Song Dynasty drink and small Guizhou city are a matcha made in heaven

Australian YouTuber Amy Lyons seemed surprised that the small city of Tongren in China's southwestern Guizhou province exports matcha to Japan. In her video, shop windows there brim with locally produced matcha products, from the emerald-colored powder itself to matcha-flavored gelato — even matcha noodles.

In recent years, Gui-zhou matcha has become a hot product on social media platforms like RedNote. Tourists queue for a popular cheese-and-matcha milk tea, hold up cups for photos at scenic spots, and fill social feeds with check-in posts.

China is one of the largest producers of matcha. A report from the China Tea Marketing Association shows that national output is expected to surpass 12,000 metric tons in 2025, roughly 70 percent of global production, with Tongren at the center.

Taking advantage of misty highlands ideal for tea cultivation, the region shifted from traditional tea cultivation to matcha production around 2018.

But while the current enthusiasm for matcha may come across as a fairly recent trend, people whisked tea powder into hot water and treated the drink as an elegant art as early as the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

A Song-era treatise records the technique of using a bamboo whisk, adding water in seven stages and varying the whipping motion until the foam swelled "like a milky mist".

The method is believed to have been taken to Japan by Buddhist monks during the Song period, where it later became central to the Japanese tea ceremony, while Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) China favored steeped leaves over powdered tea.

Modern consumption has sped up the preparation process. For Guizhou matcha, for example, it is generally recommended to use water below 60 C, and just enough to cover the powder.

The mixture is then beaten, sometimes using an electric whisk, into a paste that can be added to any food or drink, most commonly milk.

Even speedier are matcha concentrates, which are also available.

Matcha offers a milder caffeine lift than coffee, and research suggests matcha may have unexpected health benefits. Production follows a low-heat process: shade-grown leaves are steamed to halt oxidation, dried at low temperature, then stone-ground. This preserves phytochemicals.

According to China Science Communication, studies show L-theanine in matcha can reduce perceived stress and may help lower cortisol, a stress hormone tied to weight gain. The platform notes matcha's polyphenols and vitamin C provide antioxidant effects and, combined with a light diet and regular exercise, may aid weight loss.

Research from Zhejiang University led by Professor Wang Yuefei also concluded that matcha can mitigate obesity induced by high-fat diets.

For Tongren's producers, health claims rest on rigorous safety controls. "Unlike ordinary tea, matcha is consumed whole, so production safety standards must be higher," said Zhong Jin from the region's leading matcha maker, GuiTea.

Zhong says his company's flagship product comes from bases certified to meet European Union standards. GuiTea supplies raw materials to many well-known Chinese milk tea brands and international beverage giants, and exports to markets including Japan, Europe and the United States.

As matcha demand rises globally, production in Guizhou continues to expand. Local firms are building traceability and testing systems to meet strict export rules, allowing a cup bought on the street to be traced back to a specific harvest and processing step.

Today, Tongren wears matcha like a badge of honor. The bright green appears on cups, desserts, street stalls and hotel cafes, and as visitors finish one last cup at the curb, slip packets of powdered matcha into their suitcases, they carry the city's calling card far and wide.