Definition and Application of Matcha

Matcha is made from steamed green tea leaves grown under special cover cultivation, then ground into an ultra-fine powder. These covered leaves undergo a specific process to become tencha, the precursor to matcha. Tencha is then ultra-finely ground using specialized equipment to become matcha.

On May 1, 2018, China implemented the national standard “Matcha” (GB/T 34778-2017), which defines matcha as a finely powdered tea product made from fresh leaves from cover-cultivated tea plants that have been steamed (or hot air-dried) and then dried.

While traditional matcha is made by grinding steamed green tea leaves into a fine powder using natural stone mills, matcha shouldn’t be equated with green tea powder. The two differ significantly in production techniques, raw materials, and taste. While matcha production requires over a dozen steps, the production of green tea powder is relatively simple. Matcha also has stringent and complex requirements regarding tea plant variety, picking time, leaf size, processing techniques, grinding methods, and quality characteristics. Matcha’s color, aroma, and flavor surpass those of ordinary green tea powder. Matcha has a lustrous emerald green appearance, a dark green tea soup with a seaweed aroma, and a fresh, rich flavor. In contrast, ordinary green tea powder tends to be yellowish-green or grayish-green in color, with a dark yellow tea soup, no seaweed aroma, and a stronger flavor.

Evolution of Matcha Production Technology

For the first 700 years of matcha’s introduction to Japan, it was sold as “tencha” (also known as thin-leaf tea or thin tea), which was then hand-ground into a powder using a stone mill. It wasn’t until the early Showa era, with the advent of grinders, that “matcha” products appeared on the market. As tea processing techniques advanced, so too did the production technology and equipment for matcha.

(1) Tea Varieties Suitable for Matcha Production

Until the 19th century, Japan had been using tea seeds for sowing and propagation. The sexual tea varieties were mixed, and the quality of fresh leaves was uneven, which made tea picking more difficult and affected the quality of processed Matcha. In 1931, the Uji region of Japan first began to study the selection and breeding of tea varieties specifically for Matcha. Since then, three major series of varieties suitable for Matcha production have been formed: Uji variety series, Asaro series, and Yabukita series, with more than 30 different tea varieties. At the end of the 20th century, my country began to introduce tea varieties and tencha (matcha raw material) production technology from Japan. Through research and exploration, it was found that there are many varieties suitable for Matcha production in China, among which the Zhongcha series varieties are particularly outstanding, with advantages such as high yield, green color, high aroma, and mellow taste.

(2) Tea garden covering technology for Tencha production

One of the standards used by the Japanese industry association to distinguish between matcha and ordinary green tea powder is that Tencha tea gardens must “use shade covering”. It can be seen that shade covering technology is an indispensable part of the management process of Tencha tea gardens.

The purpose of shade covering cultivation in Japan was originally to prevent frost damage. Later, it was found that covering could significantly affect the internal components of tea leaves. The color, aroma and taste of the produced Tencha were greatly improved. The processed matcha products have a bright green color, sweet taste, and a special seaweed aroma. They are more easily accepted by consumers than the gray-green, bitter and astringent tea powder produced in tea gardens without shade covering. The reason is that the fresh leaves after shade covering retain the sweet amino acid components represented by theanine to the greatest extent, while reducing the production of catechins with a strong bitter taste. The reduction of direct sunlight accelerates the synthesis of chlorophyll in tea leaves, making the tea leaves more tender and forming the oily and bright green color of matcha. The special “seaweed aroma” of matcha is formed under this cultivation method. In the late 16th century, shade covering technology became popular in Japan and spread rapidly.

There are three types of mulching methods used in Japanese Tencha tea gardens: direct mulching, trough mulching, and shed mulching. In my country, direct mulching and shed mulching are generally the most common methods. Direct mulching involves placing mulching material directly on the tea trough. Shed mulching involves constructing a trellis, typically 1.5 to 1.8 meters above the ground, and then spreading the mulching material over the trough. Directly mulched tea gardens primarily rely on machine harvesting. Shed mulching allows for both hand and machine harvesting. Hand harvesting offers a certain price advantage. However, due to the increasing labor shortage associated with manual picking, the proportion of machine harvesting in shed-covered tea gardens is increasing year by year.

Application of Matcha

Matcha has been widely used in the food industry for nearly 20 years. Before that, matcha was mostly limited to the field of tea ceremony. According to statistics, the annual production of Japanese tea in 1995 was about 200 tons, which shows that the market demand for matcha was limited at that time. Most tea production companies are concentrated in Uji, Kyoto, and the production of matcha is relatively small. With the increase in people’s demands for nutrition and health, natural health products including matcha have been rapidly developed. In 2016, the total production of tea in Japan reached nearly 4,000 tons, while the market demand for matcha exceeded 10,000 tons.

Driven by market development, a global matcha consumption boom has rapidly emerged, and my country’s matcha industry has also experienced rapid growth. Currently, matcha in China is primarily used in the food, beverage, and cosmetics industries. Approximately 10% of matcha is used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, 20% in beverage production and tea ceremonies, and 70% as a food additive, enhancing its nutritional and health benefits and imparting a natural, vibrant green color and unique tea flavor to various foods. In addition to its widespread use in baked goods, beverages, and ice cream, matcha is also incorporated into products such as meatballs, candies, and noodles. In the daily chemical industry, matcha face masks and soaps are currently the most widely used products