How Matcha is made
Real Matcha comes from Japan, and the environment in which the tea bushes grow - i.e. soil, climate and terrain - is paramount to the quality of Matcha.
The Japanese have been producing Matcha for more than 800 years, and the special cultivation and production process has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a technique that has been refined over centuries.
1. Shade
The way the tea plants for Matcha are grown is very different from other types of tea. Tea leaves for Matcha are shaded three to four weeks before they are harvested. This process increases the nutritional content of Matcha and infuses the leaves with chlorophyll and amino acids. The plants that grow in the shade compensate for the lack of light by producing a large amount of chlorophyll. It is the overproduction of chlorophyll that contributes to the characteristic beautiful green color that good quality Matcha has.
The fact that the tea plants are shaded also means that there is a higher content of the amino acid L-theanine, which is what gives us a "zen feeling" and affects Matcha's umami taste.
2. Harvest and processing
When the plants are ready for harvest, the leaves are hand-picked from the top third of the plant, where the highest concentration of nutrients is found. They are steamed, dried, de-stemmed and cleaned. Steaming the leaves stops the oxidation process and thus preserves the nutrients and color. De-stemming and removing the leaves is essential to ensure a smooth texture and good taste.
The clean leaves, known as "tencha", are then ground into a fine powder using a granite stone mill. It takes approx. an hour for a traditional granite stone mill to grind 30 grams of Matcha - the amount in a can. If the process is made faster it will burn and destroy the leaves.
The clean leaves, known as "tencha", are then ground into a fine powder using a granite stone mill. It takes approx. an hour for a traditional granite stone mill to grind 30 grams of Matcha - the amount in a can. If the process is made faster it will burn and destroy the leaves.
Granite stone mills are the traditional method of grinding tencha leaves, and quality matcha, like Matchacha, is still ground using them. It is this process that gives it a super fine texture. Unfortunately, there are many Matcha products on the market now that are either pulverized by steel balls or by high-powered blenders, which can completely destroy the quality, nutritional content and taste of your Matcha tea.
3. Packaging in cans and bags
After the grinding process, our Matcha is packed in airtight packaging to ensure that the Matcha remains fresh. Matcha does not like humidity and direct sunlight, so it is important that it is stored dry and dark.
