Matcha was first discovered in the 8th century in China and comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. It was later brought to Kyoto, Japan by a Buddhist monk named Eisai. In case you didn’t know, matcha is in fact a green tea, but prepared vastly differently from its counterpart, which makes it all the more special!
Today, farmers commit to several steps in order for us to enjoy that sweet green elixir we love so much. Matcha powder is made from finely ground green tea leaves and the process of making matcha involves several steps before you enjoy your cup:
Growing and Harvesting: Matcha is made from Camellia Sinensis that are grown under shade for several weeks before harvest. This shading increases the chlorophyll content and gives the leaves a darker green color, and boosts the amino acid content
Picking: Only the youngest, most tender leaves are picked by hand to ensure the highest quality matcha.
Steaming: After picking, the tea leaves are immediately steamed to prevent oxidation and preserve their vibrant green color.
Drying: The steamed tea leaves are then spread out to dry. Traditionally, this drying process was done in the sun, but nowadays, it's often done indoors using hot air dryers.
Tencha Production: The dried leaves are then deveined and de-stemmed to produce a tea called tencha. Tencha is the base material for matcha.
Grinding: The tencha leaves are ground into a fine powder using stone mills. This grinding process can take up to an hour to produce just 30 grams of matcha powder.
Sieving: After grinding, the matcha powder is sieved to ensure a smooth, fine texture.
From shade to sip, there’s a lot of TLC that comes into play before we start whisking away our matcha powder!
As a reminder, not all matcha is created equal. Make sure your matcha has the ‘green’ stamp of approval by going organic. At Mana Matcha, our matcha powder is 100% USDA organic and JAS certified, meaning our products are produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and ensure sustainable farming practice. Whether you drink Mana Matcha or savor another, we hope that every time you spoon a teaspoon of matcha, you stop to acknowledge the history that influenced today’s culture of matcha and the efforts that bring you your daily cup!
Cheers!
Mana Matcha Club