How our matcha is grown & produced

Do you know what matcha really is? As in, how it is grown & produced?

It may surprise you to learn that all teas (including matcha) come from the same plant. The scientific name is Camellia sinensis but its aptly nicknamed "the tea plant."

Despite this, the variety in nutritional benefits can be huge!

Matcha is considered by many to be the most nutrient-dense tea (perhaps even beverage) in the world.  

This is due to the very unique methods by which it is cultivated.

How well these methods are applied also separates nutrient-dense superfood matcha from low-grade, mass-produced matcha found in most stores (often lacking key health benefits).

So what makes matcha into matcha? Read on to find out! 

Shade-Growth:

Matcha (as opposed to 99% of other teas) is covered and shade-grown for 4-6 weeks prior to harvest.  The inability to properly photosynthesize (I knew I would use that word one day) leads to the overproduction of certain amino acids as well as excess chlorophyll. 

One of the amino acids, L-Theanine, is scientifically proven to boost mood and release the unique calming energy matcha is known for.

In fact, matcha is shown to be at least 4 to 5 times higher in L-Theanine than other types of tea!

L-Theanine also produces the sweet (non-bitter) umami taste of high-quality drinking matcha. The taste of lower quality matcha found in most stores (overly bitter) actually proves it is lacking this key compound!

The excess in chlorophyll is what gives high-quality matcha its unique lush green color. It also provides it with very high detoxification benefits. Again, the color of low-quality matcha shows it to be lacking this benefit.

Hand-Picked & De-Stemmed:

When it is time, the matcha tea leaves are plucked and de-stemmed by hand.  

This ensures quality as the powder will be made up of actual leaves and not blended with stems.  Again, mass-produced matcha is not properly sorted and contains much of the stem which lacks the nutrition of the leaf.

Once the leaves are separated, high-quality matcha is steamed at a high temperature for a very short time (20 seconds) to prevent oxidization (important in preserving benefits). This creates what is known as Tencha.

Stone Ground Using Pieces Made By Japanese Craftsmen:

Tencha is then stone-ground into an extremely fine powder.  The stone-mills used are examples of exquisite Japanese craftsmanship.  They contain grooves carved by hand into large pieces of granite. 

This stone-grinding must take place in a special environment to avoid oxidization. It is very time-consuming and common that it is done incorrectly. 

Well-Packaged:

The packaging is very important, matcha should not be stored in paper or any type of see-through plastic.  

This is a surefire sign that it is lower quality as too much air or light will have leaked through. 

Proper packaging will help ensure your matcha stays fresh and keeps its nutritional benefits!