Chinese Matcha Substitutes: Why You Cannot Sell Them Under the Name “Matcha” in Czechia

09/06/2026

LEGISLATION & QUALITY

Chinese Matcha Substitutes: Why You Cannot Sell Them Under the Name “Matcha” in Czechia

Dear customers, you have surely been approached lately by a Chinese matcha producer offering a tempting price. We would like to point out that the differences are enormous — and that selling Chinese powdered teas under the name “matcha” has been banned in Czechia since 2024. What does this mean for your business?

A wave of cheap Chinese substitutes

As matcha grew in popularity, products that merely posed as genuine Japanese matcha began appearing on the market. Chinese growers realised they could come close to the cultivation and processing techniques of Japanese matcha in order to compete with the Japanese market.

The main lure for buyers is a significantly lower price. While a gram of Japanese matcha costs in the higher single-digit range, Chinese “matcha” may cost a fraction of that. For an inexperienced buyer, that is an attractive margin — but it comes with a risk that is not visible at first glance.

How a Chinese substitute differs from genuine matcha

The similarity between Chinese powdered green tea and Japanese matcha essentially ends at the word “powder.” The key difference lies in the way it is grown and processed:

Shading — Japanese tea bushes are shaded for 3–4 weeks before harvest, which increases the content of chlorophyll and L-theanine. Chinese production often skips this time-consuming and costly step.
Processing — in Japan the leaves are steamed; in China they are usually dried by “pan-frying,” which changes both colour and taste.
Colour — genuine matcha is a vivid, emerald green; the substitute tends to be yellowish-brown and darker.
Taste and texture — Japanese matcha is delicate, silky and slightly sweet with minimal bitterness; the Chinese variant is coarser and more bitter.

Tip for buyers: When choosing a supplier, always ask about the country of origin, the processing method and, above all, the current pesticide certifications. Tests that are several years old are not relevant.

The risk you cannot see — laboratory testing

It is not only about taste and colour. Chinese products tend to contain significantly higher levels of heavy metals and other potentially problematic substances. As early as 2013, the environmental organisation Greenpeace randomly tested 18 samples of Chinese green teas and found that 12 of them contained banned pesticides. Japanese matcha, by contrast, adheres to stricter standards governing the use of pesticides.

Without certifications and transparent testing, you simply do not know how many pesticides, heavy metals or mycotoxins a product contains. For a food that the customer consumes in its entirety (matcha is drunk together with the ground leaf), this is a critical business and reputational risk.

Czechia as the first EU country to protect the word “matcha”

After many years of comments, the Czech Ministry of Agriculture issued a decree that resolves this problem at the legislative level.

187/2023

DECREE (COLL.)

On requirements for tea, coffee and coffee substitutes

1 Jul 2024

EFFECTIVE DATE

End of substitutes under the name matcha

1st

COUNTRY IN THE EU

Czechia was the first to protect genuine matcha

Decree No. 187/2023 Coll. precisely defines which plants, and in what quantities, may make up tea blends, and stipulates that only green tea produced by grinding the youngest leaves of genuine tea from Japan into a fine powder may be labelled as matcha. Czechia thereby became the very first country in the EU to protect genuine matcha tea.

Important for distributors: If powdered green tea from China bears the name “matcha,” then under the decree this constitutes incorrect labelling and misleading of the customer — and may result in a hefty fine. Sellers of substitutes have a choice: change their packaging and communication, or switch to genuine sources in Japan.

What this means for your business

For a serious buyer, the new legislation is above all an opportunity. Genuine Japanese origin becomes not only a guarantee of quality but also legal certainty and a marketing argument towards the end customer.

Legal certainty — you avoid the risk of sanctions for misleading labelling of your assortment.
Customer trust — transparent origin and certifications are a strong selling argument today.
Differentiation from the competition — “genuine Japanese matcha” is a message that a Chinese substitute can never legally offer.
Stable margin — a quality product with higher perceived value enables sustainable pricing.

We believe the Czech decree will become an inspiration for other EU countries as well. Protecting genuine matcha is a step in the right direction — for consumers and honest sellers alike.

Kyosun as a trusted partner: We import exclusively genuine Japanese matcha through direct import from verified regions. Every batch undergoes rigorous laboratory testing for pesticides, heavy metals and mycotoxins — in our own laboratory. We offer private label solutions and flexible MOQ. With Kyosun, you have the assurance that your assortment fully complies with Decree No. 187/2023 Coll.

Sources: Decree No. 187/2023 Coll. on requirements for tea, coffee and coffee substitutes (zakonyprolidi.cz); matchatea.cz; Greenpeace (2013).

Kyosun — premium Japanese matcha since 2012.