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Origins and Cultural Background

Matcha has deep roots in Japanese culture, particularly within the context of the traditional chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony). It was first introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks who learned about it while studying in China.

Harvesting and Processing

Matcha is derived from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is also used to produce various other types of tea. Important for specifically matcha is the shading: 3-4 weeks before harvest, matcha tea plants are shaded from direct sunlight using cloths, plastic covers or bamboo structures. This step increases chlorophyll production and boosts the amino acid content in the leaves, resulting in a richer green color and a more complex, sweet and umami flavor. The longer the shading, the less bitter the matcha is.
Only the youngest and most tender top leaves are picked. These leaves have a higher concentration of the amino acid L-theanine. Matcha plants can usually only be harvested 1-3 times a year. In some small family businesses, the tea leaves are still hand picked, but most use machines nowadays.

After harvest, the leaves are first steamed to prevent oxidation and preserve the vibrant green color and nutrients. Afterwards, the leaves are dried and stripped of stems and veins. This refined leaf material is known as tencha. The tencha is then stone-ground into a fine powder using granite stones. This step can take hours to produce even a small amount of matcha, as the grinding process must be slow to avoid overheating and degrading the quality of the powder. This is also why matcha is so expensive.

Preparation and Taste

If you are a casual drinker, you will most likely heap a little bit of the powder into your cup, add bit of water, and blend it with a milk frother before adding hot water and maybe your milk of choice if you like matcha lattes.

If you want to do it more accurately, you'd do the following:

  1. Sift it through a fine sieve into a matcha bowl.
  2. Use a little bamboo spoon to measure the matcha. Usually 1-2 of these.
  3. Combine with hot water (usually not higher than 80 degrees Celsius, lower is better) and whisk using a traditional bamboo whisk called a chasen. The whisking is done in a zigzag (M/W) motion until a frothy layer forms on the surface.

Matcha can be enjoyed as usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea), depending on the concentration and liquid/powder ratio you desire. You can also add it to smoothies and baked goods like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and icing.

Quality Grades

Matcha is typically classified into different grades when you see the products in the West:

Matcha doesn't have a universal grading system and in Japan, you don't see the above classifications. Each tea shop has their own grading system that is more helpful and granular: Some, for example, offer a scale from 1-10 where 1 is the most bitter and 10 is the most rich, umami, sweet flavor. They align their products to this scale so you know what you'll get, together with recommendations for preparation and what product is specifically good for koicha.
This is why you can buy multiple different matcha all labeled ceremonial grade, but they can all taste differently. It's not a protected label, can be for marketing, and only says something about the harvest usually, not necessarily about the taste.

Nutrition

Matcha is full of antioxidants such as catechins, which are known to fight free radicals in the body. As mentioned above, there is also L-theanine, and caffeine. Thanks to the L-theanine, the caffeine is absorbed more slowly and calmly, so if you have issues with the caffeine jitters after coffee, matcha might be different for you. It also contains vitamins such as vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc, and magnesium.