How Matcha is Produced

Matcha is made from the same plant as oolong tea and black tea: camellia sinensis, from which green tea is made (wheat leaves are steamed and dried), oolong tea is partially fermented, and black tea is fully fermented. The production methods of Matcha are distinctive from those of other green teas, much less oolong and black teas.

As it turns out, there are some camellia sinensis varieties that produce better Matcha than others. In Japan, the highest-grade matcha is almost always extracted from one of three varietals (known as samidori, okumidori, and yabukita in Japanese)

For more than 900 years, Japan has explored, selected, and grown these three varieties of noble tea. Many Japanese farmers and growers deeply understand these techniques, and in many cases they have been cultivated for hundreds of years by family lines. It is enough to say that these families have mastered the cultivation of these three varieties so that they can produce superior Matcha.

Matcha is made from the same plant as oolong tea and black tea: camellia sinensis, but the production methods of Matcha are distinctive from those of other green teas.

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Matcha’s five key characteristics:

Bright color intensity
The umami taste is superior
The tea must have an excellent terroir (which by definition means it is rare)
A dreamy frothiness
A long, smooth finish, containing cream up to the last drop.

Those five characteristics are rare combinations; most Matcha products have a dull color, bitterness rather than umami, are mass-produced, form weak crema if they do at all, and have little to no finish.

Almost all traditional Japanese arts and aesthetic pursuits come from Kyoto, the capital city of Japan. Uji is the center of matcha cultivation in Japan. There are a lot of matcha connoisseurs in Japan, which is why Uji has the best terroir for Matcha cultivation, and many of the most respected (and most expensive) matcha in Japan comes from Uji.

How is Matcha harvested?

It is common for many tea plants to be harvested several times throughout the year; in the literature, another harvest is called a “second flush.” Second and even third flushes of Matcha are created by many manufacturers.

Unlike most Matcha, the highest quality is harvested once a year, each May, always by hand. In the mid to late months of March or early April, roughly six weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered from top to bottom with scaffolding. Nowadays, black vinyl sheets are commonly used instead of straw. By gradually covering up more of the light allowed to shine on the plants, you are reducing the amount of sunlight and, consequently, decreasing photosynthesis. In the months leading up to harvest, the highest quality matcha is grown in near darkness.

The leaves begin to produce increasing amounts of chlorophyll and amino acids in response to these decreases in light; the newest growth has become very, very delicate, with buds that are continually becoming softer and thinner. By increasing amino acid content, specific molecules, mostly glutamates, are concentrated, giving the match its umami taste. Due to the high amino acid content, great matcha is sweet and mouthwatering, without any traces of bitterness. For the best matcha products, check out encha Organic. This brand specializes exclusively in organic Matcha. Matcha from our Encha farms assures quality, reduces trading layers, and helps the entire community to enjoy a perfect cup of organic Matcha.