Used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, matcha is a sort of “tea espresso” or super concentrated form of green tea, made from shade-grown tea leaves that are stone ground into a fine, vibrant powder. Before harvesting, tea plants are covered with large tarp-like shades to prevent direct sunlight. Lack of sunlight increases the tea leaf’s chlorophyll levels and creates hyper-production of green tea’s healthy antioxidants and amino acids, in particular L-theanine.