The Matcha Plant: From Camellia sinensis to your Cup

Where exactly does this vibrant green powder in our cups come from? To understand this, we need to go back to the plant itself: Camellia sinensis, its Japanese cultivars, and the entire process that transforms a simple leaf into matcha. A deep dive into the botany of matcha.

A question often arises when one starts to take a serious interest in matcha. Where does this green powder come from? From a specific plant? From a rare tree found only in Japan? The answer is both simpler and more fascinating. Matcha comes from the same plant as all other teas in the world: Camellia sinensis, more commonly known as the "tea plant."

But the simplicity ends there. While the initial plant is common, what transforms some of its leaves into matcha involves precise botanical choices (variety, cultivars), a particular terroir, and above all, extremely specific cultivation and processing expertise. It is this journey, from living leaf to fine powder, that makes matcha one of the most unique teas in the world. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, without excessive simplification.

Camellia sinensis: the plant behind all teas

Before discussing matcha in particular, it's important to understand the base plant. All teas in the world, whether green, black, white, oolong, or matcha, come from the same plant species. The difference lies in the sub-species, the chosen cultivar, and especially the cultivation and processing methods.

A plant from the Theaceae family

Camellia sinensis belongs to the Theaceae family, the same as the ornamental camellias grown in our gardens. But its tea cousin is much hardier. It is a small evergreen shrub, naturally capable of living for several hundred years, but kept at bush height in plantations to facilitate harvesting.

In its wild state, the tea plant can reach 10 to 15 meters in height. In cultivation, it is pruned to no more than 1 to 1.5 meters, forming the beautiful rounded rows seen in images of Japanese plantations. Its leaves are oval, slightly toothed, medium green when mature, and light, almost yellow-green when newly sprouted. To learn more about what matcha specifically is, the article what is matcha: everything you need to know in 5 minutes provides an overview of the finished product.

Two subspecies, two worlds of tea

Within Camellia sinensis, there are two main subspecies. The sinensis subspecies, native to China, is adapted to temperate climates and produces smaller, more tender leaves with more complex and refined aromas. This is the one cultivated in Japan to produce matcha and most Japanese green teas. The assamica subspecies, native to India (Assam region), is larger, more robust, adapted to tropical climates, and primarily produces black teas (Darjeeling, Assam) with more tannic and full-bodied notes.

This distinction is fundamental. True matcha cannot be produced from the assamica subspecies. All the aromatic finesse of matcha relies on the high amino acid content (especially L-theanine) of the sinensis subspecies, which develops these compounds in the cool, misty climates of Japan.

Cultivars: the aromatic signature of matcha

Within the sinensis subspecies, Japanese producers have selected different cultivars over centuries, meaning distinct genetic varieties, much like grape varieties for wine. Each cultivar brings its own aromatic profile: sweeter, more vegetal, more umami, more floral.

The Yabukita cultivar, for example, accounts for approximately 75% of Japan's tea production. It is the benchmark cultivar, balanced, versatile, producing matchas with sweet and harmonious notes. Other cultivars like Okumidori, Samidori, Saemidori, or Asahi are prized for their more specific characteristics, particularly for very high-quality matchas. For complete details on these varieties, the article dedicated to matcha cultivars and their differences delves into the depth of each profile.

From leaf to tencha: understanding the intermediate step

Before becoming matcha, the Camellia sinensis leaf undergoes an intermediate state called tencha.

It is the tencha that will then be ground into powder. Understanding this step is understanding half of what matcha is.

What exactly is tencha

The word "tencha" refers to tea leaves specifically prepared to become matcha, after shading, harvesting, steaming, drying, and removal of veins and stems. Concretely, tencha looks like small green fragments of dehydrated, brittle leaves, with a deep, almost emerald green color. This is the state in which producers sell their raw material to grinders, who then take care of the final milling.

Many "matchas" sold worldwide, especially low-grade products found in supermarkets or on some marketplaces, are not produced from true tencha. They are simply ordinary green tea leaves (often from the sencha variety) that have been mechanically ground into powder. The result is easy to identify: dull color (khaki green instead of jade green), coarser texture, bitter and flat taste. Recognizing true matcha therefore begins with knowing what tencha is.

Why this step changes everything

The production of tencha involves choices that do not exist for other Japanese green teas. Prolonged shading, removal of veins to keep only the tender flesh of the leaf, flat drying without rolling the leaves (unlike sencha). All these actions are designed to preserve the vibrant color, the concentration of amino acids, and the fineness of the future texture after grinding. Without these specific steps, you don't get matcha, just powdered green tea.

Shading: the botanical secret of matcha

If only one step were to be singled out in the matcha production process, it would be shading.

It is this step that transforms the very chemistry of the plant before harvest, creating all the unique characteristics of matcha: color, sweetness, umami, and L-theanine concentration.

The principle: depriving the plant of light

Approximately 20 to 30 days before harvest, the tea plants destined for matcha are covered with black tarps or straw mats that gradually block sunlight. The covering becomes increasingly dense, eventually depriving the plants of 90% of the light in the final days. This is a period of controlled stress for the plant.

What happens biologically in the leaf

Deprived of light, the plant cannot perform photosynthesis normally. To compensate and survive, it triggers several fascinating biological responses. Firstly, it significantly increases its chlorophyll production to try and capture the little light available. It is this chlorophyll overload that gives matcha its vibrant jade green color.

Secondly, the plant increases its production of amino acids, particularly L-theanine. Normally, in a leaf exposed to light, this L-theanine is gradually converted into catechins (tannins) to protect the leaf from UV rays. In the shade, this conversion slows down significantly, and L-theanine accumulates. It is this compound that gives matcha its umami, sweet, and slightly savory taste, and provides its famous relaxing effects associated with caffeine.

Thirdly, the content of simple sugars and volatile aromas increases, contributing to the aromatic complexity of the final tea. All this plant chemistry explains why matcha is so concentrated in beneficial compounds. To learn more about what exactly this powder contains, the article matcha composition: what the green powder really contains details the complete chemistry.

Why 3 to 4 weeks, and no more

The duration of shading is precisely calibrated. Too short (less than 2 weeks), the plant does not have time to deeply modify its chemistry, resulting in a flat matcha. Too long (more than 5 weeks), the plant begins to weaken significantly, aromatic quality decreases, and yield drops. Experienced Japanese producers finely adjust the duration according to the cultivar, the year's weather, and the desired quality.

The role of terroir in cultivation

Shading alone is not enough. Terroir is just as important. The most renowned Japanese regions for matcha (Uji near Kyoto, Nishio in Aichi prefecture, Shizuoka and Kagoshima) benefit from a particular climate: frequent morning mists that naturally filter light, volcanic soils rich in minerals, and significant day/night temperature differences that slow growth and concentrate aromas. The region of Shizuoka, the main matcha-producing region in Japan, particularly illustrates this alliance between expertise and terroir.

From tencha to powder: the final key step

Once the leaf is harvested, shaded, steamed, dried, and cleaned to become tencha, the final transformation remains: grinding. This step seems simple, but it is not at all.

Selective harvesting

For very high-quality matcha (ceremonial grade), harvesting is done by hand, and only on young shoots (generally the first three leaves, the most tender and nutrient-rich). This is slow, demanding work, taking place over only a few days each year, usually between mid-April and the end of May for the first harvest (ichibancha). For culinary matchas, harvesting can be mechanized and also includes more mature leaves.

Immediate steaming: stopping oxidation

A few hours after harvesting, the leaves are briefly steamed, typically between 15 and 45 seconds depending on the producer. This step sets the leaf's chemistry: it deactivates the enzymes responsible for oxidation, allowing the tea to retain its vibrant green color and fresh aromatic profile. Without this step, the leaves would oxidize within hours and yield black tea, not green tea.

Drying and vein removal

The steamed leaves are then hot-air dried on trays, without rolling (unlike sencha where leaves are rolled to untwist them). This drying results in the brittle, flat fragments characteristic of tencha. Then, the central veins and stems are carefully removed: they would impart a bitter taste and a less vibrant color to the final matcha. Only the tender "flesh" of the leaf is kept.

Stone mill grinding

This is the most emblematic step. Tencha is ground between two traditional granite millstones, which rotate very slowly (about 30 revolutions per minute). This slowness is essential: grinding too quickly heats the powder by friction and destroys volatile aromas, in addition to degrading the fineness of the texture. A traditional mill produces an average of 30 to 40 grams of matcha per hour. It is slow, artisanal, and partly explains the price of quality ceremonial matcha.

The final result is an ultra-fine powder, soft to the touch, a vibrant jade green, with a texture similar to talcum powder. The fineness of this powder is crucial: it allows matcha to remain suspended in water instead of settling at the bottom of the bowl like a coarse powder.

Summary table: from Camellia sinensis to cup

Why Japanese matcha remains unrivaled

Camellia sinensis can theoretically be grown in other regions of the world with a climate similar to Japan's. Attempts exist in China (where the plant originated), Taiwan, Korea, and even in some regions of Europe and North America. However, true matcha remains almost exclusively Japanese. Why?

Generational expertise

Matcha cultivation is based on decades, sometimes centuries, of experimentation. The exact calibration of shading according to the cultivar, the precise timing of harvest, the optimal duration of steaming, the correct speed of the grinding stones: all these parameters are passed down from father to son in Japanese family farms. Reproducing this expertise elsewhere takes decades, not years.

The unique terroir

The volcanic soils, morning mists, day/night temperature variations, and specific humidity of the Japanese air: all these factors subtly but crucially influence the leaf's chemistry. A Camellia sinensis grown elsewhere does not produce exactly the same leaves, even with identical expertise. To put this in a long-term perspective, the article on the history of matcha, its origins and traditions traces how this expertise has been built over nearly a thousand years.

The complete industrial ecosystem

In Japan, an entire sector supports matcha production: leaf growers, tencha processing workshops, master grinders, quality controllers, traders. This integrated ecosystem is almost impossible to replicate elsewhere, which maintains Japan's supremacy in quality matcha.

Frequently asked questions about the matcha plant

What plant does matcha come from?

Matcha comes from Camellia sinensis, more commonly known as the "tea plant." This is the same plant species that produces all teas worldwide (green, black, white, oolong). Matcha's specificity lies in the sinensis subspecies used, the selected cultivars (Yabukita, Okumidori, etc.), and its unique cultivation and processing method.

Is there a specific matcha tree?

No. There is no "matcha tree" different from other tea plants. All tea plants cultivated for matcha are Camellia sinensis, just like for other teas. It is solely the cultivation method (prolonged shading) and processing (steaming, drying, grinding into powder) that distinguishes matcha.

Why are tea plants for matcha shaded?

Shading deprives the plant of light for 3 to 4 weeks before harvest. Deprived of normal photosynthesis, the plant massively increases its production of chlorophyll (jade green color) and amino acids like L-theanine (umami taste, relaxing effect). This chemical modification is what distinguishes matcha from all other teas.

What is tencha?

Tencha is the intermediate state between the Camellia sinensis leaf and matcha powder. It consists of leaves that have been shaded, harvested, steamed, dried, and stripped of their veins and stems. Tencha is then ground with a stone mill to become matcha.

Can matcha be produced anywhere other than Japan?

Technically yes. Practically, almost never with the same quality. The Japanese terroir (volcanic soils, mists, climate), generational know-how, and complete industrial ecosystem mean that true matcha remains almost exclusively Japanese. Matchas produced elsewhere generally have noticeably different visual and taste profiles.

What is the difference between matcha and classic green tea?

Both come from Camellia sinensis. But classic green tea (sencha) grows in full light, its leaves are rolled after steaming, and it is infused as whole leaves, with the leaves discarded afterward. Matcha, on the other hand, is cultivated under prolonged shading, its leaves are dried flat without rolling, then ground into a fine powder that is entirely consumed. The result: completely different color, aromas, nutrient concentration, and preparation.

How many times a year is matcha harvested?

There are two to three harvests annually depending on the regions. The first (ichibancha), which takes place between mid-April and late May, yields the most prestigious and delicate matchas. The second (nibancha) in June-July yields more robust matchas, generally used for culinary purposes. For serious producers, only the first harvest is used to produce ceremonial grade matchas.

Why is matcha ground with a stone mill?

The stone mill, which rotates very slowly (about 30 revolutions per minute), allows the tencha to be ground without heating it through friction. Heat would degrade volatile aromas and color. This method is slow (30 to 40 grams per hour for a traditional mill), but it preserves all the aromatic fineness of the leaf. Rapid mechanical grinding used for low-grade matchas results in hotter, less fine, less aromatic powders.

A simple plant, an exceptional product

It all starts with a common plant: Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. But between the fresh leaf on the branch and the green powder falling into your bowl, there is a journey of rare precision.

Cultivar selection, precise shading, selective harvesting, steaming, drying, slow stone-milling. Each step represents centuries of observation and improvement. This is what transforms a simple bush into one of the most singular beverages in the world. When you understand this journey, you never drink matcha the same way again.

Our Japanese-origin matcha is produced according to these traditional methods, from the selected cultivars in the Shizuoka and Kagoshima regions to the stone grinding. Discover our selection of premium Japanese-origin matcha to taste the result of all this expertise.