#MatchaTok is taking over: Japanese green tea powder has become the new favorite on social media

Healthy, green and trendy

Matcha has become a true superfood: it has won over many people not only with its distinctive taste, but also with its caffeine content, antioxidant effect and spectacular green color. Moreover, its preparation is also a ritual-like experience – a fine powder is made from the leaves of the tencha plant grown in the shade, which are traditionally ground in a stone mill.

Matcha from Japanese tea plantations is not only healthy and visually appealing, but it also looks great on social media – no wonder it’s trending on TikTok and Instagram.

TikTok + tourism = demand explosion

#MatchaTok’s popularity is being further boosted by Japan’s resurgent tourism. The weak yen has made the country cheaper for foreign visitors, which has boosted interest in traditional Japanese products, including matcha. In the United States, for example, some cafes are placing daily orders for five kilos, and stocks often run out within days.

Supply problems, aging producers

However, matcha production has not kept pace with demand: producers are struggling with increasingly difficult conditions. More frequent heat waves due to climate change are reducing crop yields, and the majority of Japanese farmers are now older, so the future of production is also in question.

The problems are further exacerbated by the export environment. In the United States, import tariffs are expected to drive up prices further, while premium matcha is already 30 percent more expensive in some markets.