How Matcha Is Made — The YUZUKI Approach

Producing matcha is never a single action, but a sequence of decisions made over many years.
From how tea plants are grown and shaded, to how leaves are evaluated, blended, and finally ground, each stage requires experience, patience, and human judgment.

At YUZUKI, we see matcha not as a product of machinery, but as the result of careful cultivation and thoughtful craftsmanship.

From Tea Plant to Matcha

Matcha is made from Camellia sinensis, the same tea plant used for many other teas.
What makes it matcha is not the plant itself, but how it is grown, harvested, and processed in Japan.

Before becoming matcha, tea leaves are first processed into tencha.
A tea master tastes and evaluates each batch of tencha, assessing aroma, texture, and flavor.
Only after this evaluation are leaves from different plots or cultivars blended in precise proportions.
This blend is then slowly ground into matcha powder.

All tea plants can technically be made into matcha, but not all are equally suited.

Within green tea, there are many cultivars—each with its own character.
Hardier cultivars such as Yabukita or Okumidori are widely used across Japan and form the backbone of many teas.
Others, including Saemidori, Asahi, and Gokoh, respond especially well to shaded cultivation, producing leaves with a lighter, sweeter profile ideal for matcha and gyokuro.

New cultivars continue to emerge through careful crossbreeding.
One promising example is Seimei, introduced in 2017, known for its vivid green color, creamy texture, and gentle nutty sweetness.

Tea plants require time.
It takes at least five years before a plant is ready to be harvested, and many farmers wait even longer before offering leaves for commercial use.

During early growth, plants are pruned regularly to encourage lateral spread rather than height.
This allows leaves to grow evenly and makes harvesting more precise.

Although harvesting can begin around the fifth year, many producers wait until plants reach seven or eight years of age.
Earlier harvests may produce leaves with inconsistent flavor—something YUZUKI deliberately avoids.

Shading is the most critical stage in matcha production.

Four to eight weeks before harvest, tea plants are gradually shielded from sunlight—sometimes blocking up to 90% of direct light.
With reduced photosynthesis, the plant redirects its energy inward, increasing amino acids such as L-theanine while deepening chlorophyll content.

This is where matcha’s signature sweetness, umami, and softness are born.

Shading is not a fixed formula.
Farmers must constantly adjust coverage, monitoring plant health while maintaining the delicate balance that encourages amino acid production.
This stage depends entirely on experience—many of the farmers we work with come from families that have cultivated tea for generations.

Some still use traditional bamboo coverings; others rely on modern mesh systems or layered materials.
Each choice subtly shapes the final flavor.

Matcha leaves are typically harvested in May during the first flush of the year.
This harvest is prized for its accumulated nutrients and clarity of flavor.

In Japan, harvesting is often done by machine, especially in large-scale regions such as Kagoshima or Shizuoka.
In smaller fields—particularly in Uji—hand harvesting is still practiced.

While hand-picked leaves are often excellent, we believe harvesting method alone does not define quality.
Processing, blending, and final preparation play equally important roles.
For many drinkers, the difference between hand-picked and machine-harvested matcha may be subtle or even imperceptible.

After harvest, the leaves begin their transformation:

1. Fresh leaves are steamed to prevent oxidation and preserve color and amino acids

2. Leaves are dried and de-stemmed, becoming aracha (crude tea)

3. Aracha is refined into tencha, removing veins and cutting leaves into uniform pieces

At the tencha stage, tea masters evaluate each batch and determine blending ratios.
Tencha can be stored at low temperatures for extended periods without loss of quality, allowing matcha to be ground only when needed.

Traditionally, tencha is ground by stone mill—a slow process that protects aroma and texture.
Even with modern motorized stone mills, grinding must remain slow.
Excess speed creates heat, which damages flavor.

Some producers use jet mills or ball mills for efficiency.
When executed well, modern methods can achieve textures comparable to stone grinding.
The true test is simple: does the matcha feel soft, light, and airy—almost like talc?

Beyond a certain point, preparation matters more than milling method.
Ultimately, all matcha must pass final quality checks before being sealed.

At YUZUKI, tencha is ground only when orders are placed, ensuring freshness—even beyond Japan.

The processes used to make matcha today have been refined over centuries.
Some companies that pioneered these methods still operate in Japan.

While matcha is often marketed overseas as a “health product,”
in Japan, it remains something deeper:
a continuation of land, skill, and time—quietly carried forward.

At YUZUKI, this continuity is what we aim to preserve.