How is matcha produced?

Did you know that matcha is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant—the source of all true teas, including green, oolong, and black varieties?

Whilst the plant is the same, the production method of matcha is different to other types of tea.

Cultivation Regions and Terroir

The premier matcha-producing regions in Japan are Uji, located on the southeastern border of Kyoto, and Nishio in Aichi Prefecture.

Uji is renowned for its deep-rooted tea cultivation history and is often considered to have the ideal terroir for matcha, yielding some of Japan's most esteemed and costly varieties.

Nishio, with its mild climate, fertile soils, and elevation of approximately 600 meters, also offers optimal conditions for matcha cultivation, resulting in teas celebrated for their vibrant color, rich umami, and high nutrient content.

Shading Process and Harvesting

In contrast to other teas that may undergo multiple harvests annually, the finest matcha is meticulously hand-harvested once a year, typically in May.

About six weeks before this harvest, starting in late March or early April, tea fields are progressively shaded to limit sunlight exposure. This gradual reduction in light decreases photosynthesis, leading the tea plants to produce higher levels of chlorophyll and amino acids which enhance the umami flavor profile of the matcha.

Processing Tencha into Matcha

Post-harvest, only the youngest, most tender leaves are selected. These leaves undergo steaming to preserve their vibrant color and nutrients and to halt enzymatic activity.

After drying, the leaves are sorted by grade, with the finest leaves being destemmed and deveined to produce tencha. Tencha is the name for tea leaves used for matcha, before the leaves are ground into fine powder.

This tencha is then stone-ground using slow-turning granite wheels to prevent heat buildup that could degrade the quality. The grinding process is meticulous, taking over an hour to produce just 30 grams of matcha powder!