How is matcha made? Five steps from the field to green powder

Matcha is not just green tea leaves that have been ground. According to a review by ANTARA, it is a traditional Japanese method of farming and processing that demands great precision, and every stage affects its color, aroma, and natural umami.

The first stage is shading. About three to four weeks before harvest, the tea plants are covered with netting or straw mats (kanso) that block around 70 to 90 percent of the sunlight. Less light increases chlorophyll, which makes the green deeper, and also raises the level of L-theanine. The second stage is harvesting. The youngest shoots are picked from the first flush (shincha), because they are richest in nutrients and antioxidants.

Third, the leaves are steamed for 15 to 20 seconds within hours of picking, to stop enzymatic oxidation and preserve the color. Fourth, the leaves are dried without being rolled, then sorted to remove stems and coarse fiber; the result is called tencha. Fifth, the tencha is slowly ground on a granite stone mill (ishi-usu) that produces only about 30 to 40 grams per hour, so that friction heat does not spoil the aroma.

I liked that the article explains why ceremonial matcha differs from matcha for cooking: it all depends on the care taken during shading and the purity of the tencha. Once you know the process, the high price of matcha makes a lot more sense.

Source: ANTARA News