The art of shade
Patience grows deeper flavour
BEFORE MATCHA, THERE IS SHADE
Before tencha is harvested, the plants are covered to reduce direct sunlight.
This Uji method, known as ōishita cultivation, has been practised for more than 400 years.
It began as protection from frost. Its effect on flavour changed matcha forever.
LESS LIGHT, MORE UMAMI
Inside the leaf is an amino acid called theanine, one of the compounds responsible for matcha’s umami.
Sunlight encourages changes that increase catechins, which contribute astringency.
Shading slows that process.
More theanine is retained.
Astringency is softened.
Umami becomes more pronounced.
COLOUR CHANGES TOO
Shade does more than alter flavour.
The leaves produce more chlorophyll and develop the rich green colour associated with high-quality tencha.
It also creates the distinctive aroma associated with covered cultivation.
SHADE IS A SKILL
Covering a field is the easy part.
Knowing when to begin, how much light to remove and when to uncover it depends on the cultivar, the condition of the plants and the character the producer wants to achieve.
More shade is not simply a shortcut to better matcha.
The judgement matters.
Flavour begins before harvest.
Long before the stone mill or the whisk, the character of the bowl is already being shaped in the field.
