Have you ever been to Kagoshima, Japan?
There is, of course, a reason why I am asking this question. When visiting this region, one thing immediately stands out: the many wonderful, extensive tea plantations.
You may or may not know it, but Joy of Matcha comes from this area, the tea leaves grow against the shady mountain walls.
The production of high-quality matcha is a well-kept Japanese secret and the quality is highly dependent on several things. Today I will tell you more about the secret for the most irresistible matcha!
Kagoshima in Japan: the second largest green tea producer
Kagoshima has grown in recent years to become Japan's second largest tea producer. And for a very good reason.
The region is known for a special climate with a high dose of sun and fertile volcanic soil. This ensures that the matcha gets a refreshing aroma with a full umami taste. The region gives the tea leaves a vibrant dark green color and you can see that when you open your jar of Joy of Matcha.
The area has therefore grown into a major tea producer where more and more tea farmers are starting tea plantations. They are the second largest tea producer and even the largest producer of organic matcha. Much of the real quality matcha comes from this region. The area has even won several awards that were proudly presented to the tea farmers. You will find real quality tea here, that's for sure.
The area determines the quality
The climate in Kagoshima is ideal for growing matcha, the weather conditions and the soil largely determine the quality. All matcha must come from Japan, does your matcha come from another country? Then it is not actually matcha! Be careful because many products are sold under the name matcha, while it is often not real matcha.
The matcha production: a well-kept secret
The secret of good matcha is not only in the grinding of the tea leaves, it is also in the cultivation and the unique production process.
During the winter, the tea plant is, as it were, in a kind of hibernation. In the spring, somewhere around the end of March, you will see the first tea buds appear. Then the tea farmers start the production process, which consists of several steps.
1) Providing shade
The many health benefits of matcha arise from covering the leaves about 20 to 30 days before harvest. Shadow possesses a strong power, it stimulates the production of L-theanine (an amino acid) and chlorophyll.
Amino acids are building blocks for proteins, which are necessary for our health. Chlorophyll gives the matcha a bright green color and it removes toxic substances in our body.
They do the covering in two ways: via Tana or Jikagise. Tana is mainly used on the larger plantations, this is a large cage that covers the entire plantation. Jikagise, on the other hand, is more likely to be used by the smaller tea farmers, which are large cloths that are placed over the tea plants.
2) Picking and sorting the leaves
After the shading process, the leaves are picked and then sent to the factories. Here the leaves are processed into aracha, which literally means 'raw tea' in Japanese. From this aracha they remove the stems and veins by sifting.
These leaves are steamed at a high temperature, which stops the fermentation process and preserves the beautiful green color. After steaming, they let the leaves dry so that the moisture content decreases. Because the leaves are steamed and not roasted, the healthy substances are well preserved .
After this process, a machine ensures that the most beautiful green leaves are selected. This is a special machine that can separate colors. Well, now we have tencha, this tea is divided into grades and ground into a fine powder in the stone mill. We call this fine powder matcha.
3) Grinding in the stone mill
Now it's time to grind the tencha into matcha.
A traditional stone mill consists of two granite stones. The tencha is pressed against this granite stone and so it is ground into very fine pieces. Did you know that it is very time consuming? For a small portion of matcha, they have to grind for almost an hour. Because the leaves are ground, all the good substances are retained.
Brew the perfect cup of matcha
After the production process, the matcha ends up in our country. Making a perfect cup of matcha is an art in itself, with respect and love you make the best cup of matcha.
For this you need the right accessories, including a chasen (bamboo beater) and a chashaku (a tea spoon). With the tea scoop you get the ideal amount of matcha from your jar and with the beater you can whip up matcha so that you obtain a fine foam layer.
Do you want to make a perfect cup of matcha yourself? Then follow the following instructions:
- Use the chashaku (tea scoop) and scoop 1 to 2 spoons into a bowl.
- Pour a small splash of hot water (maximum 80 degrees) over the matcha.
- Take the bamboo beater and beat the whole thing so that no lumps remain.
- When the matcha is nice and smooth, add the rest of the hot water (max 80 degrees)
- Then beat the matcha nicely with the bamboo beater. For the best result, do that with an M movement. Then a nice layer of foam should form.
Buy quality matcha
The production process of matcha is therefore very labour-intensive, there are many steps that precede your favorite jar of matcha. That is why you pay a little more for quality matcha. Unfortunately, many brands also sell very cheap matcha for about 5 to 10 euros. Then you can be sure that it is not good quality.
If you really want pure quality matcha, then Joy of Matcha is definitely a good choice. ;-)
