Matcha#Other uses

Strict definitions of matcha are given by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 20715:2023 "Tea — Classification of tea types", and the Japanese food labeling standard (defined by {{Nihongo|Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association|日本茶業中央会}}).

Both definitions require that matcha must be:

1. made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (Chinese, small-leaf tea),
2. grown in the shade,
3. steamed and dried without being rolled,
4. ground to a fine powder.

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. Tea leaves after processing the first three steps are called {{Nihongo|2=碾茶|3=tencha}} in this standard. ISO 20715:2023 allows matcha to be made from tender leaves, buds, or shoots, but Japanese food labeling standard allows it to be made only from leaves.

{{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.

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 ooikou (覆い香), like green laver{{Cite journal |title=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 }}

The characteristic bright green color is due to the increased chloroplasts that the plants need to collect more light in the shade. The flavor of matcha is dominated by its amino acids.{{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=J. Agric. Food Chem. |volume=54 |issue=7 |pages=2688–2694 |bibcode=2006JAFC...54.2688K |doi=10.1021/jf0525232 |pmid=16569062}} The {{Nihongo|2=覆い香|3=ooikou}} aroma is due to the matcha's dimethyl sulfide content.

Green tea is more umami oriented than black tea{{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」}} and the matcha form is particularly rich in umami flavor with twice the amino acids (the source of umami) as sencha green tea. The amino acids, theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid, and theogallin are the primary contributors to matcha's umami flavor.{{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 |doi=10.1177/1934578X1501000525 |pmid=26058162 |s2cid=6069179 |doi-access=free}}{{cite journal |last1=Kaneko |first1=S. |last2=Kumazawa |first2=K. |last3=Masuda |first3=H. |last4=Henze |first4=A. |last5=Hofmann |first5=T. |date=5 April 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=2688–94 |bibcode=2006JAFC...54.2688K |doi=10.1021/jf0525232 |pmid=16569062}} The growing of tencha, which serves as the material for producing matcha, relies on the 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.{{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}}{{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 |doi=10.1177/1934578X1501000525 |pmid=26058162 |s2cid=6069179 |doi-access=free}}

Matcha tea contains polyphenols, including high amounts of chlorogenic acid.{{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 }}

In production, the leaves of tencha are steamed and dried. It is usually steamed at {{cvt|100|C}} for 10–15 seconds. The steaming softens the tea leaves and inactivates the oxidizing enzymes. The production led to glycosides being suppressed. The leaves are then ground in a grinding mill to make matcha.{{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 }} 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.

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}}.{{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 }} Koicha is made by higher-grade matcha{{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 }}{{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}} and less hot water with a lower temperature than for usucha.{{Cite web |last=橋本城岳（じょうがく） |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 |url=https://hseito.com/macchawan/chigai-koicha-usucha.html |access-date=12 December 2024 |language=ja |archive-date=13 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213190126/https://hseito.com/macchawan/chigai-koicha-usucha.html |url-status=live }}{{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}} Usucha is foamed to reduce shibumi while koicha is not foamed.{{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}} 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}}.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}} Due to the above differences, koicha has more of an original taste of matcha than usucha.

File:Bamboo chasen to whisk koicha (15455038443).jpg

File:Matcha (5026245674).jpg

Drinking koicha is considered the main part of Japanese tea ceremony,{{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}} while drinking usucha is considered as a sub-part of it.{{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 }} 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.{{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 }} 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.{{Cite web |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 }}{{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}}

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

{{Anchor|hunmatsucha}}

There are four types of powdered Japanese green tea and the differences are as follows.

All of the above ones are made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (Chinese, small-leaf tea).

The majority of matcha is produced in Japan, where it is highly regarded as part of the tea ceremony ({{Nihongo|2=茶の湯|3=chanoyu}}), but rarely used otherwise. China and Vietnam also produce some matcha intended for export to the Japanese market, but they are regarded as inferior to the Japanese product and typically used in iced beverages, for example.

Matcha (or hunmatsucha 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, 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.{{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 }} 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.{{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}}{{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}} As in Japan, it has become integrated into lattes, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies.{{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 }}{{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}} This increase in matcha-based drinks in the U.S. is driven by a rise in consumer interest in healthier beverage options, with many opting for matcha due to its perceived health benefits and lower caffeine content compared to coffee.

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 tea latte

File:Coffee bean Matcha Sarangani1.jpg|Coffee bean chocolate matcha in Maitum

File:110601 204646.jpg

In China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), tea leaves were steamed and pressed into tea bricks for storage and trade. According to Lu Yu's The Classic of Tea (760–762), tea was first made by 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.{{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}}Han Wei, "Tang Dynasty Tea Utensils and Tea Culture: Recent Discoveries at Famen Temple", in Chanoyu Quarterly no. 74 (1993) The tea was also sometimes mixed with green onions, ginger, jujubes, mandarin orange peels, Tetradium ruticarpum, and mint.

File:Famen Si May 2007 071.jpg]]

During the Song dynasty (960–1279), powdered tea made from steamed and dried tea leaves became popular. The beverage was prepared by whipping the tea powder with hot water in a bowl.Tsutsui Hiroichi, "Tea-drinking Customs in Japan", paper in Seminar Papers: The 4th International Tea Culture Festival. Korean Tea Culture Association, 1996. 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.

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).{{cite wikisource|last=Cai|first=Xiang|title=茶錄|trans-title=Record of Tea|wslanguage=zh|language=zh}}{{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}} 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.{{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}}

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.

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.{{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 }}

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). 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.

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.

File:明太祖画像.jpg

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."{{efn|The original text is: "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, matcha—a powdered form derived from it—also fell into disuse in China. Thereafter, matcha would continue to evolve in Japan, shaped by Japanese aesthetics and principles.{{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}}

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.{{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}}

Image:yagen.jpg

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. 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.

In 816, by imperial order, tea plantations were established in the Kinki region. However, public interest in tea soon declined.{{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}}

Matcha is generally believed to have been introduced to Japan from the Song dynasty in China by the Zen monk Eisai in 1191, along with tea seeds. He 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 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 roast overnight.{{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 = 1958 |page = 13 |url = https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/2466377/1/19 |doi = 10.11501/2466377 |language = ja | author1 =千宗}} 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.{{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 }} It is thought that this lump tea was ground into powder and consumed in a manner similar to modern matcha.

File:Unpo iroha shu matcha.jpg

The term {{nihongo||抹茶|matcha}} does not appear in contemporary Chinese literature or in Eisai's writings. In Japan, the word "matcha" first appears in the Japanese-language dictionary Unpo Iroha Shū (1548), compiled during the Muromachi period (1336–1573).{{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 }} 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.{{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}} 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.

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), Tsugano'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}}}}. Tsugano'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.

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.{{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}}

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]]

File:Kiyomizudera Engi Emaki.jpg

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 (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.{{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}}

This technique, originally intended to protect tea sprouts from frost damage, led to the development of a unique Japanese matcha (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.{{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 }} Shaded cultivation also increases the concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves, resulting in a vibrant green color.{{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 }} Until then, matcha introduced from China was brown in color—hence the Japanese word for "brown", {{lang|ja|茶色}} (chairo), literally means "tea color".

File:Uji Chatsumi Zu.jpg 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}}.{{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 }} 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. 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).

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.{{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 }} According to one theory, the name Baba Mukashi was bestowed by Ieyasu himself.{{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 }}

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.{{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 }}

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}}}},{{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}} 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.

Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), Uji tea growers, who had held a monopoly on shaded cultivation and tencha production, lost their privileged status. They also lost their primary clients, including the shoguns and feudal lords. Meanwhile, shaded cultivation began to spread beyond Uji. In the Taishō era (1912–1926), the invention of the tencha dryer facilitated the mechanization of tea production.

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• {{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 |last=公益社団法人日本茶業中央会 |title=新版 日本茶の図鑑 |date=31 July 2017 |publisher=マイナビ出版 |isbn=978-4839963545 |trans-title=New Edition: Illustrated Guide to Japanese Tea |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}}

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