Processing
Covering tea bushes for 2–4 weeks before harvest to boost umami and chlorophyll.
Cutting off sunlight forces the bush to make more theanine (the umami amino acid) and more chlorophyll. Shading is what makes gyokuro and matcha so vivid green and so savoury — and why they cost what they cost.
From the Journal
Three of Japan's most famous green teas come from the same plant. The differences are everything — and once you know them, you'll never confuse them again.
by Sameera
An hour south of Kyoto, a riverbank town has been growing the world's finest matcha for 800 years. A field report.
by Sameera
Sixteenth-century Japan refined matcha-making into one of the most demanding art forms in human history. A primer on chado — the Way of Tea.
by Sameera
From bamboo whisks to water temperature — everything you need to know to make café-quality matcha at home.
by Sameera
The Tea List dispatch
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