The main feature of shelf cultivation is the space between the shading sheet and the tea leaves. This makes it possible to shade the leaves for more than 20 days without touching or damaging them to grow high-quality tea. Tencha (ground green tea), the raw material for matcha, is said to require at least 20 days of shading, but we cover the leaves for at least one month just before harvest. Shading the tea to block 90% of the sunlight allows the tea’s healthy theanine and amino acid components to increase while the bitter catechins decrease. The result is sweet-tasting matcha that soothes both the body and soul.

The tea is usually directly covered with a shading sheet, about 14 days total. This method is more efficient, but it is very hard on the tea leaves and trees. The strain on the trees increases even more, when the tea is grown organically. Our company uses a shelf system that creates a space between the shading sheet and the tea leaves. This way, the leaves can be covered for more than a month with no risk of leaf burn or abrasion due to heat buildup. The amino acid and theanine content increase, so the quality does not deteriorate. Also, there is no stress on the tea tree.

The stems and veins are carefully removed from tencha to grind in a stone mill. The result is a clean, refined taste.

If the stems and veins are not removed from the tencha, they cannot be ground in a stone mill. The remaining hard, fibrous material will cause an unpleasant taste. In recent years, the quality and number of tea mills have increased dramatically, but the flavor will always be lacking if this step is omitted.