How is Matcha Made in Japan?

Matcha is a unique variety of green tea made by grinding processed green tea leaves known as Tencha into powder. Tencha is harvested by farmers and processed on farms, while matcha is ground by tea wholesalers. It is called “matcha” instead of regular tea because it is specifically grown, harvested, and processed in Japan.

Producing matcha is a process that requires skilled labor at every stage. Tea trees must be taken care of, appropriately shaded, and processed using specific methods. Afterwards, the tea master will take samples of the processed tea leaves (rattan tea) to evaluate their quality and flavor. Once the tea master has confidence in its quality and taste, the tea leaves from different tea trees will be mixed in specific proportions to form a “mixture” of tea. Then grind the tea mixture into matcha.

Each stage of producing matcha is as follows:

1. Shadow Growth

The production of matcha began with the cultivation of tea trees. In order to obtain a unique taste and color, tea trees need to undergo special shading treatment. By building a sunshade net, the amount of sunlight received by tea trees can be reduced, promoting the production of more chlorophyll, caffeine, and theanine. This process not only increases the greenness of tea, but also enhances its flavor and nutritional value.

2. Carefully Selected

Tea trees that grow through shadows will produce tender green buds and leaves at the top. These buds and leaves are the best ingredients for making matcha. Farmers carefully select the first 2 or 3 leaves of tea trees, which are usually younger, sweeter, and contain higher levels of nutrients.

3. Steaming

The picked tea leaves are steamed within 24 hours to prevent oxidation and maintain a fresh green and grassy flavor. Steaming determines the final quality of tea, therefore requiring rich experience and professional knowledge to determine the correct steaming temperature and duration based on the condition of fresh tea.

4. Cooling

Steamed tea leaves will lose color and flavor if not cooled immediately. After steaming, the tea leaves are sent to a special cooling device called “Anton” in Japan, which is about 5 to 7 meters high and surrounded by a net. It consists of four compartments with similar shapes, sizes, and functions. At the bottom of each compartment, there is a blower that can release a strong wind to blow the leaves into the space inside the compartment.

The leaves are first introduced into the first compartment, where they are blown upwards by a blower. Then, they fall into the second compartment, where they are again blown upwards by the second blower in the second compartment. Repeat the process in the third and fourth compartments. The entire process lowers the temperature of the leaves and separates the leaves that gather the water generated during the cooking process. At this stage, it is crucial to separate all leaves to ensure uniform drying during the drying process.

5. Drying

After cooling, the tea leaves are dried in a special furnace called “Tencha Ro”. The stove is about 10 meters long. The lower part of the stove is made of bricks, and there is a burner inside the stove. There are three to five layers in the stove, and a conveyor belt passes through them to transport tea leaves onto the stove. Each layer uses different temperatures to dry the tea leaves. The temperature range is between 90 and 180 degrees Celsius. The entire drying process takes about 20 to 30 minutes. The drying process determines the aroma and taste of tea, so it requires a high level of professional knowledge from farmers.

6. Removing Stems and Veins

After steaming and air drying, tea leaves need to have their stems and veins removed to obtain tencha (refined tea). This step is crucial for the quality of matcha, as the stems and veins contain a significant amount of bitter substances.

7. Grind Into Powder

Finally, place the tencha into a stone matcha mill and grind it finely. This step requires extremely high patience and skill, as the quality of the ground matcha powder directly determines the taste and color of the final product. After a long period of grinding, the final product is a delicate, fresh green, and vibrant matcha powder.