Mondo Knows Facts
Matcha is shaded before the leaves are picked
Weeks under cover raise chlorophyll and theanine, deepening colour and savour
Tea bushes for matcha are covered with screens for around three weeks before harvest, cutting the light to a fraction of normal. The leaves respond by producing more chlorophyll, which deepens the green, and more theanine, which softens bitterness and adds savour. The leaves are then steamed, dried and ground on stone mills into a fine powder that is drunk whole.
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Tags: tea, matcha, japan
Matcha is shaded before the leaves are picked: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Weeks under cover raise chlorophyll and theanine, deepening colour and savour. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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