Matcha

{{short description|Fine powder green tea}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{for-multi|the person|Matcha Phorn-in|the drink|Matcha latte}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox Tea | Tea_name = ''Matcha'' | Tea_type = Green tea | Tea_color = Green | Tea_image = Matcha Scoop.jpg | Tea_origin = China (powdered tea)<br />Japan (modern) | Tea_names = 抹茶,"fine powder tea" | Tea_quick = Japanese stone-ground powder green tea }} {{Infobox Chinese | title = Regional names | float = right | collapse = yes | pic = Matcha (Chinese characters).svg | piccap = "''Matcha''" in ''kanji'' | picupright = 0.375 | c = 末茶<ref>From the ''Classic of Tea'': "飲有粗茶、散茶、末茶、餅茶者。"</ref><br />抹茶 | p = mǒchá | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|m|o|2|.|ch|a|1}} | j = mut3-caa4 | ci = {{IPAc-yue|m|ut|3|.|c|aa|4}} | japanese_header = Japanese name | kanji = 抹茶 | kana = まっちゃ | revhep = matcha | korean_header = Korean name | hangul = 말차 | hanja = 抹茶 | rr = malcha | mr = malch'a | koreanname2 = Korean name 2 | hangul2 = 가루차 | rr2 = garucha | mr2 = karuch'a }}

'''Matcha'''{{efn|"Matcha", also called fine powder tea or powdered tea, is the most common spelling, and accords with Hepburn romanization of the hiragana {{lang|ja|まっちゃ}}. In Kunrei-shiki romanization (ISO 3602) it is "mattya". "Maccha" is a nonstandard and uncommon spelling.}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|tʃ|ə|,_|ˈ|m|ɑː|tʃ|ə|audio=En-us-matcha.oga}};<ref>{{cite web |title=matcha – Definition of matcha in English by Oxford Dictionaries |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/Matcha |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904141919/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/matcha |archive-date=4 September 2017 |access-date=9 September 2017 |website=Oxford Dictionaries – English}}</ref><ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|matcha|access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref> {{langx|ja|抹茶}}) is a finely ground powder of green tea specially processed from shade-grown tea leaves.<ref name="ISO3">{{Cite web |title=3 Terms and definitions, 3.18 matcha tea |url=https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:75419:en |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=ISO 20715:2023 Tea — Classification of tea types |archive-date=1 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601011204/https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:75419:en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2">{{Cite web |author=消費者庁食品表示企画課 |date= |title=食品表示基準Q&A |url=https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_labeling_act/assets/food_labeling_cms101_210317_12.pdf |access-date=20 March 2024 |page=25 |archive-date=6 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406000321/https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_labeling_act/assets/food_labeling_cms101_210317_12.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Labeling">{{Cite web |title=緑茶の表示基準 |url=https://www.nihon-cha.or.jp/pdf/hyoujikijyun.pdf |access-date=19 March 2024 |publisher=公益社団法人日本茶業中央会 |page=21 |archive-date=4 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304115135/https://nihon-cha.or.jp/pdf/hyoujikijyun.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Shade growing gives matcha its characteristic bright green color and strong umami flavor.<ref name="oomori">{{Cite book |author=大森正司 |title=お茶の科学「色・香り・味」を生み出す茶葉のひみつ |date=17 May 2017 |publisher=講談社 |isbn=978-4-06-502016-6 |language=ja |section=第一章の『緑茶「非発酵茶」』の節の「(5)抹茶」}}</ref><ref name="haraguchi">{{Cite web |author=原口健司（京都府農林水産技術センター農林センター茶業研究所） |title=抹茶の特徴 |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jao/46/2/46_121/_pdf |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=におい・かおり環境学会誌 46巻 2 号 — 特集 — お茶の香り |pages=123–124 |language=ja |archive-date=19 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319235305/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jao/46/2/46_121/_pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Matcha is typically consumed suspended in hot water.

Matcha originated through cultural exchanges between China and Japan in the premodern period, developing from earlier powdered tea practices in China that were transmitted to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks. During the Song dynasty, tea leaves were ground into a fine powder and whisked with hot water. This method was introduced to Japan by the monk Eisai around 1191, where it continued to develop even as such practices declined in China.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=AOL |date=2026-01-24 |title=The Ancient Chinese Ritual Behind the Internet’s Favorite Green Drink |url=https://www.aol.com/articles/ancient-chinese-ritual-behind-internet-170000086.html |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=www.aol.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

During the Muromachi period in the sixteenth century, Japanese tea farmers developed shading techniques to produce {{Nihongo|2=碾茶|3=tencha}}, the tea leaves used for grinding into matcha.<ref name="isan">{{Cite web |title=日本茶800年の歴史散歩｜日本遺産ポータルサイト |url=https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/stories/story009/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260116132801/https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/stories/story009/|access-date=6 September 2025 |archive-date=16 January 2026|website=日本遺産ポータルサイト |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=抹茶(マッチャ)とは？意味や使い方 |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%8A%B9%E8%8C%B6-136678 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=Kotobank |language=ja |archive-date=14 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214031527/https://kotobank.jp/word/%25E6%258A%25B9%25E8%258C%25B6-136678 |url-status=live }}</ref> This innovation contributed to the development of modern matcha, characterized by its vivid green color and rich umami flavor, the latter derived from theanine, distinguishing it from earlier forms of powdered tea. It also contributed to the development in Japan of new tea styles such as ''sencha'' and ''gyokuro''.<ref name="isan" /><ref name="japan_unique_teas">{{cite book |last1=Heiss |first1=Mary Lou |title=The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide |last2=Heiss |first2=Robert J. |date=2007 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=978-1-60774-172-5 |location=New York |chapter=Japan: Unique Teas and Introspective Customs}}</ref> Traditionally, matcha was produced almost exclusively in Japan,<ref name="japan_unique_teas" /> although it is now also produced in other countries. In the twenty-first century, to meet the rising global demand for matcha, China invited Japanese specialists for technical guidance, introduced the necessary equipment, and has promoted mass production in Guizhou Province since 2018.<ref name="nhk">{{Cite web |title=中国日本の技術導入で抹茶の量産化進む世界的ブーム受け |url=https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10014959491000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251104063938/https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10014959491000|access-date=6 September 2025 |archive-date=4 November 2025|website=NHK |language=ja}}</ref> While Japan still produces the finest matcha, the quality of Chinese matcha has been improving rapidly enough to be used in the food processing industry at more competitive prices.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/16458339|title=As global matcha demand surges, China closing fast on Japan|archiveurl= https://megalodon.jp/2026-0427-0343-26/https://www.asahi.com:443/sp/ajw/articles/16458339|archivedate=2026-04-27}}</ref>

The traditional Japanese tea ceremony, typically known as {{Nihongo|chanoyu|茶の湯}} or {{Nihongo|sadō/chadō|茶道}}, centers on the preparation, serving and drinking of matcha as hot tea, and embodies a meditative and spiritual practice.{{citation needed|date=March 2026}}

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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 February 2017 |title=本当の抹茶とそうではない抹茶がある！？抹茶にまつわる知っておきたい豆知識 |url=https://www.ooigawachaen.co.jp/blog/2017/02/09/369 |access-date=13 December 2024 |website=大井川茶園公式ブログ |language=ja}}</ref>{{Sfn|三木雄|2019|p=40}}

== Definition == Strict definitions of matcha are given by the International Organization for Standardization,<ref name="ISO3" /> ISO 20715:2023 "Tea — Classification of tea types", and the Japanese food labeling standard<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> defined by {{Nihongo|Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association<ref name="Labeling" />|日本茶業中央会}}.

Both definitions require that matcha must be:

* made from ''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' (Chinese, small-leaf tea)<ref name="ISO3" /><ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> * grown in the shade<ref name="ISO3" /><ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> * steamed and dried without being rolled<ref name="ISO3" /><ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> * ground to a fine powder<ref name="ISO3" /><ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" />

The Japanese food labeling standard requires the tea leaves to be shaded for 2–3 weeks before harvesting using covering materials such as ''yoshizu'',{{efn|covering material made by reed}} ''komo'',{{efn|covering material made by manchurian wild rice}} or cheesecloth.<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> Tea leaves after processing the first three steps are called {{Nihongo|2=碾茶|3=tencha}} in this standard.<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> ISO 20715:2023 allows matcha to be made from tender leaves, buds, or shoots,<ref name="ISO3" /> but Japanese food labeling standard allows it to be made only from leaves.<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" />

{{Anchor|fake matcha}}Inexpensive green tea, {{Nihongo|2=粉末茶|3=hunmatsucha}}, made by crushing non-shade grown tea leaves, is sometimes sold under the name of "matcha"{{Sfn|三木雄|2019|p=40}} although it does not satisfy the above definitions. The cheaper alternative is used to flavor and dye foods.

== History == === China === ==== Powdered and compressed teas ==== thumb|alt=Various types of compressed teas|Various types of compressed teas Powdered tea originated in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907) where tea leaves were pounded and then milled into fine powder before being shaped into "cakes". ''The Classic of Tea'', written by Chinese tea master Lu Yu roughly between 760 to 762 CE, had documented the practise of steeping powdered tea in hot water. This involved first roasting compressed tea over a fire and then grinding it in a wooden grinder called a ''niǎn'' ({{lang|zh|碾}}, 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.<ref name="Luyu">{{cite wikisource|last=Lu|first=Yu|title=茶經|trans-title = The Classic of Tea |chapter=五之煮|trans-chapter = 5 |wslanguage=zh|language=zh}}</ref><ref>Han Wei, "Tang Dynasty Tea Utensils and Tea Culture: Recent Discoveries at Famen Temple", in ''Chanoyu Quarterly'' no. 74 (1993)</ref> The tea was also sometimes mixed with green onions, ginger, jujubes, mandarin orange peels, ''Tetradium ruticarpum'', and mint.<ref name="Luyu" />

It wasn't until the Song dynasty (960–1279) when whisks, bowls, and other tools first appeared in China that was used to froth up a drink called "mo cha", which translates to "powdered tea", and was made from steamed and dried tea leaves. According to Katharine P. Burnett, a tea scholar at the University of California, Davis, it was also during this era when Zen Buddhist monks from Japan began to visit China to attain books and sutras from Chinese scholars, and Japanese Buddhist monks will often encounter mo cha and its style of preparation in the Chinese temples.<ref name=":3" /> The beverage was prepared by whipping the tea powder with hot water in a bowl.<ref name="Hiroichi">Tsutsui Hiroichi, "Tea-drinking Customs in Japan", paper in ''Seminar Papers: The 4th International Tea Culture Festival''. Korean Tea Culture Association, 1996.</ref> Although the term "matcha" ({{lang|zh|抹茶}}) 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.

thumb|alt=Niǎn|''Niǎn(茶碾子)'', Tea Grind in tea set preserved in Famen Temple Crypt, Xi'an, China. Xizong Era of Tang Dynasty, 9th Century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=吕伏 |title=Gilded silver salt stand reveals Tang Dynasty tea culture |url=https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202412/23/WS67690254498eec7e1f72b5cb/gilded-silver-salt-stand-reveals-tang-dynasty-tea-culture.html |access-date=2025-10-12 |website=govt.chinadaily.com.cn |language=en}}</ref>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).<ref name="Cai">{{cite wikisource|last=Cai|first=Xiang|title=茶錄|trans-title=Record of Tea|wslanguage=zh|language=zh}}</ref><ref name="Sen1957">{{Cite book |editor-last = Sen | editor-first = Soshitsu |script-title=ja:茶道古典全集 |trans-title = Complete Collection of Tea Ceremony Classics |volume = 1 |publisher = Tankō Shinsha |date = 1957 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/2466376/1/1 |doi = 10.11501/2466376 |language = ja | author1=千宗}}</ref> These documents describe the preparation of high-grade compressed tea, such as ''Lóngfèng Tuánchá'' ({{lang|zh|龍鳳團茶}}, {{lit|Dragon and Phoenix Lump Tea|lk=yes}}). 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fukumochi|first=Masayuki|url=http://www2.meijo.ac.jp/img/s17fukumochi.pdf|title=京都の無形文化財としての建仁寺四頭茶礼|trans-title=Kennin-ji's Yotsugashira Charei as an Intangible Cultural Property of Kyoto|journal="Kankō & Tourism", the journal of the Osaka University of Tourism|access-date=27 January 2024|language=ja|archive-date=12 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812131847/http://www2.meijo.ac.jp/img/s17fukumochi.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Cai" /><ref name="Sen1957" />

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" ({{lang|zh|水芽}}) was also made, in which the leafy part of the sprout was removed, leaving only the veins as raw material.<ref name="Teng1993">{{Cite thesis |last = Téng |first = Jūn |title = 茶文化の思想的背景に関する研究 |trans-title = Study on the ideological background of tea culture |date = 1993 |publisher = 神戸大学 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/3078362/1/45 |doi = 10.11501/3078362 |language = ja |archive-date = 26 January 2024 |access-date = 27 January 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240126234935/https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/3078362/1/45 |url-status = live }}</ref>

==== 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'').<ref name="Teng1993" /> 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.<ref name="Teng1993" />

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.

thumb|Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in his old age, {{circa|1397}} In Shen Defu's ''Wanli ye huo bian'' ("Unofficial Gleanings of the Wanli Era", {{lang|zh|萬厲野獲編}}), 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'' ({{lang|zh|龍團}}, {{lit|lump of dragon}}), 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.<ref name="Shen2">{{cite wikisource|title=萬曆野獲編|first=Defu|last=Shen|wslanguage=zh|chapter=補遺一|language=zh|trans-title=Unofficial Gleanings of the Wanli Era|trans-chapter=Addendum 1}}</ref>{{efn|The original text is: "{{lang|lzh|國初四方供茶，以建寧、陽羨茶品為上，時猶仍宋製，所進者俱碾而揉之，為大小龍團。至洪武二十四年九月，上以重勞民力，罷造龍團，惟采茶芽以進.}}"}}

With the prohibition of compressed tea, the powdered tea associated with it also fell into disuse in China.

In Japan, however, a tradition of powdered tea preparation was preserved. Through innovations such as shade cultivation of tea leaves (''覆下栽培'') and stone-milling, Japan eventually developed what is now known as ''matcha'', which over time was deeply shaped by Japanese aesthetics and cultural principles.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Heiss |first1=Mary Lou |last2=Heiss |first2=Robert J. |title=The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide |date=2007 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |location=New York |isbn=978-1-60774-172-5 |chapter=A Brief History of Tea}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chin |first=Shunshin |title=茶の話——茶事遍路|trans-title = Tale of Tea: Chaji Pilgrimage |series=Asahi Bunko |publisher=The Asahi Shimbun Company |year=1992 |isbn=4-02-260705-X |pages=90–100 |language=ja}}</ref> === Japan === thumb|''Yagen {{noitalic|({{lang|ja|藥研}})}}, meaning "Medicine Grindstone"'' The earliest documented reference to tea in Japan appears in the 9th century, in an entry in the {{transliteration|ja|Nihon Kōki}} concerning the Buddhist monk {{nihongo|Eichū|永忠}}, who is believed to have brought tea back from China. According to the entry, Eichū personally prepared and served {{nihongo||煎茶|sencha}} to Emperor Saga during an imperial excursion to Karasaki (in present-day Shiga Prefecture) in 815.<ref name="Nunome1982" /> 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.<ref name="Nunome1982" />

In 816, by imperial order, tea plantations were established in the Kinki region. However, public interest in tea soon declined.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor1=Kaisen Iguchi |editor2=Sōkō Sue |editor3=Fukutarō Nagashima |encyclopedia=Genshoku Chadō Daijiten |title=Eisai |language=ja |edition=19 |year=2002 |publisher=Tankōsha (:ja:淡交社) |oclc=62712752}}</ref>

Powdered tea first arrived in Japan around the 12th century. It can be traced back to Tang dynasty China, where Chinese Zen (Chan) monks were the first to grind bricks of tea into fine powder with a pestle and mortar. Japanese monk Myoan Eisai travelled to China around the late 1180s, and encountered a drink at the temples there that the Chinese called as "mo cha", which involved pouring hot water over powdered tea and whisking it with a bamboo whisk. Eisai was credited to have brought back this Song dynasty style of tea preparation to Japan. In China, this practise of mo cha however faded over the next centuries during the Ming dynasty, but it continued in Japan, and become a key part of Japanese Zen Buddhist culture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-17 |title=The Global Matcha Tea Industry |url=https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/57216/the-global-matcha-tea-industry |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=globaledge.msu.edu |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Corbett |first=Rebecca |date=2025-09-03 |title=Green gruel? Pea soup? What Westerners thought of matcha when they tried it for the first time |url=https://theconversation.com/green-gruel-pea-soup-what-westerners-thought-of-matcha-when-they-tried-it-for-the-first-time-263014 |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-30 |title=From monastery drink to global fascination, the popularity of matcha and why there is a shortage |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/from-monastery-drink-to-global-fascination-the-popularity-of-matcha-and-why-there-is-a-shortage-10219951/ |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Teng1993" />

According to the [https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho_shuppan/tokeichosa/seikatsubunka_chosa/pdf/93014801_06.pdf Report of the 2020 Culture of Life Research Project (Tea Ceremony)] published by the Government of Japan, they wrote;

{{blockquote|During the Kamakura period, a new method of tea drinking—matcha (tencha)—was introduced by Chinese merchants visiting for trade or by monks who had studied in China...

During this period, matcha was served by having guests hold a tenmoku bowl filled with powdered tea (matcha). Servants carrying a jōhei (tōbin) and a chasen (tea whisk) would circulate, pour hot water, and stir the mixture. This method of preparing tea was documented in Song Dynasty tea texts, such as Emperor Huizong's Grand Treatise on Tea, confirming it was existed during the Song Dynasty. The "Four-Head Tea Ceremony" performed at ancient Zen temples like Kennō-ji and Kennin-ji actually preserves this ancient form.}}

Eisai authored the {{nihongo||喫茶養生記|Kissa Yōjōki|{{lit|Book of Drinking Tea for Health|lk=yes}}}} 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 during his time 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 be left overnight.<ref name="Sen1958">{{Cite book | last1 = 千 | first1 = 宗室 14世 |editor-last = Sen | editor-first = Soshitsu |script-title=ja:茶道古典全集 |trans-title = Complete Collection of Tea Ceremony Classics |volume = 1 |publisher = Tankō Shinsha |date = 1958 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/2466377/1/19 |doi = 10.11501/2466377 |language = ja}}</ref>{{rp|p=13}} 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.<ref name="Ikegatani1988">{{cite journal |last = Ikegatani |first = Kenjiro |title = Tea: Especially on Chinese tea |journal = Dietary Scientific Research |volume = 9 |issue = 5 |date = September 1988 |publisher = The Foundation for Dietary Scientific Research |pages = 18–27 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1841906/1/16 |doi = 10.11501/1841906 |language = ja |archive-date = 27 February 2024 |access-date = 27 February 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240227074443/https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1841906/1/16 |url-status = live }}</ref> It is thought that this lump tea was ground into powder and consumed in a manner similar to modern matcha. thumb|Characters for {{nihongo||抹茶|matcha}} in the Japanese dictionary ''Unpo Iroha Shū'' (1548)

In Japan, illustrations of "''matcha jars''" ({{lang|ja|抹茶壺}}, in this case referring to tea caddies) appear in the ''Kundaikan sōchōki'' ({{lang|ja|君台観左右帳記}}, literally "Record of Appraising Objects for the Lord’s Viewing Stand"), a Muromachi-period manual on art connoisseurship and interior decoration compiled by the art connoisseurs Nōami and Sōami for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. The "Nōami-bon" (1476)<ref>*{{Cite book |last1=塙 |first1=保己一 |language=ja |editor-last=Hanawa |editor-first=Hokiichi |trans-title=Gunsho ruijū|title=群書類従|volume=12 |publisher=Keizai Zasshisha |date=1900 |url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1879539 |doi=10.11501/1879539 |page=668}}</ref> and "Sōami-bon" (1511)<ref name="Sen1958" />{{rp|p=314}} versions of this text both include such illustrations, indicating that the term matcha ({{lang|ja|抹茶}}) was already in use in the late 15th century. Furthermore, in the oldest surviving manuscript of the Sōami-bon, the "Tōhoku University manuscript" (dated to 1559, the second year of Eiroku), the characters {{lang|ja|抹茶}} are glossed with the phonetic reading "Surichatsubo" ({{lang|ja|スリチヤツホ}}), indicating that the word may originally have been pronounced suricha rather than matcha.<ref>{{Cite book |language=ja |author=Shinsō |title=君台観左右帳記 : 永禄二年古写本|trans-title=Kundaikan sōchōki: Eiroku 2 (1559) manuscript |publisher=Koten Hozonkai |date=1933 |url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1187873 |doi=10.11501/1187873|page=63}}</ref>

The characters for matcha ({{lang|ja|抹茶}}) also appear in the Japanese dictionary ''Unpo Iroha Shū'' (1548), compiled during the Muromachi period.<ref>{{Cite book |last1 = Ueda |first1 = Mannen |last2 = Matsui |first2 = Kanji |title = 大日本国語辞典 |trans-title = Dictionary of the Japanese Language |publisher = Kinkodo Books |date = 1919 |page = 907 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/954648/1/406 |doi = 10.11501/954648 |language = ja |archive-date = 24 January 2024 |access-date = 24 January 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240124221349/https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/954648/1/406 |url-status = live }}</ref> The ''Book of Agriculture'' (1313) by Wang Zhen ({{floruit}} 1290–1333) of the Yuan dynasty includes the terms {{lang|zh|mòchá}} ({{lang|zh|末茶}}) and {{lang|zh|mòzichá}} ({{lang|zh|末子茶}}). One theory suggests that these words were adopted and transformed into the term "matcha" in Japan.<ref name="Nunome1982">{{Cite journal |last = Nunome |first = Chōfū |title = 抹茶の源流 |trans-title = The Origin of Matcha |journal = Kaitoku |publisher = Kaitoku-do Memorial Association |issue = 51 |date = December 1982 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/7957009/1/13 |pages = 21–27 |doi = 10.11501/7957009 |language = ja}}</ref> 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.

Moreover, whether read as matcha or suricha, the term {{lang|ja|抹茶}} literally means "tea that has been ground". In contrast, the terms {{lang|zh|末茶}} (mòchá) and {{lang|zh|末子茶}} (mòzichá) mean "tea reduced to powder," and thus differ not only in characters and pronunciation, but also in meaning.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

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), Togano'o tea was known as {{nihongo||本茶|honcha|{{lit|real tea|lk=yes}}}}, while teas from other regions were referred to as {{nihongo||非茶|hicha|{{lit|non-tea|lk=yes}}}}.<ref name="Haraguchi 2015" /> Togano'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 {{nihongo||薬研|yagen}}, 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sawamura |first=Shinʼichi |date=2011 |title=中世以前の抹茶の粒度と味 |trans-title=Particle Size and Taste of Matcha Produced before the Middle Ages |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/44/3/44_231/_article/-char/ja |journal=Journal of Cookery Science of Japan |language=ja |publisher=The Japan Society of Cookery Science |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=231–237 |doi=10.11402/cookeryscience.44.231}}</ref>

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 {{nihongo||唐物|karamono|{{lit|Tang Dynasty things|lk=yes}}}}. 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.

[[File:Tea bowl, known as Suehiro, studio of Chojiro, Raku ware, Kuroraku type, Azuchi-Momoyama to Edo period, 1500s-1600s AD, ceramic - Tokyo National Museum - Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan - DSC08889.jpg|thumb|Tea bowl, known as {{lang|ja-Latn|Suehiro}}, studio of Chōjirō]] thumb|The part of "Making tea" from the ''Picture Scroll of the Origin of Kiyomizu-dera Temple'', 1517

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'' ({{lang|pt|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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1 = Inoue |first1 = Yuzuru |last2 = Nakao |first2 = Atsushi |last3 = Yauchi |first3 = Junta |last4 = Sase |first4 = Takashi |last5 = Konishi |first5 = Shigeki |title = 京都府宇治市の茶園土壌を用いた覆下栽培の発祥時期の推定 |trans-title = Estimation of the age of establishment of the traditional shaded cultivation system in a tea plantation in Uji, Kyoto, Japan using soil analysis and 14C dating |journal = Japanese Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition |volume = 90 |issue = 6 |publisher = Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition |doi = 10.20710/dojo.90.6_424 |date = 2019 |pages = 424–432 |language = ja}}</ref>

This technique, originally intended to protect tea sprouts from frost damage, led to the development of a unique Japanese matcha ({{lang|ja-Latn|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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last = Ishigaki |first = Kozo |title = お茶の化学成分，味・香りと茶樹の栽培 |trans-title = Chemical constituents of tea, taste and flavor and cultivation of tea plants |journal = Chemistry and Biology |volume = 19 |issue = 5 |date = 1981 |pages = 278–285 |publisher = The Japanese Society of Agricultural Chemistry |url = https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kagakutoseibutsu1962/19/5/19_5_278/_pdf |doi = 10.1271/kagakutoseibutsu1962.19.278 |language = ja |archive-date = 28 January 2024 |access-date = 28 January 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240128005527/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kagakutoseibutsu1962/19/5/19_5_278/_pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> Shaded cultivation also increases the concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves, resulting in a vibrant green color.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1 = Yoshida |first1 = Hiroyuki |last2 = Inuzuka |first2 = Masami |last3 = Fuchinoue |first3 = Hiroko |last4 = Shimoda |first4 = Michiko |last5 = Nomura |first5 = Setsuko |last6 = Watanabe |first6 = Hiroshi |title = かぶせ茶の原葉生産に関する基礎的研究(第1報) |trans-title = Basic Studies on the Production of Covered Tea Leaves (1st Report) |journal = Tea Research Journal |date = 1959 |volume = 1959 |issue = 13 |pages = 30–38 |url = https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cha1953/1959/13/1959_13_30/_pdf |doi = 10.5979/cha.1959.30 }}</ref> Until then, matcha introduced from China was brown in color—hence the Japanese word for "brown", {{lang|ja|茶色}} ({{lang|ja-Latn|chairo}}), literally means "tea color".

==== Traditions ==== [[File:Uji Chatsumi Zu.jpg|thumb|Ukiyo-e depicting tea picking in Uji, Kyoto. The painting was made by Hiroshige III (1842–1894).]] Since the Muromachi period, the term {{nihongo|''tea master''|茶師|chashi}} referred to tea manufacturers and sellers. During the Edo period (1603–1867), it came to refer specifically to the {{nihongo|official tea masters|御用茶師|goyō chashi}} of Uji, Kyoto, whose status was guaranteed by the Tokugawa shogunate. Uji tea masters were divided into three ranks: {{nihongo|''gomotsu'' tea masters|御物茶師|gomotsu chashi}}, {{nihongo|''ofukuro'' tea masters|御袋茶師|ofukuro chashi}}, and {{nihongo|''otōri'' tea masters|御通茶師|otōri chashi}}.<ref name="Anada1971">{{Cite journal |last = Anada |first = Sayoko |title = 江戸時代の宇治茶師 |trans-title = Uji tea master in Edo period |journal = Gakushuin University History |volume = 8 |date = 30 November 1971 |pages = 47–70 |url = https://glim-re.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/1510 |publisher = Gakushuin University Historical Society |language = ja |archive-date = 29 January 2024 |access-date = 30 January 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240129204244/https://glim-re.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/1510 |url-status = live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Anada1971" /> 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).<ref name="Anada1971" />

The oldest known brand of matcha is {{Nihongo||祖母昔|Baba Mukashi|{{lit|grandmother's old days|lk=yes}}}}. "Grandmother" refers to Myōshūni ({{lang|ja|妙秀尼}}, 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.<ref name="Tokugawa1982">{{Cite magazine |last = Tokugawa |first = Yoshinobu |script-title = ja:二通の徳川家康筆茶壺覚書 |trans-title = Two letters from Tokugawa Ieyasu: Memorandum about tea jars |magazine = Kobijutsu (Antique) |issue = 64 |publisher = Sansaisha |date = 10 October 1982 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/6063359 |doi = 10.11501/6063359 |pages = 82–89 |language = ja |access-date = 24 February 2024 |archive-date = 31 January 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240131024134/https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/6063359 |url-status = live }}</ref> According to one theory, the name ''Baba Mukashi'' was bestowed by Ieyasu himself.<ref name="Matsuura">{{Cite book|editor = Nihon Suibi Daisen Editorial Department |script-title=ja:日本随筆大成㐧三期㐧七卷 |trans-title = Japanese Essay Collection: The Third Period, Volume 7 |publisher = Nihon Zuihitsu Taisei Publishing Association |date = 1930 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1914201 |doi = 10.11501/1914201 |pages = 204–205 |language = ja |author1 = 日本随筆大成編輯部編 }}</ref>

Other well-known brands included {{Nihongo||初昔|Hatsu Mukashi|{{lit|first old days|lk=yes}}}} and {{Nihongo||後昔|Ato Mukashi|{{lit|later old days|lk=yes}}}}, both of which were also presented to the shogun. {{Nihongo||鷹の爪|Taka no Tsume|{{lit|hawk's claw|lk=yes}}}} and {{Nihongo||白|Shiro|{{lit|white|lk=yes}}}} were also well-known.<ref>{{Cite book |script-title = ja:新薩藩叢書 |trans-title = The New Satsuma Domain Series |volume = 4 |publisher = Rekishi Toshosha |date = 1971 |doi = 10.11501/9769745 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/9769745/1/100 |page = 185 |language = ja |archive-date = 25 February 2024 |access-date = 26 February 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240225223442/https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/9769745/1/100 |url-status = live }}</ref>

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 {{Nihongo||御茶壺道中|Ochatsubo Dōchū|{{lit|tea jar journey|lk=yes}}}},<ref name="Munehide 2013">{{Cite book |last=Munehide |first=Tokugawa |title=徳川某重大事件 |date=31 May 2013 |publisher=PHP Research Institute |isbn=9784569811482 |page=99 |language=ja |trans-title=A certain serious incident in the Tokugawa}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Munehide 2013" />

==== Modern developments ==== Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan underwent rapid modernization and political restructuring. As the feudal system was abolished and the power of the shogunate dissolved, the traditional clientele for matcha—including the shogun, feudal lords, and imperial court nobles—disappeared. This led to a sharp decline in the cultural and economic significance of matcha, which had long been a symbol of elite refinement and ceremonial practice.

Tea producers in Uji, who had enjoyed exclusive rights to shaded cultivation and the production of ''tencha'', lost their privileged position in the industry. Until then, only authorized Uji tea masters had been permitted to grow tea under shade and supply the high-quality leaves used for matcha and gyokuro. With the end of these monopolistic privileges, shaded cultivation techniques gradually spread to other regions of Japan, allowing tea farmers outside Uji to produce tencha as well.

Despite this shift, the industry adapted through technological advancements and modernization. One notable development was the invention of the {{Nihongo|{{lang|ja-Latn|tencha}} dryer|碾茶乾燥機|tencha kansōki}} during the Taishō (1912–1926) to early Shōwa (1926–1989) periods. These machines used radiant heat to efficiently dry steamed tea leaves, significantly improving product quality compared to the earlier {{Nihongo||焙炉|hoiro}} method, which used charcoal-fired hearths and paper supports to dry the leaves by hand.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tamura |first=Hiroaki |script-title=ja:抹茶の原料となる碾茶および碾茶機について |trans-title=On Tencha and Tencha Dryers Used for Producing Matcha |journal=美味技術学会誌 |script-journal=ja:美味技術学会誌 |trans-journal= Journal of the Society of Bimi Technology |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=64–66 |date=2020 |doi=10.11274/bimi.19.1_64 |language=ja |url=https://doi.org/10.11274/bimi.19.1_64}}</ref>

The establishment of research institutions, such as the {{Nihongo|Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Research Institute|京都府茶業研究所}}, further contributed to the modernization and quality improvement of matcha production.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/chaken/ayumi.html |title=Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Research Institute |website=Kyoto Prefectural Government |language=ja}}</ref>

Throughout the 20th century, matcha remained central to the practice of the Japanese tea ceremony, preserved by major tea schools such as Urasenke and Omotesenke. Its role in cultural education expanded through school tea ceremony clubs and public workshops, maintaining its status as a traditional beverage in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.maff.go.jp/j/press/nousan/tokusan/230929.html |title=Cha-iku (Tea Education) Project |publisher=Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |language=ja }}</ref>

It has been adopted into various products such as matcha lattes, desserts, and confections. The term "matcha" has become widely recognized globally, and Japanese producers have promoted exports of high-quality matcha under regional brands, particularly from Uji, Nishio, and Shizuoka Prefecture.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/tokusan/cha/attach/pdf/230929-4.pdf |title=Current Status and Challenges of the Tea Industry and Tea Culture |publisher=Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |date=2024 |language=ja }}</ref>

As demand grows, concerns have also emerged about maintaining quality standards and ensuring the authenticity of Japanese matcha. Both the public and private sectors are working to preserve traditional production methods and promote environmentally sustainable cultivation practices.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/tokusan/cha/attach/pdf/230929-21.pdf |title=新たな茶業及びお茶の文化の振興に関する基本方針（案）について |trans-title=Draft Basic Policy for the Promotion of the Tea Industry and Tea Culture |publisher=Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |year=2025 |language=ja}}</ref>

In recent years, some Kyoto-based tea companies have implemented purchase limits on premium matcha due to supply constraints, particularly of first-flush matcha, which was historically reserved for tea ceremonies but is now widely consumed overseas.

The labor-intensive nature of production, limited grinding capacity, and a shrinking number of tea farmers have added further strain to the supply chain. In response, both government and industry stakeholders are exploring policy reforms, subsidies, and regional diversification to protect traditional cultivation and meet ongoing international demand.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kerr |first=Cat |title=Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/02/23/food-drink/matcha-shortage-global-solutions/ |newspaper=The Japan Times |date=2025-02-23 |access-date=2025-07-15}}</ref>

In 2025, Matcha became more popular in Thailand, and its international popularity was seen as part of a trend for "affordable luxury" products.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ajanapanya |first=Nongluck |date=2025-12-12 |title=Matcha Mania and Spicy Cravings: Thailand's Food Delivery Trends Reveal Nation's Evolving Palate |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/life/food/40059677 |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=nationthailand |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=In 2025, Matcha Surges with 6.5 Million Cups Ordered in Thailand Spicy Fermented Crab Salad Tops with 8 Million Plates |url=https://en.thairath.co.th/lifestyle/life/2901329 |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=en.thairath.co.th |language=en}}</ref>

=== United States ===

==== Explosion in 21st century US ==== Matcha likely first entered the U.S. market through Japanese grocery stores in cities with large Japanese populations, particularly Los Angeles and San Francisco.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Urakawa |last2= |last3= |last4= |last5=Google |first5= |date=2015-05-26 |title=Matcha, meet America: A traditional Japanese tea gets whirled, dusted and infused in the US |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/matcha-meet-america-a-traditional-japanese-tea-gets-whirled-dusted-and-infused-in-the-us |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US|first=Yuki}}</ref> While initially available through specialty importers and Japanese markets, matcha remained relatively obscure in mainstream American culture for decades. The powdered green tea began gaining significant traction in the early 2000s when specialty brands started targeting health food retailers including Whole Foods Market. The beverage's photogenic bright green color proved particularly well-suited to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, helping it gain viral popularity among wellness enthusiasts and influencers. Major coffee chains including Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts subsequently added matcha lattes and other matcha-based drinks to their permanent menus, cementing its place in American café culture, with countless U.S.-based brands popping up, including matcha-focused brands like Jade Leaf, Kettl, Shinzo Matcha, and Encha Matcha, and lifestyle brands offering matcha options like Chamberlain Coffee.

==== Controversy and shortage ==== Perhaps controversially, because of the increased demand, a matcha shortage ensued in Japan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-10-14 |title=Shortages, Smoothies and Fraud: The Matcha Market Cracks Under Pressure |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/dining/matcha.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251109141648/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/dining/matcha.html |archive-date=9 November 2025 |access-date=2026-01-22 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Major Japanese producers including Marukyu Koyamaen and Ippodo announced limited availability or suspended sales of matcha products in late 2024, with the 2025 harvest yielding 20% less than the previous year. The shortage was further complicated when the United States imposed new 15% tariffs on Japanese imports in August 2025<ref name=":0" />, compounding already-doubled wholesale prices and raising ethical questions about whether Western consumer trends were placing unsustainable pressure on traditional Japanese tea farming practices.

== 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 {{nihongo||覆い香|ooikou}}, like green laver<ref>{{Cite journal |script-title=ja:あたらしい農業技術 |trans-title=New agricultural technology |url=https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/025/684/506hihukutya.pdf |journal=Shizuoka Prefecture Industry Department |archive-date=31 August 2024 |access-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831012517/https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/025/684/506hihukutya.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The characteristic bright green color is due to the increased chloroplasts that the plants need to collect more light in the shade.<ref name="oomori" /><ref name="haraguchi" /> The flavor of matcha is dominated by its amino acids.<ref name="KanekoEtAl2006">{{cite journal |last1=Kaneko |first1=Shu |last2=Kumazawa |first2=Kenji |last3=Masuda |first3=Hideki |last4=Henze |first4=Andrea |last5=Hofmann |first5=Thomas |date=March 2006 |title=Molecular and Sensory Studies on the Umami Taste of Japanese Green Tea |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=54 |issue=7 |pages=2688–2694 |bibcode=2006JAFC...54.2688K |doi=10.1021/jf0525232 |pmid=16569062}}</ref> The {{lang|ja-Latn|ooikou}} aroma is due to the matcha's dimethyl sulfide content.<ref name="haraguchi" />

Green tea is more umami oriented than black tea<ref>{{Cite book |author=大森正司 |title=お茶の科学「色・香り・味」を生み出す茶葉のひみつ |date=17 May 2017 |publisher=講談社 |isbn=978-4-06-502016-6 |language=ja |section=第四章3節の「緑茶は「味」が勝負」}}</ref> and the matcha form is particularly rich in umami flavor with twice the amino acids (the source of umami) as sencha green tea.<ref name="oomori" /> The amino acids, theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid, and theogallin are the primary contributors to matcha's umami flavor.<ref name="Occurrence, biosynthesis and metabo2">{{cite journal |last1=Ashihara |first1=Hiroshi |date=1 May 2015 |title=Occurrence, biosynthesis and metabolism of theanine (γ-glutamyl-L-ethylamide) in plants: a comprehensive review |journal=Natural Product Communications |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=803–810 |article-number=1934578X1501000525 |doi=10.1177/1934578X1501000525 |pmid=26058162 |s2cid=6069179 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The growing of {{lang|ja-Latn|tencha}}, which serves as the material for producing matcha, relies on the {{lang|ja-Latn|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.<ref name="Chemical Components of Matcha and P">{{cite journal |last1=Horie |first1=Hideki |date=20 October 2017 |title=Chemical Components of Matcha and Powdered Green Tea |journal=Journal of Cookery Science of Japan |volume=50 |issue=5 |pages=182–188 |doi=10.11402/cookeryscience.50.182}}</ref><ref name="Occurrence, biosynthesis and metabo2"/>

Matcha tea contains polyphenols, including high amounts of chlorogenic acid.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Koláčková |first1=Tereza |last2=Kolofiková |first2=Kateřina |last3=Sytařová |first3=Irena |last4=Snopek |first4=Lukáš |last5=Sumczynski |first5=Daniela |last6=Orsavová |first6=Jana |date=13 December 2019 |title=Matcha Tea: Analysis of Nutritional Composition, Phenolics and Antioxidant Activity |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-019-00777-z |journal=Plant Foods for Human Nutrition |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=48–53 |doi=10.1007/s11130-019-00777-z |pmid=31832980 |issn=0921-9668|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Like all tea, matcha naturally contains oxalates. Research, published in ''Soil Science and Plant Nutrition'' journal, found that shading, a cultivation method that is used in the production of matcha, may increase oxalate concentration. The study further suggests that oxalate concentration in matcha may be higher than in unshaded teas like sencha.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Morita |first=Akio |last2=Tuji |first2=Masaki |date=2002-08-01 |title=Nitrate and oxalate contents of tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.) with special reference to types of green tea and effect of shading |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2002.10409237 |journal=Soil Science and Plant Nutrition |volume=48 |issue=4 |pages=547–553 |doi=10.1080/00380768.2002.10409237 |issn=0038-0768}}</ref>

== Production == [[file:Tencha on traditional stone mill in Uji Japan.jpg|thumb|Tencha on traditional stone mill in Uji Japan]] thumb|Close-up of a traditional granite stone mill grinding tencha leaves into fine matcha powder. The majority of matcha is produced in Japan, where it is highly regarded as part of the tea ceremony (chanoyu (茶の湯)) as well as used in sweets, baking, and confections. China and Vietnam also produce some matcha intended for export. This is a more recent modern development, and their production methods may differ significantly from the traditional Japanese method.<ref name="japan_unique_teas" />

In Japanese production, the leaves of tencha are steamed and dried to prevent any further oxydation. It is usually steamed at {{cvt|100|C}} for 10–15 seconds. The steaming softens the tea leaves and deactivates the oxidizing enzymes. 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{{Nbsp}}°C (338–392 °F) in the drying process, but the temperature of the tea leaves themselves is around 70{{Nbsp}}°C.<ref name="Haraguchi 2015" /> This leads to the suppression of glycosides.

After drying, the tencha is aged for several months in cool, dry conditions, and blended by expert tasters. The leaves are then ground in a grinding mill to make matcha.<ref name="Haraguchi 2015">{{Cite journal |last=Haraguchi |first=Kenji |date=2015 |title=抹茶の特徴 |trans-title=Characteristics of Matcha |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jao/46/2/46_121/_pdf |journal=Japan Association on Odor Environment |language=ja |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=121–126|doi=10.2171/jao.46.121 }}</ref>

In the past, the prepared tea leaves would be ground by hand in a single-purpose stone mill, which produces a finer grind than those used for grain and pulse flours, but today matcha producers use mechanically turned stone mills – the slow speed of grinding and use of cool grinding rooms prevents heating the tea and deteriorating the quality.

== Preparation == Matcha is typically consumed by mixing with hot water. There are two kinds of matcha tea – {{Nihongo|2=濃茶|3=koicha}} and {{Nihongo|2=薄茶|3=usucha}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walloga |first=April |title=Americans are obsessed with matcha tea — but we're drinking it all wrong |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-americans-are-drinking-matcha-all-wrong-2015-6 |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229030034/https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-americans-are-drinking-matcha-all-wrong-2015-6 |url-status=live }}</ref> Koicha is made by higher-grade matcha<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hall |first=Nick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ra2jAgAAQBAJ&dq=usucha+koicha&pg=RA1-PA67 |title=The Tea Industry |date=2 June 2000 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-84569-922-2 |page=67 |language=en |archive-date=15 April 2025 |access-date=18 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250415185930/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ra2jAgAAQBAJ&dq=usucha%20koicha&pg=RA1-PA67 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gaylard |first=Linda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EFQmCAAAQBAJ&dq=usucha+koicha+grade&pg=PA28 |title=The Tea Book: Experience the World's Finest Teas, Qualities, Infusions, Rituals, Recipes |date=7 July 2015 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-4654-4571-1 |language=en}}</ref> and less hot water with a lower temperature than for usucha.<ref name="Hashimoto 2018">{{Cite web |author=橋本城岳 |date=6 September 2018 |title=濃茶と薄茶の違いや入れ方を動画と写真で解説！茶道の抹茶碗の違いも説明 |language=ja |url=https://hseito.com/macchawan/chigai-koicha-usucha.html |website=抹茶碗 |publisher=京焼窯元 |access-date=12 December 2024 |archive-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213190126/https://hseito.com/macchawan/chigai-koicha-usucha.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Snyder |first1=Mariza |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EOZpCgAAQBAJ&dq=usucha+koicha&pg=PT11 |title=The Matcha Miracle: Boost Energy, Focus and Health with Green Tea Powder |last2=Clum |first2=Lauren |last3=Zulaica |first3=Anna V. |date=11 August 2015 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-61243-503-9 |language=en}}</ref> Usucha is foamed to reduce astringency while koicha is not foamed.<ref name="Hashimoto 2018" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Dennig |first=Jens |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GrfkDwAAQBAJ&dq=usucha+koicha+whip&pg=PT51 |title=Learning by brewing: The easy way to better tea |publisher=JENS DENNIG |language=en}}</ref> Specifically, koicha is made from {{cvt|4|g}} matcha and {{cvt|30|ml}} of hot water at {{cvt|80|C}}, and usucha is made with half matcha in twice the volume of hot water at {{cvt|90|C}}.<ref name="Hashimoto 2018" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2023 |title=濃茶（こいちゃ）と薄茶（うすちゃ）の違いとは？知られざる抹茶の世界 {{!}} CHANOYU |url=https://www.e-cha.co.jp/contents/koicha/ |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=www.e-cha.co.jp |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=基本の薄茶（抹茶） |url=https://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/blogs/tea-recipe/%E5%9F%BA%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%AE%E8%96%84%E8%8C%B6-%E6%8A%B9%E8%8C%B6 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=一保堂茶舗 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=基本の濃茶（抹茶） |url=https://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/blogs/tea-recipe/%E5%9F%BA%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%AE%E6%BF%83%E8%8C%B6-%E6%8A%B9%E8%8C%B6 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=一保堂茶舗 |language=ja}}</ref> Due to the above differences, koicha has more of an original taste of matcha than usucha.<ref name="Hashimoto 2018" />

=== In Japanese ceremony === thumb|Koicha stirred with chasen in a chawan thumb|Usucha Drinking koicha is considered the main part of Japanese tea ceremony,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=Jennifer Lea |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GwUaFBTlm4QC&dq=koicha&pg=PA187 |title=An Introduction to Japanese Tea Ritual |date=1 January 1991 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-0749-3 |pages=187 |language=en}}</ref> while drinking usucha is considered as a sub-part of it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 January 2020 |title=濃茶と薄茶の違い {{!}} 公益財団法人上田流和風堂 |url=https://www.ueda-soukoryu.com/%E8%8C%B6%E9%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%80%81%E3%80%81/%E6%BF%83%E8%8C%B6%E3%81%A8%E8%96%84%E8%8C%B6%E3%81%AE%E9%81%95%E3%81%84/ |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=www.ueda-soukoryu.com |language=ja |archive-date=7 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207214823/https://www.ueda-soukoryu.com/%E8%8C%B6%E9%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%80%81%E3%80%81/%E6%BF%83%E8%8C%B6%E3%81%A8%E8%96%84%E8%8C%B6%E3%81%AE%E9%81%95%E3%81%84/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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, {{Nihongo|2=茶入|3=chaire}} and {{Nihongo|2=棗|3=natsume}}, respectively. Before use, the matcha can be sifted through a sieve to reduce clumps.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Skip The Coffee Shop—Make A Killer Matcha Latte Right At Home |url=https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46319402/matcha-latte-recipe/ |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=Delish |language=en-US |first1=Robert |last1=Seixas |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229030259/https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a46319402/matcha-latte-recipe/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Matcha is scooped out from these containers by {{Nihongo|2=茶杓|3=chashaku}}, a traditional Japanese spoon. Matcha and hot water are then put in a {{Nihongo|2=茶碗|3=chawan}}, the bowl, and stirred with {{Nihongo|2=茶筅|3=chasen}}, 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.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Soryu Tanaka |date=17 December 2017 |title=お抹茶より先にお菓子を頂く理由 |url=https://mikazukisado.localinfo.jp/posts/3406325 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=三日月茶道教室 |language=ja |archive-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213231436/https://mikazukisado.localinfo.jp/posts/3406325 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=国立国会図書館 |title=抹茶をいただく時に、先に和菓子を食べるのはなぜですか。 {{!}} レファレンス協同データベース |url=https://crd.ndl.go.jp/reference/entry/index.php?id=1000232146&page=ref_view |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320003927/https://crd.ndl.go.jp/reference/entry/index.php?id=1000232146&page=ref_view |archive-date=20 March 2024 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=レファレンス協同データベース |language=ja}}</ref><gallery widths="200"> 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. </gallery>

== Difference from other Japanese green tea == {{Anchor|hunmatsucha}}

There are several types of powdered Japanese green tea and the differences are as follows. {| class="wikitable" |+Japanese powderly green tea ! !{{Nihongo|2=抹茶|3=matcha}} !'''''matcha hōjicha''''' !{{Nihongo|2=粉末茶|3=funmatsucha}} !{{Nihongo|2=粉茶|3=konacha}} !{{nihongo|2=インスタントティー|3=instant tea}} |- !Feature<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" /> |Tea grown in the shade, steamed, and dried without being rolled and ground to a fine powder |Hōjicha (charcoal roasted green tea) that has been powdered into matcha |A powered green tea that does not use tencha, instead other Japanese greens are used, like kabusecha. |Leftover dust, leaves and bits from the green tea production process, which is sieved during the finishing process. Less expensive than other green teas. |Water-soluble solid component extracted from green tea, concentrated, dried, and made into powder |- !How to drink | colspan="3" |Drink by mixing with hot water<ref name="Zukan 30">#zukan p.30</ref> |Drink using a teapot or a tea strainer<ref name="Zukan 30" /> |Drink tea dissolved in hot water{{Sfn|今井|2018}} |} All of the above ones are made from ''Camellia sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' (Chinese, small-leaf tea).<ref name="QA-food-labeling-standard2" />

== Other uses == Matcha (or funmatsucha under the name of "matcha"{{Sfn|三木雄|2019|p=40}}) 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, chou à la crème, castella, 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.<ref>{{cite news |author-first1=Rebecca |author-last1=Smithers |date=24 February 2019 |title=The matcha moment: why even KitKats now taste of green tea |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2019/feb/24/matcha-moment-kitkats-taste-green-tea |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=8 November 2020 |access-date=19 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001017/https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2019/feb/24/matcha-moment-kitkats-taste-green-tea |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Baseel |first1=Casey |date=10 June 2016 |title=Starbucks matcha marches into the Via lineup with new, Japan-exclusive green tea drink mix |url=https://soranews24.com/2016/06/10/starbucks-matcha-marches-into-the-via-lineup-with-new-japan-exclusive-green-tea-drink-mix/ |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=SoraNews24 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 April 2006 |title=Green Tea Joins Starbucks Menu |url=https://www.qgazette.com/articles/green-tea-joins-starbucks-menu/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321151230/https://www.qgazette.com/articles/green-tea-joins-starbucks-menu/ |archive-date=21 March 2024 |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=Queens Gazette}}</ref> As in Japan, it has become integrated into matcha lattes, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 January 2023 |title=The Global Matcha Tea Industry |url=https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/57216/the-global-matcha-tea-industry |access-date=28 October 2024 |website=globaledge.msu.edu |language=en-us |archive-date=26 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126180854/https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/57216/the-global-matcha-tea-industry |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Back |first=Alexa |date=12 July 2022 |title=How Matcha Is Challenging the Coffee Market |url=https://www.thestreet.com/investing/matcha-challenges-coffee-industry |access-date=28 October 2024 |website=TheStreet |language=en-us}}</ref>

<gallery widths="150px" heights="150px" mode="packed"> 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 latte File:Coffee bean Matcha Sarangani1.jpg|Coffee bean chocolate matcha in Maitum </gallery>

== See also == * Coca flour, a similar ingredient made from powdered coca leaves * Food powder * Green tea * Kinako, another powder common in Japanese cuisine made from soybeans * Tea culture in Japan

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===

* {{cite book |last=三木雄 |first=貴秀 |title=おいしいお茶の秘密旨味や苦味、香り、色に差が出るワケは？緑茶・ウーロン茶・紅茶の不思議に迫る |date=15 March 2019 |publisher=SBクリエイティブ |isbn=978-4-7973-9427-6 |series=サイエンス・アイ新書 |trans-title=The secret to delicious tea: What is the difference in flavor, bitterness, aroma, and color? Discover the mysteries of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea}} * {{cite book |last=正司 |first=大森 |title=お茶の科学「色・香り・味」を生み出す茶葉のひみつ |date=17 May 2017 |publisher=講談社 |isbn=978-4-06-502016-6 |trans-title=The science of tea: The secrets of tea leaves that create color, aroma, and flavor |ref=omori}} * {{cite book |title=日本茶の図鑑 |trans-title=Illustrated Guide to Japanese Tea |edition=new |date=2017 |publisher=公益社団法人日本茶業中央会 , マイナビ出版 |isbn=978-4839963545 |ref=zukan}} * {{cite book |last=今井 |first=久雄 |title=日本茶のすべて |date=10 September 2018 |publisher=笠倉出版社 |isbn=978-4773089202 |trans-title=All About Japanese Tea}}

== External links == * {{Commons category-inline|Matcha}}

Category:Chadō Category:Tea Category:Food powders Category:Green tea Category:Japanese green tea