Matcha – shaded vs non-shaded

The word "matcha" (抹茶) comes from Japanese and means "ground tea." The green tea powder produced by grinding tea leaves relies heavily on the cultivation methods used to create its characteristic flavor and intense green color.

WHAT IS TENCHA?
Tencha is a type of green tea used as the raw material for making matcha. It’s unique in that the tea leaves are grown under shaded conditions—a method called "Oishita Chaen"—where a net covers the tea fields to reduce sunlight for a specific period. This increases the chlorophyll content in the tea leaves and enhances the sweetness and umami flavor.

MATCHA MADE FROM SENCHA
Matcha made from sencha differs from traditional matcha. Unlike tencha, sencha is grown in full sunlight, which causes the leaves to develop a somewhat more bitter taste. When sencha is ground into a fine powder, it looks like matcha but has a different flavor—less sweet and umami-rich, with a fresher and more intense character.

TRADITIONS & PRICE
Using unshaded leaves can be a way to reduce the cost, but for matcha to be considered traditional Uji-Matcha, it should be made from tencha (100% shaded leaves)