In ancient China tea leaves were compressed into tea bricks for storage and even to be used as currency. Around 1000 A.D. during the Song Dynasty making powdered tea from the bricks became popularised. Soon it became a ritual for Zen Buddhists to consume the matcha tea for medicinal purposes and eventually it was brought to Japan by a monk called Eisai in 1191. Over the years the demand for matcha in China decreased but it always remained a huge part in Zen Monestries in Japan.
Matcha is made from Camellia Sinensis meaning it is produced from the same plant as the majority of other teas. Its unique process begins three weeks before harvesting where it is covered from sunlight and grown in the shade for around 20 days. When it is harvested, the highest quality buds are handpicked which are then laid out to removed moisture. After this the leaves are steamed to prevent oxidation and then the rest of the moisture is removed by drying the leaves where it becomes a product known as Tencha. The leaves are then carefully de-veined and de-stemmed to remove the undesirable parts of the leaves. They are then ground into fine powder by stone mills. This is a very time consuming and delicate process taking around 1 hour per 30g as the heat generated from high friction would cause the Tencha to burn. Once it has been ground into fine powder, the final product is Green Matcha.
By grinding it results in consuming the entire leaf when it is drank meaning that 1 cup of matcha is equivalent to over 10 cups of green tea. This makes Matcha one of the highest sources of antioxidants available.
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