Japanese Matcha Cultivation Shading Tencha Grinding and Ceremonial vs Culinary Grades
Japan (Uji/Kyoto as historic centre; national production expanded to Nishio and Yame)
Matcha (抹茶 — powdered green tea) production represents one of Japan's most labour-intensive agricultural traditions, transforming shaded tea cultivation into a powder of extraordinary complexity. The process begins 20–30 days before harvest, when tea bushes are covered with netting or straw (kabuse or hondana shading systems) — this shading triggers the plant to increase chlorophyll and L-theanine production while reducing catechin bitterness, producing a sweeter, more amino acid-rich leaf. The shaded leaves are harvested as tencha (碾茶 — the dried, unrolled leaf before grinding), sorted by grade, then slow-ground on granite millstones (ishiusu) at 30–40 rotations per minute — the slowness is essential to prevent friction heat that would destroy volatile aromatic compounds. The result is a vivid green powder of extraordinary fineness. The grade hierarchy ranges from ceremonial grade (top 5–10% of harvest, suitable for thin tea/usucha and thick tea/koicha) through premium culinary grade (used in sweets, ice cream, and lattes) to culinary grade (used in baking and confectionery where intense heat and milk fat mask the fine distinctions).