By Dan Bolton
A Japanese growers cooperative successfully convinced government officials to abandon the Geographical Indication (GI) for matcha produced in the cities of Nishio and Anjo. The unusual reversal is the first delisting since the system was created in 2015.
Matcha is experiencing remarkable growth and producers say traditional cultivation methods interfere with their livelihood as it essentially forbids cost-saving innovations adopted by competitors.
Geographical indications date to the early 20th century when the French introduced appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) to enforce traditional production methods and define the physical boundaries for the wine industry.
In 1992 the European Union established three systems of geographical indication expanding protection to thousands of products and processes. These indications include PDO – protected designation of origin; PGI – protected geographical indication, and TSG – traditional specialties guaranteed. International conventions and agreements enforced protection globally. The legal underpinnings resemble protections for trademarks.
Protection of the process and designation of terroir can also include quality tests and assurances that products displaying a GI seal meets the standards defined by an association that owns exclusive rights to license or allow use of the indication.
In Nishio constraints imposed to meet GI standards priced Aichi's Nishio Matcha at JP¥3,000 per kilo vs comparable teas that are price under JP¥1,000 per kilo, according to a report in the Japan Times.
The Nishio Tea Cooperative Association website labels its tea “the world’s finest quality matcha… produced utilizing the traditional method as well as the cutting-edge technology.”
Hironori Inagaki, vice president of the Nishio Tea Business Union, credits the tea’s aroma to a combination of techniques including use of a traditional Tana framework to shade the trees. This forces the leaves to increase their surface area, thinning the leaf and producing a more vibrant green, Inagaki explains.
Growers then layer Nijusha, a double-thick gauze blocking 80-90% of sunlight to increase theanine and quantities of amino acids that give the tea a “sweetness without sugar.”
Competitors simply cover the tea in dark cloth causing irregular size and thicker leaves.
Nishio processors use stone from the Mikageishi granite mine to make Chausu, a stone grinder, to grind tea. Tea is then fired in a Tencharo furnace, says Inagaki.
Tea produced in Nishio will retain its aroma and elegance according to the association. Processors may employ more modern processes and still achieve the level of quality for which the region is famous.