How Matcha Gets its Flavour | The Science of Shading

Some Japanese teas, such as matcha and gyokuro, are ‘shade-grown’, but what exactly does this entail and how does it affect the taste of tea? In this deep dive into shaded teas, we’ll take a look at the history behind this uniquely Japanese cultivation technique and also break down the types and practices of shading that are used today before getting deep into the biochemistry of the tea plant to understand how shading affects the aromatic and flavour compounds.

00:00 - Intro
00:20 - What is Shading?
01:14 - History of Shading
03:51 - Shading Methods
08:12 - Types of Shaded Teas
12:15 - Science Time
12:56 - Photosynthesis
15:42 - Tea in the Shade
18:58 - Final Thoughts


Sources:
Goto, T., Yoshida, Y., Amano, I., Horie, H. (1996) Chemical composition of commercially available Japanese green tea. Foods & Food Ingred. J. Jpn. 170:46-52

Tea: A Nerd’s Eye View by Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace (if you want more tea chemistry)

João Rodrigues's Account of Sixteenth-century Japan translated by Michael Cooper