The World Is Drinking Too Much Matcha: When a Trend Leads to Shortages

Whether as an iced latte, in ice cream, pastries or all over social media – matcha is everywhere.
Few trend drinks have sipped their way through social media as photogenically and diversely as this vibrant green powder – be it a morning pick-me-up or a lifestyle accessory. In songs, recipes, countless TikToks: matcha is the moment.

But with rising hype comes rising demand – and that has consequences.

A powder with a long tradition

Matcha is powdered green tea with deep cultural roots in Japan. Since the 12th century, it has been at the heart of the Japanese tea tradition. In a mindful ritual, the fine powder is whisked with hot water using a bamboo whisk – a process that demands calm and precision. The taste: floral, grassy, slightly bitter. The effect: a gentle caffeine kick, rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

There are various grades of quality – the ceremonial grade is considered the purest and most expensive, and in some cases, is still ground by hand in Japan. This level of craftsmanship often gets lost in today’s hype.
To produce matcha, tea plants are shaded before harvest, the leaves are carefully steamed, dried, and then ground into powder using stone mills – mostly by hand, and highly labor-intensive.

From hype to crisis

Since 2018, the global matcha market has been growing by more than 5 % each year. Between January and August 2024 alone, Germany imported around 240 tons – a 240 % increase.
Why? Influencer marketing, wellness trends, and health claims. But the soaring demand is stretching production capacity: tea plants take years to mature, and powder production is painstakingly slow.
Additionally, many farmers lack successors. Some producers are already imposing sales limits – and a real shortage is looming.

Can Matcha keep up?

The Japanese government is now planning subsidies for tea cultivation, while other countries are trying to launch their own matcha products – though they have yet to match the quality of the Japanese original.
Whether these efforts will satisfy the world’s thirst for matcha remains uncertain.

Tradition vs. globalization

What once began as a quiet ritual has become a global lifestyle. The current shortage shows how fragile centuries-old food traditions become when exposed to viral consumption trends.

Whether matcha evolves from hype to lasting trend may ultimately be decided not on TikTok – but in the tea gardens of Japan.

Phot by Kairi Kaljo via Unsplash