"Matcha is having a moment. From ceremonial bowls to whipped einspanners and dessert-forward pastries, Bay Area cafes are treating the bright-green powder with care and creativity. The rise in popularity is immense: Retail sales of matcha powder have jumped by 86% in the past three years. But the surge in demand, coupled with poor harvests in Japan, has led to a global supply shortage, driving up prices for the prized tea leaf, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle."
"This has impacted local shops, with some struggling to keep matcha stocked. Here in the East Bay, places like Oakland's Tea on Piedmont have occasionally posted online notices that their matcha supply has run dry. Members of Third Culture Bakery staff shared on Instagram that they had to travel to Japan this year to secure the contract with their matcha supplier since the market has become so competitive."
Matcha popularity has surged in the Bay Area, with retail sales of matcha powder jumping 86% over three years. Poor harvests in Japan combined with rising global demand have created a supply shortage and driven up prices for the tea leaf. Local shops sometimes struggle to keep matcha stocked; Oakland's Tea on Piedmont has posted notices of running dry, and Third Culture Bakery staff traveled to Japan to secure a supplier contract amid intense competition. Despite sourcing challenges, East Bay cafes continue to serve matcha in traditional bowls and inventive lattes, pastries, crepes, and other dessert-forward preparations.
Read at The Oaklandside
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