Processing
Fixing tea leaves with high-pressure steam — the Japanese way of stopping oxidation.
Steaming locks in chlorophyll and amino acids, giving Japanese green teas their vivid jade colour and seaweed-umami profile. Sencha, gyokuro, and matcha base (tencha) are all steamed.
Related terms
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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