Letter From Guizhou
That matcha in your cup? It probably didn’t come from Japan
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The Gui Tea plantation is one of the largest matcha farms in China’s Guizhou province, which is known as the matcha capital of China.
PHOTO: GUI TEA
- China became the world's largest matcha producer in 2025, surpassing Japan in volume.
- China's matcha production excels in scale and cost, but Japan's matcha is still considered premium.
- In China's matcha capital Guizhou, young people are staying home to work due to matcha-driven tourism.
AI generated
TONGREN, Guizhou – When matcha started featuring in an ever-growing array of foods worldwide, from photogenic drinks to cake, Chinese entrepreneur Mei Wen felt a growing sense of pride at watching the vivid green powder take the world by storm.
For much of it is not coming from Japan, which is traditionally associated with matcha. Instead, it comes from her home town, which has been quietly gaining fame online as “China’s matcha capital”.