The Origin of Matcha

Matcha isn't just the latest beverage fad or coffee replacement. Matcha isn't just a trendy drink that Hollywood drinks by the gallon. Matcha dates back nearly a thousand years to a time when dynasties ruled China and Shogun clans ruled Japan. This is the history of matcha.

The origins of matcha can be traced all the way back to the Tang Dynasty in China. The Tang Dynasty spanned the 7^th – 10^th centuries. During this time, the Tang Dynasty steamed tea leaves to form into bricks, making their tea harvests easier to transport and subsequently trade. These tea bricks were prepared by roasting and pulverizing the leaves then mixing the resulting tea powder with water and salt.

However, the ensuing Song Dynasty, which reigned from the 10^th – 13^th, is largely credited with making this form of tea preparation popular. Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist Monk, spent the better part of his life studying Buddhism in China. In 1191, Eisai returned permanently to Japan, bringing with him tea seeds along with the Zen Buddhist methods of preparing powdered green tea. The tea seeds that Eisai brought back with him from China was largely considered to create highest quality tea leaves in all of Japan. 

Eisai subsequently planted these seeds on the temple grounds in Kyoto, the home of the Kamakura Shogun. During the period of the Kamakura Shogun, matcha was only produced in extremely limited quantities and was thus regarded as a luxurious status symbol.

Soon after Eisai’s return to Japan, Zen Buddhists developed a new method for cultivating the green tea plant. Tencha was developed by growing the green tea plant under shaded conditions – this method is largely credited for maximizing the health benefits of matcha.