If you’ve ever wondered “Why is matcha so expensive?”, the short answer is this: high-quality matcha is one of the most labor-intensive teas in the world.
The long answer lies in agriculture, craftsmanship, time, and economics.
Let’s break it down step by step.
1. Matcha Starts Long Before Harvest
Unlike regular green tea, matcha is grown under shade for 3–4 weeks before harvest. This process:
- Reduces sunlight
- Increases chlorophyll (deep green color)
- Boosts L-theanine (umami taste)
- Slows growth, lowering yield
Shading requires:
- Extra materials (nets, bamboo, structures)
- More labor
- Higher risk if weather conditions fail
👉 Result: Lower output + higher costs per kilogram.
2. Only the Youngest Leaves Are Used
Premium matcha is made only from the youngest, most tender tea leaves (first harvest, or first flush).
Older leaves:
- Are cheaper
- Taste more bitter
- Are used for lower-grade teas
For ceremonial-grade matcha:
- Large portions of the plant are discarded
- Yield per plant is extremely low
👉 Economics 101: Scarcity increases price.
3. Labor Is Largely Manual (and Expensive)
High-quality matcha production still relies on skilled human labor, especially in Japan:
- Hand-picking or careful mechanical harvesting
- Removing stems and veins after steaming (creating tencha)
- Sorting and quality control by trained professionals
Japan has:
- High labor costs
- An aging farming population
- Limited tea-growing regions
👉 Labor intensity + high wages = higher final price.
4. Stone Grinding Is Slow by Design
After processing, tencha leaves are ground into matcha using traditional granite stone mills.
Here’s the key fact:
- One stone mill produces only ~30–40 grams per hour
Grinding faster would:
- Generate heat
- Destroy flavor, aroma, and nutrients
To produce just 1 kg of matcha:
- Mills must run continuously for over 24 hours
- Equipment must be maintained and replaced regularly
👉 This is deliberate inefficiency to preserve quality.
5. Quality Control and Waste Are Built In
Premium matcha production accepts high waste levels:
- Leaves that don’t meet color standards are rejected
- Slight bitterness = discarded or downgraded
- Oxidized batches are unusable
From a business perspective:
- You pay for what doesn’t make it into the final tin
- Only a small percentage becomes top-grade matcha
👉 You’re paying for precision, not volume.
6. Freshness, Storage, and Logistics Add Costs
Matcha is extremely sensitive to:
- Light
- Oxygen
- Heat
- Time
To preserve quality, producers invest in:
- Cold storage
- Nitrogen-sealed packaging
- Small-batch distribution
- Faster logistics (often air freight)
Cheap matcha skips these steps.
Good matcha cannot.
7. Limited Supply, Growing Global Demand
Matcha production is geographically limited, mostly to Japan (Uji, Nishio, Kagoshima).
At the same time:
- Global demand has exploded (cafés, wellness, supplements)
- Supply cannot scale quickly
- Tea plants take years to mature
👉 Fixed supply + rising demand = higher prices.
So, Is Expensive Matcha “Worth It”?
What you’re paying for isn’t marketing—it’s time, labor, and lost efficiency.
Good matcha is expensive because:
- It grows slower
- Produces less
- Requires more human skill
- Accepts more waste
- Cannot be rushed or industrialized
In economic terms, premium matcha is not overpriced —
it’s correctly priced for how it’s made.