Japanese vs Chinese Matcha: Does Origin Still Define Quality?

For many years, matcha was judged using a very simple rule: Japanese matcha meant high quality, while Chinese matcha was assumed to be a cheaper and lower-quality alternative.

However, the matcha market is changing.

The best Chinese matcha producers are investing in better tea cultivars, shading methods, steaming, milling, cold storage and quality control. At the same time, rapidly increasing global demand has placed significant pressure on Japanese matcha supply and prices.

The result is a much more interesting comparison than simply asking which country is “better”.

Today, the more useful questions are:

How was the tea grown? When was it harvested? How was it processed? How does it taste? Has it been independently tested? And does the quality justify the price?

Why Japanese matcha earned its reputation

Experienced Japanese farms and tea producers have spent decades—or sometimes centuries—developing cultivation and processing techniques designed to create matcha with a vibrant green colour, fine texture, natural sweetness and deep umami.

When was it harvested?

Always look for first-harvest matcha if you do not enjoy bitterness or a strong grassy flavour.

A carefully produced first-harvest Chinese matcha can be considerably better than a low-grade or poorly stored Japanese matcha.

Low-grade matcha can still be a good option for baking.

How does it taste?

Ceremonial-grade Japanese Matcha – Delicate, floral, sweet or deeply savoury, often with little to no bitterness.

Ceremonial-grade Chinese Matcha – Rich, vegetal and strongly umami, sometimes with a mild, pleasant bitterness.

Does the quality justify the price?

For a long time, this was barely a question. High-quality Japanese matcha commanded a premium price, but the difference in quality often made that premium relatively easy to justify.

In recent years, however, global demand for Japanese matcha has continued to outpace supply, putting significant upward pressure on prices.

Japanese matcha can still offer exceptional quality, particularly at the very top end. But there comes a point where a higher price does not necessarily mean an equally large improvement in quality or taste.

This is especially important for people who drink matcha every day, where even a relatively small increase in the cost per serving quickly adds up.

As Chinese matcha continues to improve, its price-to-quality ratio is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Has it been independently tested?

Testing is especially important with matcha because the whole tea leaf is ground into a powder and consumed.

Rather than judging safety or quality by country of origin alone, we think it is more useful to look at how the tea has been sourced, what checks are in place and whether independent testing has been carried out.

Our Chinese matcha is sourced through our Japanese tea supplier, who works directly with the producer in China.

In addition to the supplier’s own quality controls, we have also arranged independent laboratory testing for pesticides and heavy metals.

For us, this provides an additional level of reassurance and allows Chinese and Japanese matcha to be assessed on the quality of the individual product rather than assumptions based purely on origin.

Chinese matcha is improving rapidly

Export-focused producers in regions including Zhejiang, Guizhou and Shandong have invested in improved shading, Japanese-influenced processing equipment, finer milling, controlled storage and more consistent agricultural standards.

Our conclusion

Japan’s place in matcha culture and production is not in question. It continues to produce many of the finest and most nuanced matchas in the world.

But Chinese matcha should no longer be dismissed automatically.

The upper end of Chinese matcha production is improving quickly, independent testing can provide greater transparency, and the price-to-quality ratio is becoming increasingly competitive as Japanese prices rise.