Did you know that "Uji tea" might not actually be produced in Uji?
Based on statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Kyoto Prefecture, the total production of raw tea in Kyoto Prefecture in 2024 amounted to 2,492.4 tonnes (1). Of this, tencha accounted for only 1,057.0 tonnes (excluding autumn harvest tencha): tencha are tea leaves reduced to flakes which, once ground, will produce matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha can only be made from tencha from the spring harvest. These figures represent 20% (!) of tencha production in Japan (excluding very small "family-type" productions (2)).
In other words, 80% of Japanese matcha does not come from Kyoto. What's more, as the map above shows, Uji city represents only a very small part of Kyoto Prefecture. Yet, we see "ceremonial grade Uji matcha" appearing in cafes worldwide. Is it possible that such a small production area can satisfy global demand? There are several explanations for this oddity.
From 2004, the "Uji origin" appellation zone was extended by the authorities, now covering production from four prefectures: Kyoto, as well as its neighbors Nara, Shiga, and Mie. The specifications stipulate that tea leaves must be processed by manufacturers in Kyoto Prefecture according to the traditional methods of the Uji region (3).
In the world of Japanese tea, it is often heard that a blend of different teas, including a part originating from Uji, allows the resulting batch to display "Uji origin." Even more surprisingly, it is suspected, given the abundance of Uji matcha, that origin controls would not be a priority for the Japanese state. This nevertheless remains a hypothesis.
Finally, to complete the picture, the discovery last year of Chinese matcha labeled "Uji" caused a stir in the Archipelago (4).
Our conclusion? Such strong and lucrative demand risks leading to abuses, if they haven't already begun. Since other regions also produce excellent matcha (Nishio, Shizuoka, or Kagoshima), it might be time to stop fetishizing Uji tea: the most famous is not systematically the best. Don't hesitate to taste different teas from various origins; that's also what makes Japanese tea so rich!
References:
1. Kyoto Prefecture
2. National Federation of Tea Producer Associations
3. Kyoto Prefecture Tea Chamber of Commerce
4. The Asahi Shimbun
📷 Wazuka, Kyoto
Other posts on matcha:
- Guide to choosing the most suitable matcha for your consumption
- RTS Le point J interview "Where does matcha come from?"
- An update on the matcha situation in Europe
-
Matcha, a global trend: quality for the tea ceremony is becoming rare
- Should matcha not come into contact with metal utensils?
- How to choose your matcha well?
- What is the precise definition of matcha?
- How to choose a good matcha bowl?