Chapter 1
The monk who brought matcha
Chapter 2
The science of shade and stone
Chapter 3
The ritual of chado
Chapter 4
The global green wave
Ch 2 · The science of shade and stone
Quiz
During which month does the primary hand-picked harvest of matcha tea leaves usually begin?
diego Shading prevents the amino acid L-theanine from turning into bitter catechins, creating a sweet, savory flavor.
Quiz
What are the steamed, dried, and de-veined tea leaf flakes called before they are ground into matcha?
diego Matcha Production
Shaded from the light, ground by granite stone, green matcha glows!
diego Only leaves that are steamed, dried, and carefully de-veined can be called tencha, the raw material for matcha.
Fun Fact
Slow-motion grinding: To make just one small tin of high-grade matcha, a traditional granite stone mill must spin slowly for over an hour.
Quiz
How many grams of ceremonial matcha does a traditional stone mill produce in one hour?
Glossary
tencha (noun)
A Japanese green tea leaf cultivated away from direct sunlight and processed without rolling, specifically ground into matcha. In Uji, farmers block sunlight from the plants for four weeks before milling the leaves on granite.
A Japanese green tea leaf cultivated away from direct sunlight and processed without rolling, specifically ground into matcha. In Uji, farmers block sunlight from the plants for four weeks before milling the leaves on granite.