White Tea Matcha

Matcha (which has a meaning of finely ground or powdered tea) is extremely popular and prominent in Japan.  Green tea is also very popular and prominent in Japan, so most of the matcha that comes from Japan tends to be green tea matcha.  Despite the strong association of matcha with Japan, though, to our knowledge the process of making matcha by steaming and grinding tea leaves into powder originated in the Zhejiang Province of China during the Tang Dynasty and into the Song Dynasty (900's AD).  The Jingshan area in Zhejiang is believed to be where matcha was first introduced to Japanese visitors, who then brought back the concept of matcha back to Japan.  

   While green tea is certainly appreciated in China, it does not have the overall prominence in China as it does in Japan, with a wide variety of other teas being held in high regard as well.  With that in mind, matcha in China can be made from tea other than green tea, which is what we are now carrying - specifically White Tea Matcha. 

   Our White Tea Matcha is derived from ancient tea plant cultivars in the Fujian Province.  These tea plants grow at a significantly higher elevation than tea plants in Japan, and the leaves are also sun-dried before being finely ground, which allows for the inherent natural sweetness and floral undertone of the tea leaves to be preserved in the matcha.  Our exceptional White Tea Matcha is available in the shop and online at shangtea.com.