---
title: "The Secret History of Brown Matcha"
description: "Discover how sun-grown brown powdered tea from Song China became Japan’s vivid green matcha through centuries of shade-growing innovation."
image: "https://best-matcha.com/wp-content/uploads/maxresdefault-7.webp"
---
# The Secret History of Brown Matcha

> Discover how sun-grown brown powdered tea from Song China became Japan’s vivid green matcha through centuries of shade-growing innovation.

Source: https://best-matcha.com/videos/the-secret-history-of-brown-matcha/
Created: 2026-04-30T10:00:01+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-30T07:44:55+00:00
Author: Emilie Schol

## Transcript

Transcript

Matcha used to be brown. Not like brown greenish, no no, brown brown. The original powdered tea came from China during the Song Dynasty, around 900 years ago. They would grind the tea leaf into powder, whisk it, and drink it. Sounds familiar, right? But those leaves were grown under the sun, no shade. So, the powder was kind of dull, brownish, kind of murky. The Buddhist monk Eisai brought it to Japan in 1191 because it just needed a little boost for longer meditation session without crashing. Here's where it gets interesting. Sometimes around the 1400s, Japanese farmers just started covering the tea plants with straws. Not for the flavor at first, but to protect the tea plants from the frost bites during early spring. Little did they know that they would invent matcha. But what that did, shade actually matter a lot for us. When you block the sun, the plants just panic a little bit, like me during winter with my seasonal affective disorder. So, then it overproduces chlorophyll to try to catch any sunlight it can. And more chlorophyll means deeper green color. But it also changes the chemistry of the powder. This shade growing process increase the L-theanine content in the plants. And it actually decreases catechins, which is why good matcha tastes smooth, sweet instead of bitter. So, that bright green everyone associate with matcha, it's actually a Japanese agricultural innovation that happened about 600 years ago. The Chinese invented the powdered tea, but the Japanese invented the green matcha tea.

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## FAQ

### Was matcha originally brown instead of bright green?

The original powdered tea described in the transcript was brownish and murky rather than vividly green. It came from China during the Song Dynasty, where tea leaves were ground into powder, whisked, and consumed. Because those leaves grew under direct sun without shade, the resulting powder had a duller appearance.

### Where did the original form of powdered tea come from?

The original powdered tea came from China during the Song Dynasty, around 900 years before the account in the transcript. People ground tea leaves into powder, whisked the powder, and drank it. This preparation resembles matcha, although the sun-grown leaves produced a dull, brownish powder rather than modern bright green matcha.

### Why did Japanese farmers begin shading tea plants?

According to the transcript, Japanese farmers began covering tea plants with straw sometime around the 1400s. Their original purpose was not to change the tea’s flavor or color, but to protect the plants against frostbite during early spring. The shading later proved important to the development of green matcha.

### Why does shade-grown matcha have a deeper green color?

Blocking sunlight causes tea plants to produce more chlorophyll as they attempt to capture the available light. The increased chlorophyll results in a deeper green color. This response to shade explains why the vivid green associated with matcha differs from the duller brownish powder made historically from leaves grown in full sun.

### How does shade growing change matcha’s taste and chemistry?

The transcript says shade growing increases L-theanine and decreases catechins in the tea plants. These chemical changes help explain why good matcha can taste smooth and sweet rather than bitter. Shading also encourages more chlorophyll production, contributing to the deeper green color associated with Japanese matcha.

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# The Secret History of Brown Matcha
Discover how sun-grown brown powdered tea from Song [China](https://best-matcha.com/glossary/china/) became [Japan](https://best-matcha.com/glossary/japan/)’s vivid green matcha through centuries of shade-growing innovation.

[Emilie Schol](https://best-matcha.com/community/emilie-schol/)

## Speaker: Emilie Schol
Emilie Schol founded Best Matcha after a biotechnology career, bringing a methodical, transparent and enthusiast-led approach to matcha discovery.

[View profile of Emilie Schol](https://best-matcha.com/community/emilie-schol/)

## About this video

Discover how sun-grown brown powdered tea from Song China became Japan’s vivid green matcha through centuries of shade-growing innovation.

Statistiques

1185 vues | 56 likes

Duration

1 minute, 37 seconds

Link

[Direct video link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09FOrKYa868)

Published

April 30, 2026

Updated

July 30, 2026

Learn more
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