Matcha Stories - Touring a Matcha Production Facility in Japan
Things I've learned from visiting Marukyu Koyamaen
Of all the items on the menu of our pop up tea bar, matcha must be my favorite one to prepare. I honestly find something soothing in every step involved in the process of making it. Its mesmerizing green color and the effect it creates when mixed with cold milk is simply magical. Even if I’m in a rush to whisk multiple in a row. Is creating tasteful matcha drinks enough to declare myself an expert on the subject? The answer is NO!
“I always love to see the interaction between matcha and milk”
My knowledge of this green tea powder has always been pretty basic. I thought that matcha was very trendy, healthy, the end result of grinding the whole tea leaf, and that it was either classified as culinary or ceremonial. Was that enough to serve a good drink? Sure. But in order to improve my customer’s experience, I felt like I needed to improve my knowledge on the subject.
How was I going to do that? Read articles? Do some research on Google? Try to find some books about this wonderful tea? These were all good answers but I didn’t feel it would be enough to reach my goal. I knew that if I really wanted to become a matcha connoisseur, a visit to Japan was necessary. For obvious reasons - Japan has always been on our list of places to go so it didn't take too much to convince us. So with much excitement, back in April of 2024, we flew to Japan for another tea adventure that would hopefully include a visit to a matcha processing factory.
Our Visit to Marukyu Koyamaen - Makishima Plant
I wasn’t sure if many matcha producing facilities were open to the public in Japan. Luckily enough, we were able to book a guided tour to Marukyu Koyamaen, a tea processing facility that has been growing, procuring and blending tea (and most importantly matcha) for 12 generations.
“Located in Uji, Marukyu Koyamaen is a family-owned company whose motto is making tea with quality as the highest priority and is dedicating 70% of their production to matcha.”
In the last few years, we’ve seen a few tea processing facilities but still didn’t know what to expect from this activity. We started by watching a movie about the history of tea in Japan and of the company itself, which has been around for more than 300 years. After the viewing, we walked through the tea processing facility where we saw all the machinery involved in the process of transforming fresh tea leaves into tencha. The plant was not in operation at that time as we were too early in the season.
Up until now, it looked pretty much the same as the other factories we’ve visited. However, we soon learned that at this plant, the process doesn’t end once the tea has been steamed and dried. The tea is then cut, sorted, and cleaned so only the best part of the leaves are sent to the grinding chamber where multiple stone mills slowly transform tencha into matcha. Interestingly, the process is done in complete darkness mostly to keep the vibrancy of the leaf’s green color.
“Marukyu Koyamaen’s laboratory where all the tea tastings and gradings are done”
We then went into the facility’s laboratory where all the tastings and gradings are done and where the tea experts decide what will be blended together. The lab is located inside a very bright area with lots of windows and black walls. This room was designed to let the daylight in so the color of each new batch can truly be appreciated. The lab also hosts a small manual grinder where a new batch of tencha can be tested and also to allow us to try our hand at it. Toward the end of the tour, the guide walked us to an area where there was a replica of a “ceremonial tea room” where we learned tea room etiquette and most importantly, the proper way to enter it.
The tour wrapped up with a hands on matcha whisking experience. After the demonstration, we whisked our own matcha, the ceremonial way, and enjoyed it with a Japanese traditional sweet (wagashi) which should be eaten before drinking the matcha. The matcha we used for the workshop was a special edition equivalent to their grade 7 variety (10 being the highest grade). The experience was totally worth it. The only downfall was the inability (as per policy) to take videos and pictures of their production space.
“we whisked our own matcha, the ceremonial way, and enjoyed it with a wagashi”
Things to know before you go
Tours are only available on weekdays at specific times 10:00 am and 1:30pm.
The duration of the tour is between 70 and 90 minutes.
Reservations are required and need to be made at least 7 days in advance. The application form can be found here.
Tours are offered in Japanese and English
Admission is 500 yen per person (a little bit under 5 Canadian dollars) which can be used as a credit towards any of their products (we used it to buy eiju and aoarashi matcha).
Uji is a short train ride from Kyoto. It is recommended to take a taxi but it is easily accessible by foot on a sunny day.
What I’ve learned from visiting Marukyu Koyamaen
As mentioned previously, my knowledge surrounding matcha was initially pretty average. This tour gave me the opportunity to learn about the history of the factory, of matcha production itself and most importantly to learn the proper way to make matcha. This guided tour definitely opened my eyes.
Here are a few key things I took away from the experience:
Matcha is clearly not a recent trend born out of the healthy lifestyle movement but something that has been around for centuries. In Japan, drinking powdered green tea started around 1191 when a Buddhist monk by the name of Yosai brought his knowledge on how to grow, produce, and prepare tea from China. Although Chinese citizens started drinking tea infusions after the Mongol’s invasion, the Japanese continued to refine their techniques, which led to the culture known today as Chanoyu or Chado, the Japanese tea ceremony perfected by Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591).
Matcha isn’t quite the grinding of the whole tea leaf but of the tender parts of it (soft leaf tissues). The stem and the veins are taken away and used to make tea like kukicha and konacha. This is either done by hand but mostly by machine.
Culinary vs ceremonial - Marukyu Koyamaen isn’t using the ceremonial determination to classify their matcha but a grading system that ranges from 1 to 10. Each matcha is defined by their flavor profile, their intended use and their suitability for either Usucha (thin tea) or Koicha (thick tea). Their catalog offers many varieties such as special matcha, matcha for cooking, matcha for cold water, seasonal matcha, sweetened matcha, matcha favored by tea schools and so on.
Choosing the right matcha for you
Whether or not the matcha is a culinary grade or a ceremonial grade may matter when choosing a matcha to purchase. For example, a ceremonial grade that has been exposed to light might look like a culinary grade. So when you buy matcha, ask questions about the flavor profile and mostly buy according to your intended use. Will you be making a latte with sugar? Then you might want to go with something more affordable. Will you bake something with it? You’ll want to use a culinary grade. Are you planning to make a refreshing variation? Then you should look for a matcha that has been designed to dissolve in cold water. Last but not least, if you want to create your own ritual and drink either Oisha and Koisha, then you might want to treat yourself and go for something more expensive.
What are your guidelines when buying matcha? Which are your favourite brands?
Let us know by leaving a comment below.