THE RISE OF MATCHA, THE GOOD & THE BAD
To Infini-Tea 2026 & Beyond
Matcha is no longer niche. It is a global word. Instantly recognisable. Endlessly merchandised. Frequently misunderstood. I love matcha. I built Australia’s first Matcha Café and in 2016 it was ranked number one Matcha Café globally. Humble brag, but context matters. We were early. We cared about grade, sourcing, ritual, and education before it became aesthetic wallpaper. And yes, we appreciate it so matcha.
But every ingredient that goes mainstream enters a second phase. Hype. Overproduction. Shortcuts. Dilution. Matcha has entered its messy era.
The Cultural Shift
The first wave was curiosity. The second wave was Instagram. The third wave will be correction. What began as a quiet Japanese tea ceremony tradition became a wellness signal in the West. Then it became a colour. Then it became a flavour. Now it risks becoming a commodity. When an ingredient becomes a trend, volume increases faster than understanding. Cafés add it to menus without knowing cultivar, harvest timing, or grind method. Consumers order it without knowing the difference between culinary grade and ceremonial grade. The gap between ritual and retail widens.
The Good
Matcha deserves its rise. It is not simply caffeine. It is a different neurological experience. The combination of caffeine and L theanine produces alert calm rather than spike and crash. Focus without panic. For many people it feels cleaner. More sustained. It invites pause. The act of whisking, the bowl, the temperature control, the colour. It signals care in a frantic world. It also happens to be design friendly. That green became social currency. A matcha in hand communicates a certain literacy. Wellness adjacent. Thoughtful. Slightly ahead of the curve. The ingredient carries story. Shaded cultivation. Stone grinding. First harvest leaves. That story is powerful when told correctly.
The Ingredient Reality
True matcha begins as tencha. Leaves shaded for weeks before harvest to increase chlorophyll and amino acids. Deveined and destemmed. Slowly stone ground. Production is not industrially scalable without compromise. Tencha supply is constrained. Much of the highest quality comes from specific regions in Uji and Nishio. Climate volatility affects yield. Labour shortages in rural Japan affect harvest and processing. As global demand rises, pressure increases on a system not designed for mass export at this scale.
The Bad
When supply tightens and demand surges, fraud follows. Counterfeits. Blends padded with lower grade leaf. Oxidised stock sold as fresh. The word ceremonial used as marketing rather than classification. Bright green colour achieved through blending rather than harvest quality. This is olive oil and honey all over again. When a product becomes valuable, imitation becomes profitable. Cultural dilution follows. Ritual becomes latte art. Craft becomes syrup pump. Education becomes optional.
The Pricing Tension
In January 2026 I visited JDV in Prahran and had the best matcha I have had in Melbourne. The ceremonial grade was phenomenal. Clean. Sweet. Umami forward. No bitterness. At seventeen dollars it raises a real question. Is the market ready to pay that daily. Or does ceremonial belong in a different category. The sweet spot is likely clearer segmentation. A classic everyday matcha at seven dollars. A higher grade ceremonial offering at ten to twelve. Clear distinction. Clear language. Clear expectation. When everything is premium, nothing is.
The Opportunity
The third wave belongs to provenance and education. Teach without lecturing. Explain harvest timing. Explain shade growth. Explain why colour matters but is not everything. Separate everyday matcha from ritual grade matcha in the same way wine lists separate house pour from reserve. Protect supply relationships like a vintage allocation. Build direct importer relationships. Limit volume intentionally rather than chasing scale. There is also opportunity in transparency. Display region. Display harvest date. Display grind timing. Make information visible.
The Future
Matcha will not disappear. It will consolidate. The operators who win will not be the loudest. They will be the most disciplined. They will understand ingredient integrity. They will price honestly. They will resist the urge to turn every green powder into a margin play. The ingredient is strong enough to endure, but only if the people serving it treat it with respect.
There is so matcha to think about.
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