While Taiwan is renowned for producing a wide variety of teas and boasts advanced tea-processing craftsmanship, there is still a distinction when it comes to authentic “matcha.” Taiwan lacks key traditional matcha processing techniques, which is why Taiwanese green tea powder cannot usually be classified as authentic matcha.
Technical Requirements for Authentic Matcha
The process of making authentic matcha is exceptionally rigorous: 1. Tea plants must be shaded for 3 to 4 weeks prior to harvest to enhance sweetness and reduce astringency. 2. Processing requires steaming (fixing tea leaves with steam) rather than pan-firing (fixing in a hot pan), which is more common in Taiwan. 3. Veins and stems must be removed from the leaves during processing. 4. The leaves are slowly stone-ground into a fine powder. While Taiwanese green tea might meet one or two of these criteria, it doesn’t fulfill all the requirements for authentic matcha. Therefore, it is labeled as “green tea powder” rather than matcha powder.
Origins and Varieties of Taiwanese Tea Powders
Although Taiwanese green tea powder does not meet traditional matcha standards, Taiwan’s meticulously managed tea gardens still produce high-quality tea powders. In addition to green tea, Taiwan produces a wide variety of premium tea powders—such as Oolong tea powder, Oriental Beauty tea powder, and Ruby Black Tea powder—which are highly popular in both the beverage and baking markets. Taiwan’s main tea powder producing regions include:
| Green Tea Powder | Pinglin District and Sanxia District in New Taipei City, as well as Zhushan Township in Nantou, all produce high-quality green tea powder. |
| Oriental Beauty Tea Powder | Pinglin and Shiding districts in New Taipei City, along with the Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli regions, are major hubs for Oriental Beauty tea production, where Oriental Beauty tea powder is also processed. |
| Ruby Black Tea Powder | Yuchi Township and the area surrounding SunMoon Lake in Nantou are the primary region for Ruby Black Tea, where Ruby Black Tea powder is also processed. |
While authentic matcha isn’t produced in Taiwan, you can still try Taiwanese green tea powder, Oolong tea powder, Oriental Beauty tea powder, and Ruby Black Tea powder. With their unique flavors, they are sure to deliver a wonderful tea experience.