History of matcha tea: from Song diancha to the legacy of Uji

The matcha we enjoy today in a bowl has a history that begins centuries earlier in Song dynasty China. There, a way of preparing powdered tea was established that laid the foundations for what, over time, would flourish in Japan as matcha.

Chinese origins: powdered tea and the diancha method

During the Song dynasty, tea was finely ground, sifted, and prepared with hot water in a process known as diancha. This method, with a well-defined set of steps such as grinding the tea, sifting it, and heating the water, holds a key transitional place in tea history and is the direct antecedent of Japanese matcha.

Song tea culture also left its mark on the selection of service pieces. Emperor Song Huizong, author of the treatise Da Guan Cha Lun, praised the bluish-black glazed bowls and especially valued the hare's fur glaze effects, an aesthetic associated with the famous Jian pottery pieces, known today as jian zhan.. In daily practice, black, green, and white glazed bowls were common among Song users, with the black ones gaining great prestige..

A revealing anecdote of cultural exchange: Japanese monks studying in China brought these Jian bowls from the Tianmu mountain area to Japan. There they began to be called tenmoku, a name that was generally adopted to refer to these black-glazed pieces, reflecting the profound Song influence on Japanese tea service..

Why black bowls were the kings of whisked tea and the direct bridge to matcha

Imagine a fragrant wooden table, oil lamps, and two tea masters facing each other. Each whisks their powdered tea with a firm and elegant rhythm. The judges don’t only look at the flavor: they seek a white, dense foam without marks on the bowl. In Song China, that foam was the pride of the diancha technique. And that’s where the black bowl comes into play.

Why they preferred tea this way and the role played by the black bowl

• The foam rules: in competitions of the time, the whiter, finer, and more persistent the foam, the better. The deep black of Jian zhan bowls made that “snow” stand out at a glance. The contrast was not whimsy; it was a criterion of excellence.
• Well-kept heat: Jian bowls, thick and with iron-rich glazes, retained temperature better. Stable heat helps the whisking bind and the foam last longer, just like today when we prepare a good usucha.
• Shape designed for whisking: wide mouth, walls that catch the movement of the whisk, and a bottom with just the right depth so the tea “gains body” without splashing. Preheating the bowl was a key step so the foam “sticks” cleanly, leaving no water marks on the wall.
• Texture that enhances the light: those dark glazes with “hare’s fur” or “oil spot” effects were not only beautiful. Their shine and microtexture made the white layer left by the foam stand out when the whisking was perfect.
• Status and refined taste: Emperor Huizong explicitly praised dark bowls for “making the color of the tea shine.” It was not a passing fad: it was the official aesthetic of an art.

From the Jian bowl to tenmoku and the matcha chawan Japanese monks who traveled to China fell in love with that winning trio: powdered tea, vigorously whisked, black bowl to enhance the foam. They brought Jian bowls to Japan from the area around Mount Tianmu, and over time, they were called tenmoku there. At first, when matcha was taking root in monasteries and courts, tenmoku was the reference bowl. Over the centuries, the tea ceremony developed other chawan styles, but the visual and functional principle remained: an interior that helps whisk and allows one to “read” the foam.

From China to Japan: Eisai and the birth of the way of matcha

At the end of the 12th century, the Zen monk Eisai returned from China with tea seeds and, above all, with knowledge about powdered tea and its health benefits. In Japan, he wrote Kissa Yojoki, a work that explained the virtues of tea and guidelines for cultivation and consumption..

The most cited scene of this story took place in 1214: shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo was suffering from a severe hangover. According to the medieval chronicle Azuma Kagami, Eisai offered him a cup of tea and presented his treatise, which helped the ruler recover. This episode consolidated the prestige of tea at court and marked a before and after in its spread in Japan..

Uji and the consolidation of matcha: from tencha to the tea ceremony

Over time, the Uji area, in present-day Kyoto Prefecture, became a nerve center. There, the practice of producing tencha, specially processed leaves that, once ground, yield matcha, crystallized. The matcha drink was refined alongside the culture of the tea ceremony, key to understanding its identity and its association with Uji.

The Uji tradition not only preserved artisanal techniques like the classic shading of tea gardens but also maintains historical equipment in use. Factories still use Horiishi-type tencha drying ovens, a living rarity that testifies to technical continuity from earlier times..

Meanwhile, on the global map, the Chinese legacy from which this story originates has received contemporary recognition: in 2022, traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO, highlighting the historical depth and cultural relevance of these traditions.

Quick timeline

• 10th-13th centuries, Song China: the diancha method with ground and sifted tea is codified, a bridging stage in tea history and a direct precursor to matcha..
• Late 12th century, Japan: the monk Eisai returns from China with tea powder seeds and knowledge, and composes Kissa Yojoki..
• 1214, Kamakura: Eisai offers tea and his book to shogun Sanetomo, an episode recorded in Azuma Kagami that boosts the prestige of tea in Japan..
• Muromachi and Sengoku: in Uji, tencha production is consolidated and the matcha drink is integrated and perfected alongside the tea ceremony..
• 20th-21st centuries: Uji preserves traditional methods of shading and drying tencha; China gains international recognition for its living tea heritage..

Frequently asked questions

• What was the diancha method in Song China? It was the preparation of powdered tea after grinding and sifting, with a well-established protocol that positions it as a key link between ancient brewing methods and later practices, and as a direct precursor to matcha..

• What is the difference between tencha and matcha? Tencha is the specially processed leaf that, when finely ground, becomes matcha.

• Why were black bowls used during the Song era? For aesthetics and visual contrast with the drink, and for the appreciation of the glazing effects of Jian pieces; this preference was recorded by Emperor Huizong himself and brought prestige to black bowls, later called tenmoku in Japan.