Matcha began as a staple in Japanese culture but has spread around the world. The beverage has gained a lot of popularity, but why? Its skyrocket in popularity has been caused by many factors such as health benefits, multiple uses in the culinary world, and trends on the internet.
The powder is made from Camellia sinensis plants, the leaves are picked, dried, and grounded into a powder. Matcha offers a smaller amount of caffeine that lasts 4-6 hours compared to coffee’s 1-3 hours. “While a standard cup of joe contains 80-100mg of caffeine, matcha provides roughly 70mg a serving.” says an article by Nyima Jobe.
Many influencers have helped in matcha gaining popularity. Emma Chamberlain is credited for the boost in popularity when she introduced it to her large YouTube audience with her coffee company ‘Chamberlain Coffee’. Ashley Alexander also takes part in matcha’s popularity growth with her YouTube videos ‘trying EVERY MATCHA in NEW YORK CITY’ (Pt 1, Pt 2). Sanne Vloet grew matcha’s popularity through YouTube as well. She shows us how to make matcha lattes and, like Chamberlain, sells her own matcha brand, ‘Nekohama Matcha’.
Health benefits are also a major appeal for people. Matcha is high in antioxidants, can help protect your liver, boosts brain function, promotes heart health, and increases metabolism and fat-loss. This article written by Rachael Ajmera, reviewed by medical professional Jared Meacham corroborates these claims.
With many restaurants introducing matcha-infused items like drinks and pastries, the demand in markets like the US, UK, Spain, and Mexico have increased. In an article by Steve O’Dell, it states “Growth of matcha drinks through these four markets has been at a steady rise rate of 64%. As for matcha-flavored edible items such as cakes, cookies, ice creams and croissants, growth has been at a reliable rate of 62% year over year.”
With its growing popularity, demand is outpacing supply, meaning costs will increase as farmers struggle to keep up. Despite matcha farmers producing world record amounts for global consumption, it is still not enough. In addition, the Trump administration imposed a 24% tariff on items from Japan. Many shops have run out and are suspending their matcha menu items according to an article by Marc Falzon.
There are many ways to enjoy matcha. While many enjoy it just as a tea or latte, you can infuse powder in cookies, bread, cake, and more. To view recipes for your new favorite dessert, click here.
