How is Organic Japanese Matcha Powder Made?

Matcha has been a central part of various Japanese tea ceremonies. It is a distinctive powdered green tea with a generous dose of nutrients and antioxidants, made through stone-grinding the 100% authentic tencha leaves. Research has concluded that matcha is far more potent in antioxidants and L-theanine than other brewed teas (green and black)

When we talk about authentic green tea, matcha is the one that strikes our mind. However, its growth, harvesting, and production process differ greatly from other green teas. The best quality organic matcha is grown in the region of Japan called Kagoshima.

With an 800-year-old history of cultivation and traditions, matcha is still produced with the same traditional practices. Let's dig into how Organic Japanese matcha powder is produced, starting from the farm.

Shading

The production of matcha green tea is a slower process that requires skilled labor, so the practices and traditions are an art of its own. Among the important steps involved in producing high-quality matcha is the shading process.

The practice takes place before 3-4 weeks of harvesting, but it usually depends on the tea farms and the region of Japan. With shading, it becomes easier to protect the leaves from direct sunlight, which as a result, protects the umami flavors by increasing the production of L-theanine and chlorophyll.

Harvesting

The matcha harvesting process was started by farmers who were more concerned about shading the tea plants to provide protection against frosting on leaves. When those are harvested later, leaves turn out greener.

Harvesting is done around mid-April to mid-May each year, depending on the tea farms. People use machines to harvest tea but follow handpicking practices if the tea farms are smaller.

Steaming

The leaves are washed and steamed thoroughly after they are harvested. The steaming process stops the leaves from oxidizing while helping the tea keep high levels of amino acids. This process makes Japanese tea unique from how other teas are produced.

After steaming, the tea leaves are cooled down, and at that point, the tea leaves are known as unrefined tea. Still, they need to be sorted out.

Sorting

You must be wondering why the leaves need to be sorted out. The sorting process ensures that all the impurities and dirt are removed from the leaves. It helps arrange leaves in similar color, size, and uniformity.

Tea leaves are further sorted out by removing stems and leaf veins. At this stage, the unrefined tea, known as aracha, is refined to tencha.

Grounding

The tea leaves are finally grounded into high-quality powdered green tea, matcha. The 100% authentic tencha leaves are used for this process. High-quality matcha is made from tencha of the first harvest due to its vibrant color, rich flavors, and nutrients.

However, the labor-intensive process takes little time, but too much friction can ruin the matcha. After tencha is grounded into organic japanese matcha, it is packed for its use.

Conclusion

The growth and production of matcha powder is an extensive and time-consuming process. However, ignoring any of the steps involved can affect the quality, taste, and color. So, be mindful of the steps when you want the matcha powder to be rich in flavor and quality.