Course:FNH200/Projects/2024/Matcha

Introduction

Matcha is a powdered green tea product produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that undergo specialized cultivation and processing methods before being consumed. Traditionally developed within Japanese tea culture, matcha has become increasingly popular worldwide and is now incorporated into a variety of products, including beverages, baked goods, and desserts.This article examines the relationship between matcha production methods, grading systems, and product quality (chemical composition and sensory properties). Understanding these differences among matcha products influences production decisions and consumers’ perceptions of quality.

Matcha tea powder.

A cup of matcha tea.

Quality & Different Grades of Matcha Green Tea Powder

Matcha Grades and Quality Classification

Matcha can be prepared and enjoyed in many forms, including drinks, baked goods, smoothies, and soft serve. However, not all matcha is suited for every use. For example, using expensive, high-quality matcha in baked goods, may be unnecessary because the flavours that make it valuable can be masked by other ingredients. Matcha is commonly categorized into three grades, ceremonial, premium, and culinary.

Ceremonial-grade matcha is considered the highest quality. It is made from young, first harvest leaves that produce a vibrant, bright green colour. The powder is extremely fine and silky, with little to no bitterness and a naturally sweet, smooth, and umami  flavour. Due to its refined taste, ceremonial matcha is traditionally used for usucha or koicha, Japanese preparation styles that combine matcha primarily with water. Adding milk, syrups, or using it for baking can mask its delicate flavour profile, making it less worthwhile for these applications. It is also the most expensive grade, typically costing around $25–$50 per 30 g.

Premium-grade matcha is slightly lower in quality and may come from later harvests. It can still have a bright green colour, smooth texture, and strong umami flavour, although it may be somewhat less vibrant and slightly more bitter than ceremonial matcha. Its lower price makes it a popular choice for everyday drinks, particularly matcha lattes.

Finally, culinary-grade matcha is generally made from leaves harvested later in the season that have received more sunlight. This produces a deeper, more olive-toned green colour and a stronger, more earthy and bitter flavour. Its robust taste allows it to remain noticeable when combined with other ingredients, making it ideal for baking, smoothies, and desserts. It is also the most affordable grade, which is practical for recipes requiring larger quantities of matcha.

It is important to note that these three terms are not officially regulated classifications. They may be used as marketing terms, particularly in international markets. Therefore, consumers should evaluate the matcha's colour, texture, harvest, flavour, and overall quality rather than relying solely on the grade printed on the label

Traditional Japanese Matcha vs. Lower-Cost Commercial Matcha

1. Growing Conditions and Shading Before Harvest

• Traditional: Shaded 20–30 days pre-harvest to boost chlorophyll and stop sweet amino acids from converting into bitter catechins. This guarantees a deep green color and a sweet, umami-rich flavor.
• Commercial: It receives a shorter shading and more direct sunlight exposure. This causes the leaves to develop higher concentrations of antioxidant catechins resulting in a more subdued shade of green and a bolder flavour with distinctively bitter notes .

2. Leaf Selection and Harvesting Methods

• Traditional: Harvesting occurs late April to May, selecting only the youngest buds at the top of the bush. This guarantees superior overall quality and a naturally sweet flavour profile.
• Commercial: Harvesting utilizes older leaves located much lower on the tea plant . This lowers the overall quality but creates a bolder flavour that can withstand being mixed with milk.

3. Removal of Stems and Veins

• Traditional: The dried leaves are painstakingly sorted to meticulously remove all tough stems and veins . This results in  concentrated umami flavour with even texture to the final powder.
• Commercial: Commercial production relies on automated industrial machines to separate stems and veins rapidly from massive volumes of tea, which results in uneven texture compared to the traditional matcha .

4. Steaming and Drying Processes

• Traditional: Immediately after picking, the fresh leaves are rapidly steamed within hours, then carefully dried using large wind tunnels and finishing ovens .
• Commercial: Commercial leaves are also steamed to halt oxidation and dried by machine .

5. Production of Tencha

• Traditional: The resulting fragile, cleanly de-stemmed leaf tissue is called tencha, which serves as the pure raw material for high-quality matcha
• Commercial: The tencha produced for commercial use originates from older leaves that naturally contain a more diluted amino acid concentration.

6. Traditional Stone Grinding Versus Industrial Milling

• Traditional: The tencha is ground using traditional granite stone mills (ishiusu) that rotate slowly, yielding only 30 to 40 grams per hour to prevent heat damage and preserve the vibrant green colour.
• Commercial: Commercial operations utilize high-speed machine mills or ceramic bead mills capable of grinding up to 20 kilograms per hour .

7. Packaging and Storage Practices

• Traditional: Premium matcha is highly susceptible to oxidation and must be packaged in airtight, opaque tins and stored in refrigerated conditions.
• Commercial: Commercial culinary matcha is hardier and often packaged in bulk bags or standard pouches intended for café or pantry use .

8. Additional Processing to Pre-Made Matcha Latte Powder / Mix

• Traditional: This ceremonial product undergoes zero additional processing and consists entirely of one single ingredient: pure, unsweetened green tea powder.
• Commercial: Pre-made commercial latte mixes are heavily processed and bulked out with added ingredients like cane sugar, maltodextrin, skim milk powder, xanthan gum, and artificial flavouring agents.

Product Origin

• Uji, Kyoto:

Kyoto is the birthplace of Japanese matcha with over 800 years of matcha production. The cool mountain air meets with morning mist of the Uji river, contributing to temperature variations throughout the day. This slows leaf growth, concentrating L-theanine and flavour compounds that provide its deeply layered savoury umami flavour. The hint of sweetness stems from the mineral-rich clay soil deposited over years.

• Nishio, Aichi

The mild stable temperatures, consistent rainfall, and rich soil of Nishio produce matcha with a smooth, balanced, and consistent character. It has a clean flavour of mellow sweetness and gentle umami compared to the complexity of Uji matcha. This is due to geographical differences: mountain valleys of Uji vs fertile plains of Nishio.

• Kagoshima

Japan’s largest tea-producing prefecture, Kagoshima, has a warm subtropical climate and longer growing season, contributing to stable harvests. The mineral-rich volcanic soil produces a distinct smooth and round flavour profile and a bright green colour. It is gently sweet and velvety with less bitterness, suitable for beginners that prefer a light overall profile.

• Yame, Fukuoka

The secret to Yame’s defining matcha is the morning fog. Dense fog from surrounding mountain valleys settles over the tea fields, creating a natural shading effect. The drastic changes of day-to-night temperature slows down leaf development and concentrates amino acids, giving Yame’s matcha the deepest umami flavour. It is Japan’s richest and deepest ceremonial matcha, rivalling Uji's layered matcha.

• Miyazaki

The striking neon green colour of Miyazaki matcha comes from the south subtropical climate and long sunshine exposure, which favours chlorophyll development. Although geographically close to Yame, Miyazaki matcha is more sweet, clean, and approachable than the umami matcha of Yame. It has the lightest umami flavour, making it a beginner-friendly matcha.

Chemical Composition:

• Catechin: Antioxidants that bring health benefits like preventing cancer, especially due to the high amount of EGCG out of the four catechins. The flavour profiles of catechins are bitterness and astringency.
  • (-)-epicatechin (EC)
  • (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG)
  • (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC)
  • (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)
• Caffeine: The amount of caffeine depends on the age of the leaves, with older leaves having less caffeine. The main flavour of caffeine is bitterness but with the presence of theanine, it can create some umami flavours.
• Phenolic acids: natural antioxidant that prevents diseases and cancer growth .
• Rutin: Polyphenolic compound. An antioxidant that has antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Quercetin: Antioxidant that inhibits glucose absorption, aiding in insulin sensitivity.
• Vitamin C: Antioxidant that improves immune defence.
• Chlorophyll: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Provides matcha with its bright green colour due to its high concentration.
• L-theanine: Amino acid that, when combined with caffeine, provides a savoury umami flavour.

Aroma:

Depending on the region the matcha was harvested, the volatile aroma compounds differ but the main ones which contribute to its seaweed-like aroma are (E)-2-decadienal, linalyl acetate and geraniol.

Mouthfeel:

The mouthfeel of matcha can depend on many factors in the process of mixing the powder with water. Due to the variation of conditions of when the matcha was harvested and processed. Improper technique used to mix the matcha and water can result in a grainy and uneven mix. Utilizing the proper tools and technique will aid in getting a nice smooth and foamy mouthfeel.

Exam Question

2026: Question

While watching a barista prepare your matcha latte, you notice they retrieve the bright green powder from an airtight, opaque tin. You also recall reading in an article that matcha comes from the Camellia sinensis plant leaves and that this bright green color is due to its high chlorophyll content.

The preservation method used for matcha is a mechanized variation of [Blank 1]. Furthermore, the barista's use of an opaque tin is specifically designed to prevent [Blank 2].

Which of the following accurately fills in the blanks?

A) [1] Spray Drying; [2] Maillard reaction

B) [1] Tray (Air) Drying; [2] photo-oxidation

C) [1] Spray Drying; [2] enzymatic browning

D) [1] Tray (Air) Drying; [2] freezer burn

Answer: B

Explanation:

[Blank 1] Tray (Air) Drying: The question states that matcha comes from plant leaves. Because the starting material is a solid leaf, it must be dried using Tray (Air) Drying. Spray drying is incorrect because it can only be used on liquid foods.

[Blank 3] Photo-oxidation: The prompt highlights that the powder has a "bright green color" and is kept in an "opaque tin." An opaque container blocks light, which directly prevents photo-oxidation of chlorophyll pigment (light-driven damage to the colour).

Why should it be on the exam?

No previous knowledge about matcha is required as the question gives an overview of the matcha being leaves of a tea plant. This gives all necessary clues to test their understanding of the different preservation methods under dehydration.

This also tests the general knowledge about the different undesirable reactions that may affect the food quality, and the importance of the opaque tin in matcha preservation.

previous question:

Why is it important to store airtight containers containing perishable products, like matcha, in a cool refrigerated environment?

A) To enhance the flavor of the products

B) To speed up microbial growth and spoilage

C) To prevent oxidation and maintain freshness

D) To increase the shelf life by speeding up ripening

Correct Answers:

C) To prevent oxidation and maintain freshness

Explanation:

This question assesses the student's understanding of the role played by temperature and atmosphere control in food preservation. Recognizing the importance of preventing oxidation helps students appreciate the practical measures needed to maintain product quality and extend shelf life, a critical concept in food science and preservation techniques as learned in FNH 200. In class and readings, we were taught about storage and different methods for storing and maintaining freshness and quality of products. This is a question that should be included because it covers those important concepts learned in class and demonstrates it with a real-life scenario with matcha.