Where’s My Matcha? The Perfect Storm that’s Making It Harder to Get Matcha
If you are a matcha buff in the United States, you’ve probably had more trouble finding it or had to pay a bit more for it lately. What is causing this once niche beverage to become a tea unicorn? We did a little digging to find out. It turns out, a combination of factors have converged to complicate our matcha madness.
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The Matcha Boom. Matcha came to the West in the 19th century, but few people liked it. Starbucks added matcha to its menu in 2005, but it would be another 10 years before it truly started gaining popularity in the U.S. In 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow posted a matcha latte on social media, and thus began matcha’s social media heyday. Matcha has since been added to the menus of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, boba shops, bakeries and even beauty salons. Americans’ increasing emphasis on nutrition and fitness further drove up demand, according to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Today, Matcha's popularity and Instagrammability continue to climb internationally! With the increase in demand comes a rise in price.
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Japan’s Reduced Tea Production. Warmer temperatures over the last few years is one of the contributors to a decrease in Japan’s tea production. Tencha, the type of tea leaves used in making matcha, is only 6% of Japan’s total tea production. The harvest time for it is particularly short, while the processing time is particularly lengthy. It takes about an hour to produce just 40 grams! Further, Japan’s population of tea farmers is aging with few young farmers preparing to take over tea growing. With Japan’s tea production reduced by 20% over the last 10 years and the price of matcha doubling during the past year, there is certain to be a glitch in getting a matcha fix.
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Tariffs. The U.S. produces only a trivial amount of tea, so recent tariffs have had an impact on virtually all of the tea consumed in this country. The tariffs themselves caused tea to be more expensive. However, when tariffs on foreign imports were announced, a rush to import matcha quickly followed, which, in turn, drove up prices even higher.
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Overuse of High Grade Matcha. Properly prepared ceremonial grade matcha has the fresh, vegetal, umami taste that matcha lovers crave. But matcha has become a favorite ingredient in everything from brownies, ice cream, and lattes to bath salts. Often, people insist on using ceremonial grade matcha for recipes, believing it to be the healthiest. A lower grade matcha would be perfectly appropriate in any of these recipes. All matcha boasts similar health properties. Furthermore, adding things like milk or sugar (for a latte or pastry) diminishes the ability to retain many of the healthy compounds, no matter the grade. Its best to leave the highest grade for drinking and tea ceremonies. Ceremonial grades denote more nuanced and complex flavors in the tea derived from shade growing that would get lost with a bunch of additives.
What does all of this mean for matcha devotees? There’s no need to give up matcha. It may not be available exactly when you want it, but it is available, so be patient. If you’re making lattes or cooking with it, consider using a lower grade and saving the high grade for special occasions. Above all, keep enjoying it. It’s worth the wait.
References
All about the Global Matcha Shortage, April 9, 2025
Local cafes struggle to provide high-quality matcha while massive shortage and tariffs take effect, August 2, 2025
Matcha is having a moment — and it's putting pressure on Japan's tea industry, June 27, 2025
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/global-matcha-shortage-1.7571280
Matcha no more, July 31, 2025
Matcha’s popularity has skyrocketed, but it was initially met with skepticism in the West, September 13, 2025
Unpacking the matcha shortage: An insightful look, January 29, 2025
World's thirst for matcha dries up global supplies, July 25, 2025
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