The Matcha Plant: How Matcha Tea is Grown, Harvested and Processed

Understanding how matcha is produced helps you appreciate why quality varies so dramatically across different matcha products. The journey from plant to powder is one of the most careful and deliberate in all of food production. According to Wikipedia, the Camellia sinensis plant that produces matcha has been cultivated in Japan for over 800 years, with techniques refined to an extraordinary level of precision.

INFO:  All matcha at Matcha.bd is sourced from trusted Japanese suppliers who follow traditional cultivation and processing standards.

What Plant Does Matcha Come From

Matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, the same species that produces all true teas: green, black, white, and oolong. The difference between matcha and other teas is not the plant itself but where it is grown, how it is treated before harvest, and how it is processed afterwards.

The Camellia sinensis plant is an evergreen shrub that can live for hundreds of years when properly maintained. Mature tea plants produce several harvests per year, but the first harvest of spring, called the first flush or ichibancha, produces the highest quality leaves used in premium matcha.

 

Where Does Matcha Come From — Growing Regions

While matcha is now grown in several countries, Japan remains the global standard. The most prestigious growing region is Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, which has been producing premium matcha for over 500 years. The unique combination of climate, soil composition, and centuries of cultivated expertise in Uji produces a matcha that no other region can replicate.

Other significant Japanese growing regions include Nishio in Aichi Prefecture, Yame in Fukuoka, and Kagoshima in the south. Each region produces matcha with slightly different characteristics due to variations in climate and soil.

Our Uji 1 Top Ceremonial Grade Matcha is sourced from this legendary region and represents the finest matcha available in Bangladesh.

 

The Shading Process: Why Matcha Leaves Are Covered

The single most important step that distinguishes matcha production from regular green tea is shading. Approximately 3 to 4 weeks before harvest, the tea plants are covered with shade cloths or bamboo screens that block 70 to 90 percent of direct sunlight.

What Shading Does to the Leaves

*      Chlorophyll production increases dramatically as the plant compensates for reduced light, producing the vivid, intensely green colour that defines high quality matcha

*      L-Theanine content rises significantly, as the amino acid accumulates in the leaves during shading rather than converting to other compounds as it does in full sunlight

*      The leaves become softer and more pliable, producing a smoother, less bitter flavour

*      Caffeine content increases slightly as the plant adapts to the lower light environment

These changes are precisely why matcha delivers a fundamentally different energy experience than regular green tea: more L-Theanine means calmer, more focused alertness alongside the caffeine.

 

The Harvest: When and How Matcha Leaves Are Picked

Premium matcha is harvested once a year in spring, typically in late April or early May. Only the youngest, most tender leaves at the tips of the shaded plants are hand-picked. These first-flush spring leaves are the highest in L-Theanine, the most vibrant in colour, and the smoothest in flavour.

Lower quality matcha may use machine harvesting or second and third flush leaves from later in the season. These leaves have higher tannin content, producing a more bitter, astringent taste and a duller green colour in the final powder.

 

From Leaf to Powder: The Processing Steps

Step 1: Steaming

Immediately after picking, the leaves are briefly steamed to halt oxidation. This preserves the bright green colour and the fresh, vegetal flavour compounds. The steaming time is carefully controlled: too short and oxidation continues, too long and the delicate flavours are lost.

Step 2: Drying

The steamed leaves are dried carefully at controlled temperatures. The drying process removes moisture while preserving the volatile aromatic compounds that give matcha its distinctive aroma.

Step 3: De-stemming and De-veining

The dried leaves are sorted to remove stems and veins. This process produces what is called tencha: the pure leaf material that will be ground into matcha. The stems and veins are coarser, less flavourful, and lower in L-Theanine. Removing them is essential for producing smooth, premium matcha.

Step 4: Stone Grinding

The tencha is slowly ground between two granite millstones into an ultra-fine powder. The grinding rate is deliberately slow: typically 30 to 40 grams per hour per mill. This slow grinding keeps the temperature of the powder low, preserving the delicate nutrients and flavour compounds that would be damaged by the heat of faster industrial grinding.

This is one of the reasons authentic matcha is more expensive than imitation green tea powder: the time and precision involved in stone grinding cannot be shortcut without compromising quality.

 

How to Tell Quality Matcha Leaves and Powder Apart

*      Colour: vibrant, luminous green indicates fresh, high-quality matcha. Dull, yellowish, or brownish powder has aged, been poorly stored, or is of low quality

*      Texture: genuine stone-ground matcha feels silky and extremely fine when rubbed between fingers, finer than flour. Gritty texture indicates inferior processing

*      Aroma: fresh matcha has a distinctive, grassy, slightly sweet fragrance. Flat or hay-like smell indicates old or oxidised matcha

*      Taste: smooth, naturally sweet with umami depth. Sharp bitterness in a latte is a quality warning sign

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Is matcha a plant?

Matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is an evergreen shrub. The word matcha refers to the processed powder made from the plant's leaves, not the plant itself.

 

Why is matcha only grown in Japan?

Matcha can be grown in other countries, but Japan produces the global standard. The combination of specific climate, soil, centuries of expertise, and the traditional shade-growing technique has made Japanese matcha, particularly from Uji in Kyoto, the benchmark worldwide.

 

How long does a matcha plant live?

A well-maintained Camellia sinensis plant can live for hundreds of years. Older plants are often considered to produce more complex-flavoured leaves, as their root systems draw minerals from deeper in the soil.

 

 

Explore Matcha at Matcha.bd

Now that you understand how matcha is grown, taste the difference quality makes.

 

Browse our complete matcha range. All orders include Cash on Delivery across Bangladesh.

 

New to matcha? Our 4 in 1 Starter Combo with 5A Premium Matcha (Tk 1,750) includes powder, whisk, spoon, and storage jar in one box.