Tea,The new green giant: how matcha took over the world
The Japanese tea powder was once hard to find in the UK, but now you can have it in everything from iced lattes to energy drinks, bubble tea, pancakes and mousse
Wed 31 Jul 2024 18.00 BST
- Anja Opie, a marketing manager in London, is a self-proclaimed matcha superfan. “I used to live in Japan and it was there I fell in love with it,” she says. She hasn’t always been able to find the vibrant green tea back in the UK. Five years ago, it was a struggle, but now she has matcha three times a week “without fail”.
From elusive to everywhere, matcha is now available at coffee chains and neighbourhood cafes. It has been spotted in the hands of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kylie Jenner and Rihanna. Brad Pitt is a longtime fan – in an interview with GQ in 2017, he treated the journalist to a homemade cup of matcha.
Opie documents her search for the best matcha in London on TikTok, where more than 720,000 videos are brewing under the hashtag #matcha, sharing her journey with a growing community of fellow enthusiasts.
Used in iced lattes, energy drinks, bubble tea, pancakes, mousse and more, matcha comes hot or cold, with or without alcohol, in its traditional form or with a twist of yuzu or lavender. It can be ordered online from specialist tea companies or found in teabags sold at supermarkets. Opie is partial to anything fruity. Jenki Cafe, a chain of matcha bars, “has a cherry matcha flavour, which gives me summery vibes. I’ve also tried a cherry blossom matcha and the infamous blueberry matcha from Blank Street.”
Jenki iced cherry matcha.
Derived from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, matcha originates in Japan and is known for its earthy, pungent taste – fans and foes reference its grassiness – which comes from its high chlorophyll levels. Its popularity is growing around the world, with the value of the global market predicted to jump from $2.3bn (£1.8bn) this year to $2.9bn in 2028.
The boom comes amid a general rise in the popularity of Asian culture and cuisine, from mochi rice cakes to bubble tea and Korean corn dogs.
For people trying to cut their caffeine intake, matcha provides a slightly gentler option than coffee. While a standard cup of joe contains 80-100mg of caffeine, matcha provides roughly 70mg a serving. (It should be noted that matcha has a relatively high caffeine content compared with other green teas.) Matcha is nowhere near to knocking coffee’s block off – the coffee market is worth about $130bn – but it’s forecast to grow at a quicker rate than its more caffeinated cousin, according to Mordor Intelligence.
In the UK, enthusiasm isn’t confined to London. In Glasgow, fans flock to Godshot Studios – its strawberry matcha is praised on TikTok as the city’s best. The owner, Sam Amdjadi, recalls not knowing what matcha was 15 years ago, when his friend’s wife told him: “It will transform your health.” Fast forward to 2021 and matcha has become the shop’s bestselling drink.
According to a 2021 review in the National Library of Medicine, the potential health benefits are wide-ranging and “attributed to the high content of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances … Due to its potential for preventing many diseases and supporting cognitive function, regular consumption of matcha may have a positive effect on both physical and mental health.” But “more extensive research” is needed.
Strawberry matcha at Godshot Studios. Photograph: @sam.amdjadi
Many of the biggest brands are designed to be catnip on social media. One of the most popular matcha brands on TikTok is the New York coffee chain Blank Street, thanks to its aesthetically pleasing colours and artistic approach. Known for its minimalist design, Blank Street has 40 shops in New York and 24 in the UK, serving multicoloured drinks in photogenic cups.
The commodification of matcha has sparked conversations about cultural appropriation. Is the drink being taken too far from its original form and traditions?
Sam Thorne, the CEO of Japan House, “the cultural home of Japan in London”, says these shifts are not confined to the west. “The matcha latte is a much younger tradition and is incredibly popular in Japan today. While some prefer to reserve matcha powder exclusively for tea ceremonies, others are happy to enjoy its flavour in ice-cream or confectionery.”
Back in Glasgow, Amdjadi has customers from all over the globe: “I am particularly pleased when Japanese customers tell me: ‘This is real matcha.’”