Matcha is known for its bright green color.
Good matcha should look very green.
Sometimes it almost looks like bright grass.
But why is matcha so green?
The answer comes from how the tea plants are grown.
If you are new to matcha, you can first read our guide explaining what matcha is.
Matcha Plants Grow in the Shade
Before matcha leaves are harvested, farmers cover the tea plants.
They use special cloth or nets.
This blocks sunlight.
The plants grow in the shade for about three weeks.
This step is very important.
Shade Makes the Leaves Produce More Chlorophyll
Plants use sunlight to grow.
When sunlight is reduced, the plant changes how it grows.
The tea plant produces more chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is what makes plants green.
Because matcha plants grow in the shade, the leaves become very green.
This is why good matcha powder looks bright and vibrant.
Shade Also Changes the Flavor
The shade does more than change the color.
It also changes the taste.
Shade growing increases amino acids in the leaves.
One important amino acid is L-theanine.
L-theanine helps create the smooth and slightly sweet flavor of good matcha.
This is one reason ceremonial matcha tastes smoother than lower quality matcha.
If you want to understand matcha quality, you can read our guide on ceremonial vs culinary matcha.
The Leaves Become Tencha
After harvest, the leaves are processed.
They are steamed and dried.
The dried leaves used for matcha are called tencha.
Tencha leaves are then ground into powder using stone mills.
This powder becomes matcha.
If you want to see how matcha is prepared, you can read our guide on how to make matcha.
Color Can Show Quality
Color can tell you a lot about matcha.
High quality matcha is usually:
- bright green
- vibrant
- fresh looking
Lower quality matcha may look:
- dull green
- yellowish
- brownish
This usually means the leaves were older or processed differently.
Matcha Is Green Because of Careful Farming
Growing matcha takes time and effort.
Farmers must carefully shade the plants.
The leaves must be harvested at the right time.
Then they must be slowly ground into powder.
Because of this process, matcha is very different from normal tea.
If you want to learn more about the work behind matcha, you can read our article explaining why matcha is so expensive.
Try Authentic Matcha
Good matcha should be vibrant green and smooth.
At Ujiha, we bring small batches of matcha from a partner farm in Uji, Japan.
Our matcha is stone-milled in Japan and imported fresh in small batches.
You can explore our matcha here
https://ujiha.au