The Matcha Craze

Anatta Blue Chankhunthod

August 15, 2025

A once-shamed and hated drink, matcha has burst into popularity in recent years, becoming a drink that the “cool” influencers and people drink. But why the shift?

Matcha’s roots can be traced all the way back to the Tang Dynasty in China (7th-10th century), where the practice of grinding green tea into a powder and whisking it into water originally began. The Buddhist monks of this time utilized the powdered tea to stay alert during strenuous and lengthy meditation sessions. During the Song Dynasty (10th-13th century), powdered tea drinking became more formalized. However, a majority of the development took place in Japan.

In the 12th century, a Japanese monk named Eisai brought the green tea seeds and the powdered tea preparation techniques back from China while he was there studying Zen Buddhism under the master Xuan Huaichang. The Zen Buddhist tradition adopted and refined the art of matcha making into part of a meditative ritual. Over time, powdered tea making became central to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Japan improved the cultivation techniques, and started producing what we now call and know as “true matcha.”

Moving to more recent times, matcha originally became popular in America in the early 2000s due to a multitude of reasons. First of all, at the time, Americans were becoming more and more interested in superfoods and natural health remedies, which placed matcha in the spotlight. Matcha was placed in the American markets under the label of a nutrient powerhouse, claiming to have a high amount of antioxidants, have energy boosting properties without side effects, and have metabolism and mental improving qualities. 

In the last year or so, a new wave of matcha popularity has begun, following the wake of the new “performative” trend on social media. There has been a rise in “performative people”; people, oftentimes men, who dress, act, and pretend to be into certain subjects to appear more attractive to the opposite gender. The “performative man” creates an entire persona around being a feminist, in hopes that women would be more attracted to them. They do so by pretending to read feminist literature in public, listening to “feminine” songs, and wearing specific clothes and accessories, such as baggy jeans, boxy t-shirts, and tote bags (which usually have nothing in them). Accompanying all of this performative behavior is the iconic drink matcha. This rise in performative culture on social media has created mass demand for this green gold, making it the new coolest drink in town.

This new matcha craze is harmful to the art of matcha, as the new, intensified demand for it is creating a shortage. As a result of the social media boom, as well as the tourism boom to Japan, Japan’s green tea exports rose 25% by value and 16% by volume in 2024 compared to 2023. Furthermore, Kyoto, which is responsible for approximately 25% of Japan’s tencha (the specific leaf used for matcha), suffered significant yield drops due to extreme heat and climate stress. The production timeline for matcha isn’t enough to keep up with the demand, as the process of turning tencha into matcha powder is a long process. 

Due to this storage, the prices of tencha have more than doubled, hitting around ¥8,235 per kg (about a 170% increase year-over-year) in spring 2025. Additionally, producers such as Marukyu Koyamaen and Ippodo have started limiting direct retail sales and implementing purchase caps, delaying deliveries by up to six weeks. This shortage has given room for low-quality or adulterated matcha to enter the market, giving consumers a cheaper option than the authentic matcha. However, this comes with a risk, as these non-Japanese varieties may contain fillers or contaminants such as lead or cadmium, which are two extremely toxic heavy metals that can kill with long exposure. 

While the shift from matcha being something only health nuts drink to being one of the most popular beverages on the market, this new craze has some adverse side effects, possibly ruining the art of matcha forever.