Matcha Tea Plant - Camellia Sinensis

Matcha, characterized by its vibrant green color and smooth, powdery tea leaves, has a unique flavor. Uji, the region where matcha is produced, is filled with foreign tourists enjoying authentic matcha or buying matcha and matcha sweets as souvenirs.

This is because matcha is gaining popularity not only due to its connection with Japanese tea culture but also because of its health benefits. What kind of plant is the tea tree, Camellia sinensis, which is the raw material for matcha? And how is matcha produced? Let's explore these two essential aspects that are key to understanding the origins of matcha.

The Tea Plant Used for Matcha: Camellia Sinensis

Tea plant is called "cha no ki" in Japanese. What is the tea plant (cha-no-ki), the raw material for matcha, known for its vivid green color and a balance of sweetness, umami, and bitterness?

Botanically, it is a perennial evergreen tree from the Camellia family, Camellia genus, scientifically named Camellia sinensis. It has white petals with yellow stamens, and 1 to 3 flowers bloom on the new stems grown that year. In Japan, it blooms from August to December, and its fruit ripens around September of the following year.

Matcha is one of Japan's most representative teas. While cultivated alongside the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the tea plant used as the raw material for matcha is the same Camellia sinensis used for other Japanese green teas, such as gyokuro, sencha, deep-steamed sencha, kabusecha, and tencha. Even brown-colored hojicha is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis.

In fact, it’s not just Japanese tea. Oolong tea, black tea, and pu-erh tea also use the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Green tea, including matcha, as well as oolong and black tea, all originate from Camellia sinensis.

Although the raw material is the same Camellia sinensis, the appearance, taste, and aroma differ significantly due to variations in cultivation methods and how the harvested tea leaves are processed.

For example, Japanese green tea is known as non-fermented tea because the harvested tea leaves are heated as quickly as possible to stop enzyme activity.

Oolong tea is classified as semi-fermented tea because the oxidation of enzymes is partially allowed before the tea leaves are heated to halt the process.

Black tea, on the other hand, is called fermented tea because the enzyme activity is fully allowed to occur before heating the tea leaves to stop it.

Additionally, there are post-fermented teas, like China’s pu-erh tea, which are fermented using microorganisms.

Although all these teas use the leaves of Camellia sinensis, they have very different appearances and flavors. This shows that the exceptional taste of matcha is not due to the uniqueness of the tea plant itself but rather to the specific cultivation and processing methods used.

The Origins of the Matcha Plant "Camellia sinensis"

What kind of plant is Camellia sinensis, which has given rise to many varieties of tea?

It is an evergreen tree that retains its green leaves year-round and is classified under the Camellia family, Camellia genus. There is a Chinese legend from around 5,000 years ago in which Shennong, the Chinese god of agriculture, detoxified himself by drinking tea, but the plant's origin is said to be in northern Myanmar or Yunnan province in southwestern China, with various theories.

This plant thrives in mountainous regions and warm, humid climates such as tropical and subtropical zones. It is believed to have spread worldwide as people carrying seeds or seedlings traveled to different regions.

According to the latest data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global tea leaf production in 2021 was approximately 6.81 million tons, about 5% more than the previous year. Although the production of black tea leaves is dominant, tea is produced in over 80 countries and regions, with China leading, followed by India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Vietnam. The top three countries account for 74% of the total production. Japan ranks 11th, with its production increasing by about 12% compared to the previous year, reaching 78,100 tons.

The area between 45 degrees north latitude and 35 degrees south latitude is called the "Tea Belt," where tea-producing regions are distributed. From the ranking of top-producing countries, it’s clear that Camellia sinensis is mainly cultivated in warm, rainy subtropical regions.

Camellia sinensis was brought to Japan more than 830 years ago during the early Kamakura period (1191) by the Zen priest Eisai, who brought seeds from China. It is said that the cultivation of these seeds in Kyoto marked the beginning of Japanese tea culture. As Camellia sinensis was cultivated and grew naturally in Uji, matcha became an important drink in social gatherings, leading to the establishment of the tea ceremony. In Uji, high-grade teas like tencha and gyokuro were successively developed. Camellia sinensis spread to regions with different climates and cultures, giving rise to various tea varieties and new ways of enjoying tea, which eventually expanded tea culture to the general public.

Varieties of Camellia sinensis

There are different varieties of Camellia sinensis, primarily categorized into the "Chinese variety" and the "Assam variety." The Assam variety prefers warm climates and is weak against cold, whereas the Chinese variety is said to be more cold-resistant compared to the Assam variety. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of these two varieties.

The Chinese variety is a small shrub with leaves about 5 centimeters long. It has excellent cold resistance and can be cultivated even in regions where winters freeze. It contains relatively low levels of catechins, which are compounds that bring bitterness and astringency. Its enzyme activity is also weak, making it less prone to oxidation, so it is suitable for green tea.

The Assam variety, as represented by the Assam region in India, is grown in warm regions. It is a tall tree, with leaves that can reach about 20 centimeters in length. It has weak cold resistance, so it can only be cultivated in frost-free areas. Since it has high catechin content and strong enzyme activity, it ferments easily, making it suitable for black tea. Its vigorous growth and large leaves result in high yields. In addition to Assam, it is cultivated in lowland areas of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Kenya, which are major black tea-producing regions.

Most of the Camellia sinensis plants cultivated in Japan, which experiences four distinct seasons, are of the cold-resistant Chinese variety. Varieties such as Yabukita, Sayamamidori, and Samidori are cultivated and produced in Japan. Compared to black tea or oolong tea, Japanese green tea has a weaker aroma. This difference is due to the tea variety, making Japanese tea more focused on taste than fragrance. While most black teas are made from the Assam variety, some Japanese producers deliberately use the Chinese variety to make Japanese black tea or oolong tea. Conversely, in recent years, with growing global attention on the health benefits of green tea, countries like India and Kenya, known for black tea production, have started producing green tea. It’s intriguing to consider how different varieties might influence the taste.

How is Matcha Made?

We now understand that different types of tea with distinct flavors can be made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. So, how exactly are Camellia sinensis leaves cultivated and processed to create matcha, with its vivid green color, rich umami, and a balance of sweetness and slight bitterness that sets it apart from other green teas?

In fact, matcha is made from a high-grade Japanese green tea called tencha, which is cultivated and processed from the Chinese variety of Camellia sinensis using special methods. Matcha is produced by selecting only the finest parts of this tencha and grinding them into a fine powder using a stone mill.

The health and relaxation benefits of matcha have garnered attention because drinking matcha allows you to effectively consume the vitamins, catechins, theanine, and other components found in tencha. Among these, theanine is known for its calming effects. In Japanese tea ceremonies, matcha is consumed, but its sense of mindfulness and appreciation can also be applied to daily life, bringing feelings of gratitude and relaxation.

Now, let’s talk about the raw material for matcha, tencha. Tencha is grown using a special cultivation method for Camellia sinensis, and the harvested leaves are processed directly without altering their shape. The processing methods and leaf structure differ from other green teas like gyokuro or sencha. The stems and leaf veins are removed from tencha, and the leaves are finely ground into powder using a stone mill. This fine powdered tea is what we call matcha. Matcha is a tea that allows you to enjoy the full flavor of tencha by consuming the entire leaf.

Without tencha as a raw material and the unique processing method used for matcha, it would not be possible to make matcha. Going forward, we will introduce how tencha is cultivated, its differences from other teas, and what kind of tea tencha really is.

Related Information:

https://matchadirect.kyoto/blogs/matcha-101/what-precisely-is-matcha

Cultivation

Tencha, which is used for matcha, has a more vibrant green color compared to other green teas, and contains specific nutrients such as catechins, which contribute bitterness and astringency, and theanine, which adds sweetness and umami. How is Camellia sinensis cultivated to create matcha that has these characteristics?

The cultivation method for tencha is different from that of general tea. While many Japanese teas are made from tea leaves grown in open fields, tencha is not cultivated in direct sunlight. Instead, the entire tea garden is covered using materials such as reed screens, straw, or shading nets (called kanreisha in Japanese). This cultivation method is called shaded cultivation (called hifuku saibai). High-grade green teas like gyokuro and kabusecha are also produced using this method.

The primary purpose of shading the tea garden is to improve the quality of the tea. Specifically, the entire field is covered for over 20 days after the new buds begin to sprout, preventing direct sunlight from reaching the leaves. Camellia sinensis can grow without direct sunlight. By blocking sunlight, the amount of amino acids like theanine in the leaves increases, and the leaves become soft with higher moisture content and less fiber.

This results in vibrant green tea leaves with less bitterness and more umami. They also contain a higher amount of dimethyl sulfide, a compound responsible for the deep, high-quality aroma. This aroma, created by shading the plants, is called "shaded fragrance" (called ooika in Japanese).

Shaded cultivation not only blocks sunlight but also protects the plants from frost and keeps them warm. Shading suppresses photosynthesis, which slows down the growth of the new shoots—an important aspect of this cultivation method.

Related Information:

https://matchadirect.kyoto/blogs/matcha-101/what-is-matcha-made-of

Harvesting

When the tea leaves are harvested, they are full of nutrients. Tea leaves can be harvested several times a year, but the leaves from the first growth of the season, known as "first flush" (ichibancha), are the highest quality leaves of the year. Matcha made from tencha, which is produced from this first flush, is of the highest quality and is considered the finest grade of matcha.

Let’s explain the condition of the tea leaves at harvest time.

By shading the plants, the reduction of amino acids in the leaves—especially theanine, which is responsible for umami and calming effects—is minimized (in other words, theanine levels remain high). Theanine naturally converts into catechins when exposed to sunlight, which increases bitterness and astringency, but by shading the leaves, the amount of tannins (catechins) that contribute to bitterness and astringency is kept low compared to tea grown in open fields.

As a result, tea produced through shaded cultivation has stronger umami and sweetness, with lighter bitterness and astringency than tea grown in the open.

The deep umami flavor of matcha and the relaxed feeling experienced when drinking it can be attributed to the high theanine content resulting from tencha cultivation.

First flush tea contains the most theanine. The second flush, harvested after the first, has less theanine compared to the first flush.

According to the National Federation of Tea Producers in Japan, tencha production was 1,430 tons in 2012, but by 2023, it had expanded to about 4,176 tons—an increase of approximately 2.9 times. This clearly shows the rapidly growing demand for matcha.

Related Information:

https://matchadirect.kyoto/blogs/matcha-101/matcha-nutrition-facts

Processing

Once the tea leaves are harvested, they are immediately steamed to prevent oxidation. After steaming, the leaves are dried using a special drying machine for tencha, and then packed into bags called taikai for distribution.

During the production of tencha, the leaves are not rolled at all. This is to make it easier to remove stems and other parts that are difficult to grind into fine powder for matcha. This no-rolling drying process is entirely different from the production of other Japanese teas and is unique to matcha.

The tencha sent from the farms is delivered to tea factories for processing into matcha. The first step in processing tencha into matcha is to remove the hard leaves, stems, and veins to improve the quality of the matcha. The remaining leaves are cut into smaller pieces, about 5 millimeters in size, and slowly dried at low temperatures. After this, the leaves are slowly ground using stone mills, which rotate at a consistent speed in a room where temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. A single stone mill can only produce about 40 to 50 grams of matcha per hour. Grinding slowly ensures that the frictional heat from the stone mill enhances the tea’s flavor, resulting in matcha with excellent color and aroma.

Since tencha involves such labor-intensive cultivation and processing, it is known as a rare and high-quality tea leaf. The effort put into the process results in tencha’s unique flavor and color, and the matcha made from it is also a high-quality, richly flavorful tea.

Due to the large surface area of matcha powder, it deteriorates more quickly than other types of green tea. It's best to choose matcha that was processed more recently to ensure the freshest quality.

Related Information:

https://matchadirect.kyoto/blogs/matcha-101/matcha-grades-and-characteristics

Freshly Ground Matcha from "MATCHA DIRECT"

The export of Japanese tea, particularly matcha, has surged in recent years. This is due to the growing global interest in health and the rising popularity of Japanese cuisine.

Matcha’s appeal is no longer limited to green tea—it has expanded to include sweets, cafés, and confections. Overseas, matcha and Uji matcha have gained widespread recognition, and MATCHA DIRECT is here to meet that growing demand. We aim to provide customers with the authentic taste of high-quality matcha by offering a wide variety of top-tier matcha products.

Learn more about us at MATCHA DIRECT

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MATCHA DIRECT's policy is to "deliver freshly ground matcha, packed with flavor, to customers abroad." To ensure this, each order is freshly ground and shipped, guaranteeing the highest level of freshness. Freshness is crucial to enjoying matcha’s full flavor and aroma. Since matcha is a fine powder, its large surface area makes it susceptible to changes in taste and scent.

By "grinding after receiving an order and shipping immediately," MATCHA DIRECT ensures that you can enjoy the freshest matcha. Once you try it, you’ll notice the difference from pre-ground and stored matcha products.

We hope you will enjoy the freshly ground matcha from Uji, even while residing outside Japan.

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