Japanese Matcha Cultivation Tiers: Tencha, Usucha and Koicha Production

Japan — Uji, Kyoto (historically); also Nishio, Aichi and Kagoshima

Matcha (抹茶) production involves a cultivation and processing chain distinct from all other green teas, and the quality tiering within matcha is extensive — from ceremonial-grade koicha matcha (thick tea, used in the most formal tea ceremonies) to culinary-grade matcha used in confections, where colour, fragrance, and amino acid content vary enormously. The production begins with shading — identical to gyokuro — but for longer (20–30 days) and using traditional tana reed shading rather than black netting, which is considered to produce superior flavour. At harvest, only the finest first-flush leaves (ichibancha) are hand-picked. These leaves are briefly steamed (the defining step that distinguishes Japanese green tea from Chinese pan-fried green tea — steaming deactivates enzymes that would cause oxidation), then dried without rolling. The resulting flat, dried leaf product is called tencha (碾茶) — this is the raw material for matcha. Tencha is stored until it is stone-ground (on granite millstones rotating at 30–40 RPM) into matcha powder. The grinding produces heat which damages flavour if too fast — the slow RPM is essential. One stone mill produces approximately 40g of matcha per hour. Koicha (thick tea) requires the highest-grade tencha from the most shaded, most skilled gardens; usucha (thin tea) is made from slightly less premium tencha; culinary matcha uses the lowest-grade tencha with far less shading time.

Premium koicha matcha: extraordinary complexity — deep umami sweetness with zero bitterness, a viscous, almost coating texture, and a long, resonant finish of marine-sweet-grass. Usucha: fresh, bright, lightly grassy with balanced umami and mild bitterness. Culinary grade: more bitter, greener, sharp — designed for sweetened applications. The quality differential across grades is among the largest in any single ingredient category in world cuisine.