Global demand for matcha has sent Japanese producers scrambling to switch from producing typical sencha green tea leaves to the tencha kneaded dried tea leaves, which are eventually powdered to produce matcha. The leaves are grown differently, with the plants shielded from the sun to bring out more flavor. Producers have been shifting production in phases to both capitalize on the trend while not overcommitting to a tea format that may not be trendy forever. Japan exported 5,162 tons of powdered tea from January to August, already eclipsing the 5,091-ton total last year. Getting that number any higher is going to take work. Right now, SOMA — Shizuoka Organic Matcha, formed by tea companies in 2018 in anticipation of growing demand for matcha — is capable of producing 300 metric tons of matcha annually. Ito En, the largest maker of green tea beverages, is aiming to double its matcha capacity to 630 tons per year by adding two new hammer mill grinders to its plant. Those mills are even now hard to come by; Ikeda Seicha Kikaiten, which makes mills, has cut off accepting new orders as it deals with a backlog.
Yuiya Shibata, Nikkei Asia
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