According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post on the 1st, matcha is very popular around the world.
Matcha is a kind of powdered green tea, which is popular for its deep flavor and vivid green color. From matcha ice cream to coffee menus such as matcha latte, matcha is captivating consumers’ taste. Matcha menus are also popular in Starbucks and other places, and stores specializing in matcha are also popping up one after another.
Matcha is mostly produced in Japan, and according to Japan’s Agriculture Ministry, more than half of the green tea exported by Japan last year was made into matcha. The figure is twice as high as that of a decade ago.
As a result, the supply of matcha continues to fail to keep up with demand in Japan.
“The process of producing matcha requires very precise and delicate efforts, but we can’t catch up right away as demand surges,” said Masahiro Okutomi, who has been running the car business for 15 years in Japan. “We have come to announce that we can no longer accept orders,” he said.
In order to make matcha tea, it is necessary to leave the leaves in the shade for several weeks, concentrate the taste and nutrients, and then remove the stems and veins by hand. Then, it is dried and then ground into small pieces with a machine, and it takes years of training to properly digest the entire process.
The Japanese matcha store also started to control the quantity by setting a limit on purchases due to a significant increase in tourists’ visits. An official at a matcha store in Tokyo said, “We have placed restrictions on bulk purchases,” adding, “The craze has intensified in the last two to three years.”
There is a possibility that matcha prices will soar as supply is scarce and the tariff war from the U.S. continues.
An owner who runs a matcha store in Los Angeles said, “All but four of the 25 products are sold out due to the current shortage of matcha,” adding, “It seems inevitable to raise prices.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
