed of rotation does not generate heat, and the flavor and aroma of the tea leaves are not lost. In addition, the cell walls of the tea leaves are not easily broken down, so the bright green color of the matcha is preserved, and the nutrients of the tea leaves are evenly distributed in the powder, increasing the absorption rate.

Matcha grounded by a stone mill is a high-quality product that is well worth the time and effort. The deep flavor and beautiful color of the matcha produced by this technique provide an exceptional experience, not only for the tea ceremony but also as an everyday cup of tea.

We hope you will enjoy the deep flavor of stone-ground matcha.