What is Uji Matcha and Why is It So High Revered?
Matcha has only continued to grow in popularity as the years have passed, both in the world of speciality beverages and outside of it. Whether or not you drink and prepare it traditionally, only consume it as a latte or add it into beverages for health reasons, you have no doubt run into matcha with the word Uji written on the label. You'll also have probably noticed that matchas tagged with the word Uji often have a much higher price tag attached to them. This could be confusing if you aren’t already immersed within the world of matcha cultivation and production, so with this post I want to discuss both what Uji matcha is and why it is so highly revered.
Tea and blossom in Uji
Uji matcha simply gets its name from the place it is produced: Uji is a Japanese city south of Kyoto and is best known for its shrines, temples and of course its tea. It‘s very common within the world of tea to name a tea after the place that it is produced, but it is especially prevalent within the world of matcha. Matcha can be grown throughout Japan and be fantastic in its own right, but there are many aspects of Uji that contribute to the creation of Matcha that many Japanese tea / Matcha enthusiasts consider to be the most splendiferous when compared to all others.
The first of those is the strong connection Uji has to the history of tea within Japan. It is said that cultivation of tea in Uji began some time within the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and was able to expand rapidly due to the region having a well balanced climate, incredible soil quality and the perfect landscape for the cultivation of tea. Uji is also the birthplace of the Japanese tea ceremony, due to the Japanese Zen Buddhist priest Myōan Eisai visiting China in the 13th century and bringing back both tea seeds and the method for creating powdered green tea to Kyoto. By the mid-14th century, the custom of drinking tea on a daily basis was established and tea from Uji was considered as a first-class gift. Because of this, the notion that Uji Tea is still the highest standard is something I would say is still very much alive and well today.
The well known tea plantation “Oku no Yama,” is one of Uji’s “Seven Famous Gardens”, which was founded during the Muromachi Period and is still present in Uji today. That is simply just brushing the surface with the amount of tea history in Japan that can be traced back to Uji. To this day, Uji is still a very tea centered area of Japan, it is home to many wooden tea houses and tea shops like Tsuen Tea, which is an independently owned family company / tea house that was established in 1160C.E. and is the oldest tea house in Japan. It has operated continuously until today, and since it opened it has resided at the eastern end of the historic Uji Bridge in Uji, Kyoto.
The second of those aspects that makes Uji such a special place for Japanese tea is the specific terroir of Uji. For those not fully acclimated with the term terroir when it comes to tea, the term terroir refers to the complete natural environment in which a particular tea is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography and climate, all of which contribute to the way that tea tastes and smells and has a direct impact on quality. The terroir of Uji is known for being the ultimate terroir for the cultivation of matcha, with many factors within it that make it particularly unique. Due to the unique geography of Uji, it has its own microclimate, with the majority of tea plantations in Uji being located at least 50-60 kilometers inland which helps to protect them from storms, as well as making them warmer in the summer and colder in the winter. As well as being located inland, a lot of them are located on hillsides and the surrounding mountains, which brings a milder climate and the opportunity for mist to reach the tea leaves. The evaporation from the nearby Uji River contributes to keeping them moist which helps to make up for the fact that rainfall in Uji is much lower than it is in other parts of Japan.
The overall soil quality in Uji is excellent for the cultivation of green tea due the fact that it is naturally acidic and rich, as well as the fact that it is usually nutrient-rich and well-draining. Different areas of land in Uji will of course have different soil compositions that are better suited to different tea cultivars, with high levels of red clay and other elements producing tea with darker green leaves, and tea that is more sandy producing lighter coloured leaves. The unique terroir of Uji really does allow teas of all different varieties and cultivars to thrive, meaning that you expect greatness from all of the green teas produced within this region and not just the matcha.
Tea farmers in Uji
Cultivation and processing techniques are another contributing factor to the overall high quality and distinct flavors and aromas that have become the trademarks of Uji tea over the last few years. Within Uji, the tea is cultivated and processed using traditional methods that have been passed down throughout many generations, such as shading the tea plants for three weeks before harvest to reduce bitterness and increase sweetness. During the 16th century, a shading method called Ōishita Saibai was invented in Uji and many Uji farmers still use this method to produce this tea today as opposed to relying on machinery. This method produces tea with incredibly vivid dark green leaves, strong flavors and a higher level of umami. Uji matcha has a delicate, sweet, and umami flavor that is unlike any other matcha.
These methods also take a lot of time to master, and involve strenuous working hours for everyone involved in the cultivation, picking and processing of the teas to get them from farm to cup. This means that each of the people involved with the tea need to be fairly compensated for the time and effort they have put in, which also contributes to why the price of Ujicha is usually higher than tea produced in other places. Just as much effort is put in by all involved with the tea industry across Japan however, and each of those people deserves to be compensated fairly for the work that they do which is why it is incredibly important to ensure that you are purchasing your Japanese teas from reputable vendors. The terroir and cultivation / processing methods that are used within Uji simply can not be replicated anywhere else, and that is what makes Ujicha as unique as it is.
Other contributing factors to the higher price attached to Uji matcha include: The fact that it is produced in very limited quantities, due to the region being quite small and the fact that only a handful of the arms are devoted to the production of uji matcha, as well as the fact that it is in very high demand domestically and internationally. Uji matcha is made from the youngest tea leaves, which are hand-picked by skilled workers. This process is time-consuming and requires a lot of attention to detail. It is then put through a rigorous level of quality control to ensure that only the finest, high quality full leaves are used, after which it is stone ground into a very fine powder. This is a traditional method of grinding and is used to help preserve the tea's flavor and nutrients. However, stone-grinding is a very slow and expensive process and requires a careful hand and watchful eye at all times. As a result of these factors, tea within Uji can be some of the most expensive tea produced in the world, however once you try it for yourself and learn more about it through those experiences you immediately understand why.
As you can see, there really is a lot that goes into why Uji matcha is so highly revered within the world of specially tea and really does deserve the status that has been attached to it for a very long time now. I hope that this post has helped you to understand why there is often a high price tag attached to it and why it is always worth paying that price,should you be able to afford it.