What is Matcha?

wonderful landscape of matcha green tea plantation in Uji Japan

What is the meaning of the name?

Ā 
'Matcha'Ā meansĀ powdered, crushed teaĀ and made its first appearance over 1,000 year ago in theĀ Japanese tea ceremony. Discovered by aĀ Buddhist monk, Myoan Eisai, who realised that drinking matchaĀ improved greatly his Zen meditationsĀ by producingĀ a state of calm alertness. In fact matcha containsĀ L-theanineĀ which intensified the productions ofĀ alpha wavesĀ in the human brain. But that's not all:Ā matcha has much moreĀ and we can all benefit from its properties!
Buddhist monk meditating with matcha, meditation, hypnosys

Where is matcha sourced?

We source our matcha powders in different areas in Japan:

EMERALD MATCHA -Ā Our EmeraldĀ matcha green tea powder is sourced inĀ Uji, Japan, meticulously cultivated on a family-ownedĀ organic tea landĀ and harvested twenty days after being shaded toĀ increase the concentration of chlorophyll, L-theanine and anti-oxidants. The whole tea leaves are thenĀ steamed, dried and stone-grounded to powderĀ in Japanese traditional mills.
Ā 
YAME MATCHA - As the name suggests, this range is sourced in Yame. The farm is nestled in the mountains of the southern area of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan among clear rivers, rich soil and lush forests. In this areaĀ the morning mist and the temperature change between morning and nightĀ infusing the tea leaves of theirĀ unforgettable flavour.
Ā 
UJI MATCHA WHOLESALE -Ā Uji is the undisputed Matcha hometown. This area posses the perfect climate conditions for growing the tea plants. Surrounded by mountains and hills, in between two river basins, the Uji & Kizu, this is the best spot as the river fog meets the mountain mist: theĀ ideal environment for creating aĀ special and unique umami-filled tea.Ā 
Ā 
JAPAN MATCHA & INTENSE GREEN MATCHA - These matcha powders are sourced in Japan, and they are the result of a wise and expert blending process of Yabukita made by Master Blenders to obtain smooth teas and balanced flavours.
Ā 
WHOLESALE ORGANIC - These organic matcha powders are sourced in the Kyushu Prefecture, Japan and they qualify for the Japanise Organic Certification (JAS). Kyushu is the birthplace and beating heart of high grade Japanese green tea. When Eisai brought back with him the tea seeds from China he planted them in the Sefuri mountains, exactly in this region. This marked the beginning of the Japanese tea culture.Ā Blessed with rich nature resources and a warm climate, Kyushu matcha isĀ known for it's especially strong umami taste and luscious green colour.
Ā 
Matcha isĀ traditionally used during the tea ceremony in Japan.Ā Beaten with a small traditional bamboo whisk called chasen, matcha does not need to be infused like other teas.Ā 
Ā 

Which tea plant?

If it comes from the same plant used to produce most teas (camellia sinensis),Ā its origin and method of production make it very special.Ā Its production goes through aĀ shadeĀ techniqueĀ called TanaĀ mentioned above, which boosts the amount of antioxidants and chlorophyll contained in the tea leaves.
matcha green tea Japanese mill

Ā 

How is it differentĀ from traditional tea?

Ā 

The taste and appearance of matcha is totally different from other teas.Ā It is made from ground tea leaves which means thatĀ the tea is not infused but eatenĀ : matcha drinkers consume the entire leaf dissolved in water and all the virtues and nutrients they contain.Ā Unlike another tea,Ā 100% of the nutrients are ingested against 10 to 20% for a traditional teaĀ because most of the nutrients are not soluble. Have a look at the comparison in the matcha benefits page.

To recognise the quality of a matcha,Ā it suffices to observe itsĀ green vibrant color: the more the powder is green (without yellowish or brown tint), the more the tea is refined and of better quality. You can find more information in our matcha grade guide.

Its taste is also very different from a traditional tea.Ā Matcha is known for itsĀ umami tasteĀ : umami is the name used to describe the fifth flavourĀ in Japanese culture, after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.Ā Umami literally meansĀ ā€œtasty tasteā€, a flavourĀ very present in Japanese cuisine, soft and long in the mouth, less recognisable than the first four.Ā Matcha tastes grassy at first, slightly astringent with a creamy consistency and a slightly sweet finish.

Ā How is matcha produced?

Particular care is taken in the cultivation of this tea.Ā The production of matcha is based on a technique ofĀ shading tea plantsĀ called Tanaa.Ā About 6 weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered. The amount of light gradually decreases, until itĀ reaches only a very small part of the plant.Ā The best quality matcha is almost grown in total darkness at harvest time.Shaded green tea plantation in Japan

Why lower the amount of light the tea plants receive?

To compensate for the drop in light, tea leaves produce increasing amounts of chlorophyll and amino acidsĀ making them richer in antioxidants.

Matcha isĀ harvested by hand, usually in Spring for the highest grades.Ā Only the youngest and greenest parts are picked, usually the two leaves at the top of each new shoot.Ā 

After picking, the leaves are heated with steam toĀ preserve their colour and nutrientsĀ and stop fermentation.Ā They are then dried before being sorted by grade (the youngest and greenest leaves being of better quality).

After thatĀ comes the traditional step of grinding between two large granite wheels which turn excessively slowly to avoid burns.Ā It is aĀ long andĀ meticolous processĀ that crushes the leaves into aĀ delicate, extremely fine powder.Ā Grinding 30 grams of matcha takes over an hour, which is part of the reason for the high cost of matcha.

Ā 

SHOP MATCHA NOW

Ā 

You may also like:

Matcha and weight loss: how to use matcha green tea to support weight loss
Can I drink matcha before sleep?

Shop

1 15
View all

More from the Blog

View all
1 4
View all