Why is matcha more expensive than other types of tea?Updated a year ago

There are a number of factors that make matcha more expensive than other teas – all of which are related to the meticulous growing and manufacturing process of matcha. First of all, matcha are hand-picked from only the top tea leaves of shade-grown tea trees to ensure that they are soft and sweet. This is only done during Spring Harvest (first flush), which is considered the most optimal time. During the filtering process, harsher stems and veins have to be siphoned out, leaving only the most precious part of the leaves to make matcha. As opposed to other types of tea, matcha also needs to be ground into a fine powder. At Matchaeologist, we grind our matcha in a traditional way using a granite stone grinder for optimal result. This is a time-consuming process as it can take up to an hour to grind just ~20g of matcha. In sum, given that more care and attention is required to process each gram of this matcha, this ceremonial delicacy is generally priced much higher than other teas.