抹茶

is a finely ground powder of green tea specially processed from shade-grown tea leaves. Shade growing gives matcha its characteristic bright green color and strong umami flavor. Matcha is typically consumed suspended in hot water.

Matcha originated in China, but the production of the raw material for matcha was banned in China in the 14th century. Shade growing was invented in Japan in the 16th century and most matcha is produced there today. The traditional Japanese tea ceremony, typically known as or , centers on the preparation, serving and drinking of matcha as hot tea, and embodies a meditative and spiritual practice.

Matcha is also used to flavor and dye foods such as ''mochi'' and ''soba'' noodles, green tea ice cream, matcha lattes, and a variety of Japanese ''wagashi'' confectionery. For this purpose, matcha made green by color additives instead of expensive shade-grown matcha is often used.

Definition

Strict definitions of matcha are given by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 20715:2023 "Tea — Classification of tea types", and the Japanese food labeling standard (defined by ).

Both definitions require that matcha must be:

# made from ''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' (Chinese, small-leaf tea),
# grown in the shade,
# steamed and dried without being rolled,
# ground to a fine powder.

The Japanese food labeling standard requires the tea leaves to be shaded for 2–3 weeks before harvesting using covering materials such as ''yoshizu'', ''komo'', or cheesecloth. Tea leaves after processing the first three steps are called in this standard. ISO 20715:2023 allows matcha to be made from tender leaves, buds, or shoots, but Japanese food labeling standard allows it to be made only from leaves.

Inexpensive green tea, , made by crushing non-shade grown tea leaves, is sometimes sold under the name of "matcha" although it does not satisfy the above definitions. The cheaper alternative is used to flavor and dye foods.

Characteristics

The characteristics of matcha are as follows.

* Color: bright green, might be dark green depending on which leaves are used
* Flavor: strong umami flavor
* Aroma: unique ''ooikou'' (覆い香), like green laver

The characteristic bright green color is due to the increased chloroplasts that the plants need to collect more light in the shade. The flavor of matcha is dominated by its amino acids. The aroma is due to the matcha's dimethyl sulfide content.

Green tea is more umami oriented than black tea and the matcha form is particularly rich in umami flavor with twice the amino acids (the source of umami) as sencha green tea. The amino acids, theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid, and theogallin are the primary contributors to matcha's umami flavor. The growing of ''tencha'', which serves as the material for producing matcha, relies on the ''tencha'' plant being grown in shade, therefore, not breaking down the content of theanine on the leaves. Shading increases the amount of caffeine and total free amino acids but also reduces the accumulation of catechins in leaves.

Matcha tea contains polyphenols, including high amounts of chlorogenic acid.

Preparation

In production, the leaves of tencha are steamed and dried. It is usually steamed at for 10–15 seconds. The steaming softens the tea leaves and inactivates the oxidizing enzymes. The production led to glycosides being suppressed. The leaves are then ground in a grinding mill to make matcha. The leaves are then dried in a tea processing machine and spread on a conveyor belt. The temperature inside the machine is set to approximately 170–200°C (338–392 °F) in the drying process, but the temperature of the tea leaves themselves is around 70°C.

Matcha is typically consumed by mixing with hot water. There are two kinds of matcha tea – and . Koicha is made by higher-grade matcha and less hot water with a lower temperature than for usucha. Usucha is foamed to reduce shibumi while koicha is not foamed. Specifically, koicha is made from matcha and of hot water at , and usucha is made with half matcha in twice the volume of hot water at . Due to the above differences, koicha has more of an original taste of matcha than usucha.

In Japanese ceremony

Drinking koicha is considered the main part of Japanese tea ceremony, while drinking usucha is considered as a sub-part of it. In the ceremonies, matcha is stored and made using a special teaware called ''chaki''. Specifically, matcha for koicha and usucha are stored in special containers, and , respectively. Before use, the matcha can be sifted through a sieve to reduce clumps. Matcha is scooped out from these containers by , a traditional Japanese spoon. Matcha and hot water are then put in a , the bowl, and stirred with , a whisk usually made from bamboo. It is drunk from the chawan. One drinks matcha after finishing (not during) eating sweets to allow a prolonged taste of the matcha.
File:Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum 2018 (009).jpg, Chaire
File:Chr natsume.jpg, Natsume
File:Three piece matcha set.jpg, alt=upper left : chasen (茶筅), upper right : chawan (茶碗), lower right chashaku (茶杓), Upper left: chasen, upper right: chawan, lower right chashaku
File:Outdoor Tea Ceremony.jpg, A hostess prepares matcha during a Japanese outdoor tea ceremony

Difference from other Japanese green tea

There are four types of powdered Japanese green tea and the differences are as follows.

All of the above ones are made from ''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' (Chinese, small-leaf tea).

Production

The majority of matcha is produced in Japan, where it is highly regarded as part of the tea ceremony (), but rarely used otherwise. China and Vietnam also produce some matcha intended for export to the Japanese market, but they are regarded as inferior to the Japanese product and typically used in iced beverages, for example.

Other uses

Matcha (or hunmatsucha under the name of "matcha") is used in '' castella'', ''manjū'', and '' monaka''; as a topping for shaved ice (''kakigōri''); mixed with milk and sugar as a drink; and mixed with salt and used to flavor tempura in a mixture known as ''matcha-jio''. It is also used as flavoring in many Western-style chocolates, candy, and desserts, such as cakes and pastries, including Swiss rolls and cheesecake, cookies, pudding, mousse, and green tea ice cream. Matcha frozen yogurt is sold in shops and can be made at home using Greek yogurt. The snacks Pocky and Kit Kat have matcha-flavoured versions in Japan. It may also be mixed into other forms of tea. For example, it is added to ''genmaicha'' to form ''matcha-iri genmaicha'' (literally, roasted brown rice and green tea with added matcha).

The use of ''matcha'' in modern drinks has also spread to North American cafés, such as Starbucks, which introduced "green tea lattes" and other matcha-flavored drinks after they became successful in their Japanese store locations. As in Japan, it has become integrated into lattes, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies. This increase in matcha-based drinks in the U.S. is driven by a rise in consumer interest in healthier beverage options, with many opting for matcha due to its perceived health benefits and lower caffeine content compared to coffee.

File:Matcha ice cream 001.jpg, Matcha ice cream at a restaurant in Tokyo
File:Matcha and Redbean Cake.jpg, Matcha cake
File:Matcha tiramisu.jpg, Matcha tiramisu
File:Soba sushi w egg crab cucumber.JPG, ''Cha-soba'' sushi roll
File:2019 Nitro Matcha Cold Brew.jpg, Matcha nitro cold brew topped with whipped cream
File:Matcha tea latte with rosetta latte art.jpg, Matcha tea latte
File:Coffee bean Matcha Sarangani1.jpg, Coffee bean chocolate matcha in Maitum

History

China

In China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), tea leaves were steamed and pressed into tea bricks for storage and trade. According to Lu Yu's ''The Classic of Tea'' (760–762), tea was first made by roasting compressed tea over a fire and then grinding it in a wooden grinder called a ''niǎn'' (, Japanese: '' yagen''), boiling water in a pot, adding salt once it comes to a boil, then adding the tea powder to the boiling water and boiling it until it began to foam. The tea was also sometimes mixed with green onions, ginger, jujubes, mandarin orange peels, '' Tetradium ruticarpum'', and mint.

Powdered and compressed teas

During the Song dynasty (960–1279), powdered tea made from steamed and dried tea leaves became popular. The beverage was prepared by whipping the tea powder with hot water in a bowl.Tsutsui Hiroichi, "Tea-drinking Customs in Japan", paper in ''Seminar Papers: The 4th International Tea Culture Festival''. Korean Tea Culture Association, 1996. Although the term "matcha" () was not yet used, the practice of preparing powdered tea with a tea whisk is believed to have originated in China no later than the 11th century.

The most famous references to powdered tea are Cai Xiang's '' Record of Tea'' (1049–1053) and Emperor Huizong's ''Treatise on Tea'' (1107), both written during the Song dynasty (960–1279). These documents describe the preparation of high-grade compressed tea, such as ''Lóngfèng Tuánchá'' (, ). The tea was ground into powder using a metal ''niǎn'', then sifted. The powder was poured into a tea bowl, hot water was added, and the mixture was whisked.

According to the '' Record of Tea'', the finer the sieve, the more the tea would float; the coarser the sieve, the more it would sink. This suggests that the powder particles were larger than those of modern matcha. Tea ceremonies at Kennin-ji in Kyoto and Engaku-ji in Kamakura are thought to preserve traditions from the Song dynasty.

The lump tea presented to the emperor was mixed with borneol, a strongly aromatic substance, and coated with oily flavorings to give it a glossy surface—so much so that the tea's original aroma was lost. Cai Xiang criticized such processing.

In addition, the ideal color of tea was considered to be white, rather than green or brown. However, since tea powder could not usually be made white, various processing methods had to be employed to whiten it. For example, tea buds were plucked just after sprouting, repeatedly squeezed, and water was added repeatedly during grinding. A type of white tea called "water buds" () was also made, in which the leafy part of the sprout was removed, leaving only the veins as raw material.

Declining usage of compressed tea

The complex manufacturing process of lump tea during the Song dynasty required significant labor and expense, and even the slightest error could result in failure. As a result, it was costly and inaccessible to the common people. During the Tang dynasty, "bitter when sipped and sweet when swallowed" (''The Classic of Tea'') was regarded as the ideal taste of tea. However, in the Song dynasty, this ideal was deliberately replaced with four desirable qualities: "aroma, sweetness, richness, and smoothness" (''Treatise on Tea''). This shift represented an attempt to eliminate the natural bitterness of tea. As a result, lump tea became an expensive and complicated product, and some scholars suggest this contributed to its rapid decline after the Ming dynasty.

In the Ming dynasty, the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang issued a ban on the production of compressed tea in 1391. This decree led to the abandonment of compressed tea in China. Instead, a new method—similar to modern tea preparation—in which loose tea is steeped in hot water and extracted, became the mainstream practice.

In Shen Defu's ''Wanli ye huo bian'' ("Unofficial Gleanings of the Wanli Era", ), it is recorded:

:"At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, teas from all over China were offered to the emperor, among which Jianning tea and Yángxiàn tea were the most highly valued. At that time, the Song dynasty production method was still in use, and all the tea offered was ground and kneaded with a medicine grinder into shapes known as ''lóngtuán'' (, ), both large and small. However, in September of the 24th year of Hongwu, the emperor discontinued the production of ''lóngtuán'' due to the heavy burden it placed on the people. Instead, he ordered that only tea buds be plucked and offered to the court."

With the prohibition of compressed tea, matcha—a powdered form derived from it—also fell into disuse in China. Thereafter, matcha would continue to evolve in Japan, shaped by Japanese aesthetics and principles.

Some historians have pointed out that, as the Ming dynasty emphasized agriculture and held a strong military ethos—and since the Hongwu Emperor himself had risen from the lowest social strata—he may have viewed the elaborate and refined nature of compressed tea with disdain.

Japan

The earliest documented reference to tea in Japan appears in the 9th century, in an entry in the concerning the Buddhist monk , who is believed to have brought tea back from China. According to the entry, Eichū personally prepared and served to Emperor Saga during an imperial excursion to Karasaki (in present-day Shiga Prefecture) in 815. This ''sencha'' is believed to have been Chinese compressed tea, rather than the modern form of ''sencha'' in which tea leaves are steeped in hot water for infusion.

In 816, by imperial order, tea plantations were established in the Kinki region. However, public interest in tea soon declined.

Introduction of matcha

Matcha is generally believed to have been introduced to Japan from the Song dynasty in China by the Zen monk Eisai in 1191, along with tea seeds. He authored the and presented it to Minamoto no Sanetomo, the third shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate, in 1214. At the time, tea was regarded as a form of medicine. The ''Kissa Yōjōki'' describes the methods of tea preparation Eisai observed in the Song dynasty. According to the text, tea leaves were plucked in the morning, steamed immediately, and then placed on a roasting rack to roast overnight. This method is believed to have been introduced to Japan at that time. However, a major difference is that modern matcha production omits the long roasting process, apart from drying for approximately 30 minutes. At the time, the tea was a brownish-black lump, rather than the bright green powder of modern matcha. It is thought that this lump tea was ground into powder and consumed in a manner similar to modern matcha.

The term does not appear in contemporary Chinese literature or in Eisai's writings. In Japan, the word "matcha" first appears in the Japanese-language dictionary '' Unpo Iroha Shū'' (1548), compiled during the Muromachi period (1336–1573). The ''Book of Agriculture'' (1313) by Wang Zhen ( 1290–1333) of the Yuan dynasty includes the terms () and (). One theory suggests that these words were adopted and transformed into the term "matcha" in Japan. However, as this book was published about a century after Eisai, no documentary evidence confirms whether these terms were introduced to Japan or evolved into "matcha" by the 16th century.

Eisai's disciple, the monk Myōe (1173–1232), received a tea urn containing seeds from Eisai and established a tea plantation in Togano'o, Kyoto, by sowing them there. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), Tsugano'o tea was known as , while teas from other regions were referred to as . Tsugano'o tea gained the highest reputation at the time. Myōe also established tea plantations in Uji, Kyoto, which subsequently became Japan's foremost tea-producing region.

Popularization and refinement of matcha

In Japan, matcha became an important item at Zen monasteries and was highly valued by the upper classes from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Until the 13th century, matcha was made by grinding tea leaves with a grinder called a , but the particles were rough and coarse in texture. In the 14th century, however, a stone mill specialized for tea appeared, producing finer powder and improving the quality of matcha.

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), tea spread among the general public. Among the elite, it became fashionable to drink tea using expensive Chinese ceramics known as . In the 16th century, however, tea masters such as Murata Jukō and Sen no Rikyū emphasized simplicity, giving rise to the Japanese tea ceremony. This practice prioritized introspection over ostentation and came to favor simple utensils. The wabi-sabi aesthetic, which finds beauty in modesty, simplicity, and imperfection, became closely associated with the tea ceremony.

It was long believed that the practice of growing tea plants under shade by covering them with straw or reeds began in Japan in the late 16th century. For example, the Portuguese missionary João Rodrigues Tçuzu, who arrived in Japan in 1577, wrote about shaded cultivation in his 1604 work, ''History of the Japanese Church (Historia da Igreja do Japão)''. However, recent soil analyses of Uji tea plantations suggest that the practice began in the first half of the 15th century at the latest.

This technique, originally intended to protect tea sprouts from frost damage, led to the development of a unique Japanese matcha (''tencha'') that was bright green and had a distinctive aroma and flavor. By limiting exposure to sunlight, photosynthesis in the leaves is inhibited, preventing the conversion of theanine—a component responsible for umami—into tannins, which cause bitterness and astringency. As a result, the tea leaves retain a higher umami content. Shaded cultivation also increases the concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves, resulting in a vibrant green color. Until then, matcha introduced from China was brown in color—hence the Japanese word for "brown", (''chairo''), literally means "tea color".

Traditions

Since the Muromachi period, the term referred to tea manufacturers and sellers. During the Edo period (1603–1867), it came to refer specifically to the of Uji, Kyoto, whose status was guaranteed by the Tokugawa shogunate. Uji tea masters were divided into three ranks: , , and . They were permitted to use their family names and carry swords like samurai. They dealt exclusively with the shogun, the imperial court, and feudal lords, and did not sell tea to commoners. Shaded cultivation of tea was permitted only for Uji tea masters, who held a monopoly on the production of high-grade matcha and ''gyokuro'' (premium sencha).

The oldest known brand of matcha is . "Grandmother" refers to Myōshūni (, d. 1598), daughter of Rokkaku Yoshikata, who married Kanbayashi Hisashige. She was affectionately called "Baba" by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Myōshūni was skilled in tea preparation, and Ieyasu often drank her tea. The matcha made using her method was named ''Baba Mukashi'' and was later served to the shogun. According to one theory, the name ''Baba Mukashi'' was bestowed by Ieyasu himself.

Other well-known brands included and , both of which were also presented to the shogun. and were also well-known.

At the time, matcha was shipped in tea jars filled with ''tencha'' (unground leaf tea), which was later ground into powder using a tea grinder. The event of transporting tea jars from Uji to Edo (now Tokyo) for presentation to the shogun was called the , and even feudal lords were required to stand aside when the procession passed. The tradition continued from 1633 until 1866, near the end of the Edo period.

Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), Uji tea growers, who had held a monopoly on shaded cultivation and ''tencha'' production, lost their privileged status. They also lost their primary clients, including the shoguns and feudal lords. Meanwhile, shaded cultivation began to spread beyond Uji. In the Taishō era (1912–1926), the invention of the ''tencha'' dryer facilitated the mechanization of tea production.

See also

* Green tea
* Food powder
* Tea culture in Japan

Notes

References

General sources

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External links

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Chadō
Chinese tea
Food powders
Green tea
Japanese green tea
Economy of the Tang dynasty