From Leaf to Powder: How Matcha Is Made, Step by Step
Matcha is not simply ground green tea. It is the result of a unique cultivation and production process developed in Japan over centuries. Understanding how matcha is made explains its colour, flavour and price – and helps wholesale buyers judge quality.
1. Shade-growing
Several weeks before harvest – often around three to four – tea plants destined for matcha are covered with shading, traditionally reed and straw (honzu), today often black cloth (kabuse). With less sunlight, the leaves produce more chlorophyll and keep more L-theanine, the amino acid behind matcha's sweetness and umami, while forming fewer bitter catechins.
2. Harvesting
The finest matcha uses the young, tender leaves of the first spring harvest (ichibancha), sometimes hand-picked. Later harvests are used for culinary grades.
3. Steaming
Freshly picked leaves are steamed within hours to stop oxidation, locking in their green colour and fresh flavour – a hallmark of Japanese green tea.
4. Drying – without rolling
Unlike sencha, matcha leaves are not rolled. They are dried flat, which produces tencha (碾茶), the raw material for matcha.
5. De-stemming and de-veining
Stems and veins are removed, leaving only the soft leaf flesh. This step is crucial for a smooth, silky texture.
6. Milling
Tencha is milled into an ultra-fine powder. Traditional granite stone mills turn slowly to avoid heat, producing only a few dozen grams per hour – which is why stone-milling is reserved for very small, premium quantities. Larger wholesale volumes are milled with modern equipment that still produces a fine, consistent powder.
7. Quality control and packing
Finished matcha is graded, tested and packed in light- and air-protective packaging. At ASARUMI, every batch is lab-tested and supplied with a Certificate of Analysis, and our team personally tastes and selects each matcha in Japan.
Why this matters for buyers
Shading, careful harvesting and meticulous processing are why genuine Japanese matcha looks and tastes so different from cheap green tea powder. When comparing wholesale matcha offers, ask about harvest, region, shading and lab testing – not just price per kg.
Request a Quote or a Sample
ASARUMI is a Bucharest-based matcha wholesaler supplying cafés, bakeries, tea shops, food brands and distributors in Romania, across Europe and worldwide. Explore our wholesale matcha, ceremonial grade matcha, culinary grade matcha and private label matcha programmes, or contact us for wholesale pricing and a 5g sample.
About ASARUMI – Japanese Matcha Wholesale & Private Label from Bucharest, Romania
ASARUMI is a matcha wholesale and private label matcha supplier based in Bucharest, Romania, delivering organic Japanese matcha to cafés, bakeries, tea shops, food brands and distributors across Romania, Europe and worldwide. ASARUMI wholesale matcha is available with a minimum order quantity (MOQ) from 1 kg – up to bulk 20–25 kg bags and full-container volumes – so new businesses can start small and scale.
ASARUMI ceremonial grade matcha and culinary grade matcha from Uji, Nishio, Shizuoka, Yame and Kagoshima, Japan
Wholesale matcha MOQ from 1 kg – bulk matcha for Romania and all of Europe
ASARUMI private label matcha in 30g/40g tins, foil bags and 100g–1kg pouches
JAS Organic, EU Organic, ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000, COA and TRACES documentation
Fast delivery from Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Brașov, Constanța and every EU country
Request ASARUMI wholesale matcha prices or a 5g sample: contact ASARUMI · ASARUMI matcha wholesale Europe · ASARUMI private label matcha