Matcha labeled as "Uji Matcha" even though it's from China?

Matcha labeled as "Uji Matcha" even though it's from China?

Did you know that there is a company in China with Uji Matcha in its name?

There are also matcha products made in China and sold under the name Uji Matcha.

First, there is one thing you need to know.

Uji is real place inJapan.

It is located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture and is known as one of the world's leading regions for matcha production.

However, there is a company in China called Uji Matcha (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Matcha made in China is also produced and sold under the name Uji Matcha and exported around the world.

These products have nothing to do with Uji, Japan.

Japan and China are completely different countries.
Matcha Lab owner

I once saw an Instagram post from the owner of a matcha brand in Europe. The post showed the owner receiving what was presented as Japanese matcha at a port

However, the cardboard boxes shipped in the container had Chinese writing on them.

For people in Europe, it can be difficult to tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese writing.

But selling Chinese matcha as Japanese matcha is deeply disrespectful to people who truly love matcha.

Chinese Uji Matcha Is Not Japanese Uji Matcha

First, I want to make it clear that I am not criticizing Chinese matcha itself.

Tea leaves can be grown in China, matcha can be produced there, and it can be exported around the world as Chinese Matcha.

I see no problem with that.

But the problem is the use of the name Uji Matcha on these products.

  Matcha Lab owner  

Uji is a real place in Japan. And China and Japan are completely different countries. It feels strange that this even needs to be explained.

Think about it from a European point of view.

Imagine that grapes are grown in Japan and wine is produced there. Then imagine that this Japanese wine is sold around the world using the name Bordeaux, one of the most famous wine regions in France.

How would you feel?

That is similar to how I feel when I see Uji Matcha made in China.

  • If the matcha is from China, it can simply be called Chinese Matcha.
  • It can use the name of a tea-producing region in China.

So why is it necessary to use the name Uji, a place in Japan?

Another problem is that Chinese matcha labeled as Uji Matcha is also exported to other countries.

At the same time, China accounts for around 70% of the global matcha supply.

This explains the feeling of something being wrong that I had when I first started Matcha Lab.

Why Japanese Matcha Is Rare in Europe

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There is a surprisingly large number of shops in Europe that sell Uji matcha. However, that does not necessarily mean it is Japanese matcha.

What to Check When You See Uji Matcha

When I started Matcha Lab, I researched many different matcha products sold in Europe.

There was one question I had from the beginning.

How can some companies sell Uji Matcha at such a low price?
  Matcha Lab owner

When I actually source Uji Matcha in Japan and calculate the costs of meeting pesticide residue standards, packaging, international shipping, customs duties, VAT, and other expenses, the prices of some Uji Matcha products sold in Europe simply did not make sense to me.

Then I learned that there are companies in China producing matcha using the name Uji Matcha, and that Chinese matcha is being supplied to overseas markets.

Japan produces less than 1% of the world's matcha. In addition, only a limited amount of matcha meets the EU's pesticide residue standards.

Nevertheless Uji Matcha seems to be widely available across Europe.

If some of these products are actually Chinese matcha sold under the name Uji Matcha, this would explain the question I had from the beginning.

I have already found evidence that several matcha businesses in Europe are presenting matcha that is not from Japan as Japanese matcha.

For example, in one video claiming that they had selected Uji Matcha they could trust, the sample they tasted had a product number used for a product sold in China.

In another case, boxes containing matcha presented as Japanese had Chinese writing on them.

In the first place, if a matcha brand does not disclose its manufacturer, there is a high chance that the matcha is not actually from Japan.

The name Uji carries a long history and reputation built over many years by Japanese tea farmers, tea merchants, producers, and skilled craftsmen.

Taking only that name, putting it on a product made in China, and selling it around the world.

As a Japanese person, I find this situation unacceptable.

 

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