Matcha is a shade-grown, steamed green tea ground into a fine powder that has seen rapid global popularity in drinks and desserts. Demand for fine-grade matcha now outstrips harvests, driving a near-tripling of tencha production from 1,452 tons in 2008 to 4,176 tons in 2023. Japan's tea exports have more than doubled in a decade, with the U.S. taking about a third of shipments. Premium matcha often requires stone milling and processing changes that take time, so farmers face costs and uncertainty. The agricultural ministry offers machines, soil improvements, financial aid and counseling to encourage growers to switch from sencha.
TOKYO (AP) - Clad in an elegant kimono of pale green, tea ceremony instructor Keiko Kaneko uses a tiny wooden spoon to place a speck of matcha into a porcelain bowl. She froths up the special powdered Japanese green tea with a bamboo whisk after pouring hot water with a ladle from a pot simmering over hot coal. Her solemn, dance-like movements celebrate a Zenlike transient moment, solitude broken up by the ritualistic sharing of a drink.
No wonder Kaneko and others serious about "sado," or "the way of tea," are a bit taken aback by how matcha is suddenly popping up in all sorts of things, from lattes and ice cream to cakes and chocolate. No one knows for sure who started the global matcha boom, which has been going on for several years. But it's clear that harvests, especially of fine-grade matcha, can't keep up with demand.
Matcha is a type of tea that's grown in shade, steamed and then ground into a very fine powder. It's processed differently from regular green tea, with the best matcha ground using stone mills, and switching from one to the other takes time. No farmer wants to switch and then find that matcha fever has died. The Japanese agricultural ministry has been working to boost tea growth, offering help for farmers with new machines, special soil, financial aid and counseling.
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