Matcha has become a booming sensation all across the globe lately, from many coffee shops offering it on their menus as an alternative to java and black tea, to everyone scrambling to get their hands on an at-home “matcha kit” to make it themselves!
To those who might not know what exactly matcha is, it’s a tea derived from the tencha leaf, a high-grade form of green tea that has a rich umami, is distinct with its vibrant green color and is generally paired with milk. It’s also known for its highly beneficial compounds that can help with lowering cholesterol, improving the immune system and detoxification. Matcha can be universally made into drinks either hot or iced, with a shot of flavoring like banana pudding, ube or even its most popular add-in, strawberry. Matcha powder has also been incorporated into delicious desserts such as donuts, ice cream, mousse cakes and cookies, giving it an appeal to wider audiences around the globe.
Matcha has been incredibly sought after this past year, with content creators on all social media platforms blasting about the craze over it. From creators showing a step-by-step process on how to make it to influencers finding and declaring the “top matcha spot,” this popular drink has been loved for its earthy, sweet green taste and bold visual appeal—its aesthetic tends to make for a perfect photo prop. Memes have even sprung up along with the popularity of matcha-related Instagram posts.
The “performative male” is a perfect example of one of these trends. This meme has been circulating for a while now, with most “performative males” being described as a tote bag-having, Labubu key chain-wearing, matcha-drinking and feminist literature-reading man. All of these attributes are supposed to be appealing to the woman’s gaze, implying that perhaps men who fit this profile are only “performing” for attention from the opposite sex. This is how popular matcha has become—to be even considered a “performative” prop to have.
“I’ve never really been a big fanatic over matcha, but seeing it everywhere has definitely made me think of trying it,” Yumna Ali (12) said. “My friends have raved about it for a while now so maybe it’s a sign I should drink it more.”
Although this matcha fixation has just recently skyrocketed, stores are already hitting a breaking point with a suspected matcha shortage. Tencha usually takes weeks to properly develop after being harvested, causing production to slow as demand increases, not to mention the stress of recent heatwaves and the relative scarcity of matcha farmers. Following that, the hype over matcha has called for many companies to start scrambling to get more powder. “Customers are seeing what once [was] a month’s supply of matcha running out in days,” U.S.-based tea importer Lauren Purvis said to the BBC.
With many wanting to try this new popularized drink and others having it as their new “usual” order, those who have been fans since the craze started over five years ago are starting to see the impacts of the high demand of matcha affecting its availability and consistency across sellers..
“Matcha has recently become ‘trendy’ and with that, its quality has gone down,” Daphne Kleinschmit (12) said. “While the price has gone up, [it’s becoming] more difficult to find high-quality matcha that actually tastes good.”
Now that matcha has found its way onto everyone’s FYP (For You Page) on TikTok, Minnesota-based influencer @Alyxang has a series where she searches for “The best matcha in the Twin Cities” via TikTok. Alyxang finds herself all over the city at Momo Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis, Honour Coffee in Marcy Holmes and even Càphin Minneapolis in Uptown to find the most matcha to truly matcha in Minneapolis. So if you’re ever in need of a good matcha fix before this trend goes out with the possible shortage, make sure to find yourself at her account.
Ultimately, this matcha boom has been popping everywhere, and even with the recent scare of a shortage, the craving for matcha still finds its way to sneak into the trends. Who knows where this trend will stand in the future, though, as its decline in production but ever-growing hype might leave the matcha industry as sparse as ever in the upcoming years. Head on over to your local coffee shop for a sweet matcha beverage before it runs out!
