What Is Matcha? A Complete Guide to Japanese Matcha
DISCOVER · MATCHA BASICS · NO. 02
Cover image: illustrative matcha powder image; AI-assisted colour and background editing. Not a photograph of a specific MATSUNOU tea.
Matcha is more than green tea ground into powder.
Authentic Japanese matcha begins with tea leaves cultivated specifically for matcha production. Before harvest, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight. After picking, the leaves are steamed and dried without being rolled to produce tencha. The refined tencha is then ground into an exceptionally fine green powder known as matcha.
Unlike ordinary steeped tea, matcha is whisked into water and the tea itself is consumed.
But understanding matcha means understanding more than how it is made.
Its story is connected to Uji, Kyoto, chanoyu—the Japanese Way of Tea—craftsmanship, seasonality and centuries of Japanese culture.
This guide introduces matcha from the leaf to the bowl.
What Exactly Is Matcha?
Matcha is a finely powdered Japanese green tea traditionally associated with chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony.
It is made from tencha, a tea produced using a process different from ordinary sencha.
The basic journey is:
- Shade the tea plants before harvest
- Harvest the leaves
- Steam
- Dry without rolling to make tencha
- Refine: remove stems and larger veins
- Grind into fine matcha powder
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes matcha as tea made by shading young tea leaves from direct sunlight, steaming them, drying them without rolling to make tencha, and finally grinding the tencha into fine powder.
That distinction matters.
Not every powdered green tea is produced in the same way as traditional matcha.
Why Are Tea Plants Shaded?
One of the most distinctive stages of matcha production happens before the leaves are harvested.
Tea plants intended for tencha are protected from direct sunlight.
This is known in the Uji tradition as oishita cultivation, or covered cultivation.
According to Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, shading suppresses the formation of astringent components while helping preserve amino acids such as theanine. Kyoto's traditional Uji tea production also uses covered cultivation for tencha.
The result contributes to characteristics associated with high-quality matcha:
deep green colour, umami, sweetness and a distinctive aroma.
What Is Tencha?
This is one of the most important words for understanding real matcha.
Tencha is the tea from which matcha is made.
After harvesting, the leaves are steamed to prevent oxidation and then dried without the rolling process used for teas such as sencha. The stems and larger leaf veins are removed during refining, leaving the material that will ultimately be ground into matcha.
So:
Tencha ≠ Matcha
until the refined tencha is ground.
This is also why simply taking sencha and grinding it into powder does not reproduce the traditional matcha production process.
How Does Tencha Become Matcha?
Traditionally, refined tencha is ground into an extremely fine powder using a stone mill.
The stone mill is not merely an attractive symbol of traditional matcha.
Grinding is part of the transformation from the prepared tea leaf into the powder that reaches the bowl.
This craftsmanship will have its own future MATSUNOU DISCOVER story as we explore the people, tools and techniques behind Japanese matcha.
Coming to DISCOVER:
How Matcha Is Stone-Ground: Inside the Craft Behind the Powder
Matcha vs. Regular Green Tea: What's the Difference?
Both come from the tea plant, but their cultivation, processing and preparation can differ significantly.
For example, sencha is generally grown without covering, then steamed, rolled and dried. Tencha for matcha is grown using covered cultivation and dried without rolling.
And there is another fundamental difference at the moment of drinking.
With sencha, hot water extracts compounds from the leaves and the leaves are removed.
With matcha, the powder is whisked into water and consumed as part of the drink.
This creates the distinctive texture, appearance and drinking experience we associate with matcha.
Why Is Uji So Important to Matcha?
To understand Japanese matcha, we eventually arrive in Uji and the surrounding Yamashiro region of Kyoto.
Kyoto Prefecture describes the region as having approximately 800 years of Uji tea history and culture.
The story reaches back to the medieval period.
Kyoto Prefecture's historical account explains that tea cultivation spread to Uji after the introduction and cultivation of tea associated with the Zen monk Eisai and the monk Myoe. Later, during the Muromachi period, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu encouraged tea cultivation in Uji, and the reputation of Uji tea grew considerably.
Covered cultivation and generations of refinement helped establish Uji's relationship with high-quality Japanese tea.
Today, Uji tea includes several styles—not only matcha, but also tencha, gyokuro, sencha and others.
This is why Uji Matcha is not simply a geographical label in a story about tea.
It represents a long relationship between place, cultivation, craftsmanship and Japanese tea culture.
Matcha and Chanoyu
Matcha cannot be fully understood only as an ingredient.
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For centuries it has also existed within chanoyu, often translated as the Japanese Way of Tea.
The preparation of a bowl of matcha connects tea with utensils, ceramics, architecture, hospitality, seasonality and human relationships.
Figures such as Murata Juko, Takeno Joo and Sen no Rikyu helped shape the development of tea culture in Japan.
This is why MATSUNOU DISCOVER treats matcha not simply as something to drink.
Matcha is also a doorway into Japanese culture.
Read the first story: The History of Matcha
How Is Matcha Traditionally Prepared?
At its simplest, traditional preparation requires only a few things:
Matcha · Water · Chawan — tea bowl · Chasen — bamboo whisk
The matcha is placed in the bowl, water is added, and the tea is whisked with the chasen.
But behind this apparently simple act is a much deeper culture.
The bowl selected, the season, the sweets, the utensils, the host, the guest and the surroundings can all become part of the experience.
We will explore each of these subjects individually through MATSUNOU DISCOVER.
Is All Matcha the Same?
No.
Matcha varies according to many factors, including:
where the tea was grown, cultivar, cultivation, harvest timing, processing, blending, grinding and intended use.
This is one reason why two bowls of matcha can offer remarkably different experiences.
Some matcha may emphasize umami and a soft finish.
Others may have greater bitterness or work particularly well with milk in a matcha latte.
Rather than thinking only in terms of "good matcha" and "bad matcha," it is more useful to ask:
What kind of matcha is this, where does it come from, how was it made, and how is it intended to be enjoyed?
That is the approach we want to explore at MATSUNOU.
From Learning Matcha to Experiencing It
Reading about matcha is only the beginning.
MATSUNOU is being developed as a place where people around the world can:
DISCOVER the history and culture of matcha.
LEARN how Japanese matcha is cultivated, made and prepared.
MEET the people preserving its traditions.
EXPERIENCE Japanese tea culture.
TASTE carefully selected Uji matcha.
Our goal is not simply to introduce another green powder.
It is to provide a doorway into the culture behind the bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matcha
What is matcha made from?
Traditional matcha is made from tencha, tea leaves cultivated for this purpose, steamed and dried without rolling before being refined and ground into fine powder.
Is matcha the same as green tea?
Matcha is a type of green tea, but its cultivation, processing and preparation differ from common leaf teas such as sencha.
What is tencha?
Tencha is the specially processed tea used to make matcha. After refining, it is ground into powder.
Why is matcha so green?
Covered cultivation before harvest is one important factor. Shading affects the composition of the leaves and contributes to their deep green appearance.
Is matcha originally Japanese?
Tea and powdered-tea drinking practices have earlier roots in China, while Japan developed its own distinctive matcha production and tea culture over centuries. This history is explored in detail in the first MATSUNOU DISCOVER article.
Why is Uji famous for matcha?
The Uji/Yamashiro region has centuries of tea-growing history and played an important role in the development of Japanese tea cultivation and processing.
Continue Your Journey
From China to Uji and Sen no Rikyu
02 — What Is Matcha?
You are here.
Coming Next — Why Is Uji Famous for Matcha?
The place, people and techniques behind one of Japan's most celebrated tea traditions.
MATSUNOU — Discover Matcha. Experience Japan.
References
This guide draws on public information from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Kyoto Prefecture.