Organic Matcha Green Tea – 1.76 oz

From Shaded Leaf to Stone-Ground Powder

Matcha starts out as green tea grown the way most green tea is, then diverges sharply as harvest approaches. Weeks before picking, growers cover the tea plants to shade them from direct sunlight — a step that changes the leaf's chemistry, pushing it to produce more chlorophyll (for a deeper green color) and more of the amino acids behind green tea's savory, umami character, at the expense of some of the astringency direct-sun leaves develop.

After shading, the leaves are picked, steamed briefly to halt oxidation (the same heat-fixing principle behind any green tea), then dried. At this stage the dried leaf is called tencha. Stems and veins are removed, leaving just leaf material, which is then ground — traditionally between granite stone mills turning slowly enough that the grinding itself doesn't generate heat that could degrade the powder's color and flavor. This slow stone-grinding is one reason genuine matcha costs more to produce than simply pulverizing green tea leaf in a blade mill: it can take close to an hour of grinding to produce a modest amount of finished powder.

Organic certification applies to how the tea plants were farmed — grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, and verified by a certifying body rather than asserted by the seller alone. It's a claim about cultivation method, not about grade or ceremonial suitability, which are separate classifications in the matcha trade.

Japan is matcha's home market and the source of most of the world's supply, tied to centuries of tea-ceremony tradition (chanoyu) that shaped how the powder is ground, whisked, and served — a cultural lineage distinct from steeped green teas, which were never part of that same ceremonial practice.

How to Whisk Matcha

Matcha isn't steeped — it's whisked directly into water or milk, so there's no infuser or steep timer involved.

Parameter	Guidance
Water temperature	160–175°F (71–79°C) — not boiling
Matcha dose	About 2 grams (roughly ½ tsp) per 2 oz of water
Tool	Bamboo whisk (chasen), sifted matcha, and a wide bowl
Technique	Whisk briskly in a "W" or zig-zag motion until frothy

Sift the matcha into the bowl first — this small step breaks up clumps that a whisk alone won't fully dissolve. Add a splash of water, work it into a smooth paste, then add the rest of the water and whisk briskly until a layer of fine foam forms on top. Water any hotter than about 175°F can scorch the powder and pull out bitterness, the same heat sensitivity green tea shows generally, just more pronounced since the leaf itself sits in the cup. For a latte, whisk the same paste with a small amount of hot water, then top with steamed milk of your choice.

Did You Know

• Shading the tea plants before harvest is what makes matcha, matcha. Weeks before picking, growers cover the plants to block direct sunlight, which increases chlorophyll and certain amino acids in the leaf — the same shading principle behind other prized Japanese green teas like gyokuro, though matcha adds the extra step of grinding the whole leaf into powder.

• Traditional matcha is stone-ground, not blade-milled. Granite mills turn slowly enough to avoid generating heat that would degrade the powder's color and flavor, which is why producing even a small batch the traditional way can take close to an hour.

• Matcha is the only major tea style where you drink the whole leaf. Steeped teas — green, black, oolong, white — are all strained after brewing; matcha's ground leaf stays suspended in the cup, which is the core difference in how it's prepared and consumed.

• Organic certification is about farming method, not tea grade. A matcha can be organic-certified and still range widely in intended use — certification and grade are separate, independent classifications in the trade.

What is matcha, exactly?

It's green tea leaf that's been shaded before harvest, steamed, dried, and stone-ground into a fine powder — whisked directly into water or milk rather than steeped and strained like other green teas.

Is matcha caffeinated?

Yes. Since the whole leaf is consumed rather than strained out, matcha generally carries more caffeine per serving than a cup of steeped green tea, though DABOV doesn't assert a specific milligram figure.

Do I steep matcha like other green tea?

No. Matcha is whisked, not steeped — there's no infuser or steep time involved, just sifted powder, hot (not boiling) water, and a bamboo whisk worked briskly until frothy.

Can I use this matcha for a latte?

Yes. Whisk the powder into a small amount of hot water to form a smooth paste, then top with steamed milk of your choice — the same powder works for both traditional preparation and a latte.

What does organic certification mean for this matcha?

It means the tea was grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, verified by a certifying body — a claim about farming method rather than grade or ceremonial suitability.

What does matcha taste like?

Grassy and vegetal, true to green tea's fresh character — concentrated, since the whole leaf ends up in the cup rather than being diluted through steeping and straining.