Record temperatures in Japan have curbed matcha green tea production this year, straining supplies and driving prices to all-time highs as global demand for the trendy beverage continues to surge.
Reuters reported that the Kyoto region, which accounts for about a quarter of Japan’s production of tencha – the stemmed leaves dried and ground into matcha – was hit by severe heatwaves last summer during Japan’s hottest year on record, which led to weak yields in the recent April-May harvest.
The price of matcha has surged, with sales of the powdered tea up by 86% in the US, according to new research by NIQ, reported by Sky News.
In the UK, sales of matcha drinks in cafés “more than doubled” in June and July compared with last year, according to data cited by the FT. Matcha accounted for 4% of all drinks sold in a sample of UK cafés tracked by payments company Square, equivalent to 1.6 million matchas and more than £7m in sales.
Coffee and tea drinking trends are changing particularly among younger generations, analysts told the BBC recently; and when combined with higher coffee prices and cost of living pressures in general, chains like Costa are reportedly in “hot water” as coffee shops with TikTok appeal attract younger generations.
Tightening supplies and increasing demand has opened the door to fraudsters. Different qualities of the tea are appearing on the market – and there are concerns that some of it is fake. Green tea powder is reportedly being used as a substitute.
