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The U .S.
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imports over 2 ,000 tons of this bright green powder from Japan a year.
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This specific powder is the highest quality and most expensive version of matcha, known as ceremonial grade.
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As the matcha frenzy reaches new heights in the U .S., more Western consumers are opting for this type of matcha over less expensive versions,
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or matcha grown outside Japan.
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But with Japanese farmers struggling to keep up with demand, matcha shortages around the world, and prices soaring to new records,
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picky matcha drinkers might actually be making the problem worse.
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We do have some crazy matcha connoisseurs that come in.
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But these labels may not be as definitive as we think.
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Anyone can label anything a ceremonial grade and use it as a marketing term.
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So are people in the U .S.
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drinking matcha all wrong?
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And is that the only reason why matcha is more expensive than ever?
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Matcha drinkers in the U .S typically think about the tea in two quality -based categories.
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Culinary grade, the lower quality version, and ceremonial grade, the higher quality one.
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But in Japan, the traditional classifications were completely different, based on when the tea was served during a Japanese tea ceremony known as chanoyu.
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Koicha, or thick tea, was served at the beginning, and usucha, or thin tea, would come at the end. For koicha...
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Like a thick soup or like melted ice cream would be a good way to describe the consistency.
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It's really viscous.
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Rebecca Corbett has been studying and practicing chanoyu for over 20 years.
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Because of that viscosity, and there's so much tea in there, you want it to be the highest quality blend that you can get.
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For usucha, practitioners whisked the matcha powder with more water, creating a lighter, frothier drink.
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We can think of the thin tea portion of a tea gathering as kind of the most informal
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and relaxed part at the end of the tea gathering.
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For centuries, ceremonies like these were the primary way matcha was consumed in Japan.
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Most people in Japan did not consume matcha very often.
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Its main consumption was among people in the tea practitioner community.
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It wasn't until the 20th century that people in Japan began consuming matcha more casually.
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It also became a popular flavoring in baked goods and desserts.
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But in the US, it was still nearly impossible to find.
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In the early 2000s, Japan exported just 1 % of its tea.
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Matcha was always more expensive than other teas.
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Around this time, a pack of green tea bags in the US cost around $3 to $4, while a small tin of matcha could cost up to 10 times more.
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And the bold taste of matcha in its pure form was another barrier for Western drinkers.
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I've read a lot of newspaper articles and travel diaries.
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They're using phrases like green gruel, bitter, unpalatable.
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They use pea soup as a common description in a not flattering way.
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But 2006 marked a turning point for matcha in the U .S.
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That's when Starbucks brought matcha to the masses through its green tea latte.
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Unlike its traditional preparation, this drink was sweetened, served with milk, and either served hot or iced.
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People knew Starbucks, I mean, there's a built -in audience there.
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That's Rona Tison, the North America tea ambassador for the Japanese brand Ito En.
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The fact that they introduced matcha in a beverage that was more familiar to a lot of, you know, sweetened beverages.
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I would have to say that was probably the beginning that it really kind of went mainstream and widespread.
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In 2007, the term ceremonial grade matcha was coined in the West.
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According to Canadian brand Doe Matcha, it was their founder who came up with the category.
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It was created to differentiate it from culinary -grade matcha, which is intended for cooking or baking, with a stronger, slightly bitter flavor.
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Culinary tends to be a much more older plant and not of the really high -grade tea leaf.
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The higher -quality ceremonial -grade matcha is typically made from young tea leaves
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that come exclusively from the first harvest of the picking season.
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It's rich in the chemical L -theanine, which gives the tea a slight natural sweetness, making it better for drinking.
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Ceremonial -grade matcha is typical typically priced higher than culinary -grade matcha, costing anywhere from $20 to over $50 per ounce,
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while culinary -grade matcha is typically under $20 per ounce.
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Matcha's popularity in the U .S continued to grow in the 2010s, with Google searches for matcha beginning to rise more steadily around 2012.
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Ito N., Rona Tissone's tea company, rolled out its matcha love line in 2015.
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Even Business Insider covered the craze, releasing several videos about the bright green tea powder.
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I'm getting hungry.
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The power of social media is pretty phenomenal.
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And it really, the outreach globally is amazing.
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Today, the U .S is the biggest importer of Japanese matcha, accounting for nearly 80 % of the country's powdered green tea exports in 2024.
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Google searches for matcha reached an all -time high in 2025.
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There are even cafes dedicated solely to the green tea powder.
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You'll find it in almost everything on the menu at the New York City Cafe Aoko Matcha.
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Matcha lattes, matcha soft serve, and even gelato.
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Aoko Matcha has only been open since August 2025.
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Its owner, Isabella Pang, says business is booming as prices for matcha continue to climb.
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Customers are really happy with it.
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It turned out better than I thought, actually.
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She uses only ceremonial grade matcha in all of her matcha desserts, which she says she sources directly from Japan.
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Some people come for the matcha latte specifically because they want to taste all different matcha lattes in the city.
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We do have so crazy matcha connoisseurs that come in and it's like, this is super good, or like this is a little bit too sweet.
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Eoko's menu mainly consists of desserts, with its matcha mochi parfait being one of the most popular.
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It starts with a base of matcha pudding and syrup.
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So we do make our pudding in -house, but it's very light.
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It doesn't taste sweet at all.
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then it's layered with matcha soft serve rice crisps more soft serve mochi balls
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and red bean paste our gelato is a specialty right now
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we do have levels one through five one being the most sweet
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and five is being the most bitter so personally i like level three
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because it's right in the middle but people
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that love matcha go straight to level five it's not just cafes like Aoko Matcha fueling this recent matcha craze.
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Communities are forming in pockets of the internet, such as Matcha Talk, where matcha enthusiasts share recipes and tips.
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As I've always said, matcha is very versatile, but goodness, it's been sort of applied in so many different food products and beverages.
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But producing enough for matcha's growing fan base This is becoming increasingly challenging.
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We first met Jintaro Yamamoto back in 2022 on his over 180 -year -old farm in Kyoto.
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The region is responsible for 25 % of Japan's production of tencha, the tea leaf from which matcha is made.
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The harvest begins in the spring.
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When workers gather the young leaves used for ceremonial -grade matcha.
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But it's more than just Western categories putting a strain on Japanese supply.
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This is Jintaro's elaborate shading system, designed to protect the leaves.
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A step that's perhaps become more important than ever.
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In 2024, intense heat waves damaged tea bushes in Kyoto.
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So I decided to make sure that I could make a better tea.
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But even with these adjustments, he says his farm's yields took a hit.
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After the leaves are picked, Jintaro starts by steaming the tencha leaves.
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This locks in their flavor and preserves their rich green color.
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He cools them with a leaf spreader and places them in a nearly century -old furnace to dry.
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So, I want to be able to make my own idea.
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I would like to make it a better way.
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After drying, the leaves' stems are removed, and then they are prepared for grinding.
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Jintaro grinds his tencha leaves using a handmade granite stone mill.
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This traditional method creates a fine powder that preserves the nutrients of the tencha.
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It takes Jintaro an hour to grind just 40 grams of matcha.
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Another issue plaguing Japan's tencha production is the shrinking number of tea farmers available to grow it.
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With most tea farmers in their 60s and 70s, and a few young growers like Jintaro joining the field,
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there aren't enough new farmers to take over existing tea fields or expand production.
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These issues have created a shortage that's driving the price of matcha upward.
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The average price of tencha reached 8 ,235 yen, or $56 per kilogram in April 2025,
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the highest it's ever been.
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These producer price hikes trickled down to distributors like Ito -en, the company Rona works for.
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In September, it increased its prices on some of its premium -grade matcha products, as well as double the price of its ceremonial -grade matcha.
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We've unfortunately had to, and it's becoming difficult to get matcha these days.
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On top of everything, new U .S tariffs threaten to make Japanese matcha even pricier for American consumers.
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Isabella is also thinking about price increases for Aoko Matcha in New York City.
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During August and September, we stocked up a lot because we knew we were going to have a big inventory, but it definitely has impacted our goods.
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A lot of our pricing is more expensive, especially with the tariffs happening as well.
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Therefore, our gelatos and our lattes and our parfaits will unfortunately have to increase a little bit throughout time.
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Even with prices reaching record highs, global consumers continue to demand ceremonial grade.
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That's what gives us that like smooth, umami rich taste and as well as like that bright color that you see in our gelatos and lattes.
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But matcha purists like Rebecca see things differently.
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If you're using a beverage that has a lot of other flavors added
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or and other sweeteners in particular then it's okay for
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that matcha to be more bitter and to be a lower grade
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and cheaper matcha you don't need to be buying the highest
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quality to me the analogies i would give would be buying a really expensive bottle of french red wine
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and adding fruit and sugar to it to make sangria
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so i think especially in this period where we're seeing a matcha shortage
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and that the producers are struggling to keep up with demand.
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I think it's really important to just be mindful of that and not wasteful of a product.
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She also worries that people may be paying premium prices for ceremonial matcha that is not actually of higher quality.
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Anyone can label anything a ceremonial grade and use it as a marketing term.
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So it basically means that it's like the Wild West, it's totally unregulated.
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As global demand for matcha puts strain on Japan's supply, new players are also entering the market.
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China has surged ahead over the past two decades and is now the world's top producer.
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I know that they are actually inviting many of the Japanese matcha makers to
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really learn how to make matcha properly and learn the expertise
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and all this chinese matcha sells for less but does a label
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or country of origin really determine quality we decided to do
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a blind taste test with some colleagues i have tried matcha
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before the cafes i go to usually have some sort of fun flavor going on like a strawberry shortcake matcha
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or even recently like i had a banana bread one.
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I am a bit of a matcha hater.
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Tried to like it, but even with sugar, it tastes a little swampy to me, unfortunately.
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I have tried matcha before.
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It was when the matcha craze first came to America.
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So a lot of years ago, I had it and I went, I'm not sure if this is for me.
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So I'd probably say this one looks the most appetizing to me.
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Looks yummy, but I bet it's not.
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But it looks like a yummy green juice that I would enjoy.
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I don't have to drink all of this, right?
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Okay, it's actually not as bad as I was expecting.
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Maybe it tastes more, a little bit like grass, but like, it's very, it's very light.
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So that one definitely has like that bitter, earthy taste to it.
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And then there's like a slight like floral flavor to it, which is really nice.
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oh actually that wasn't bad at all i mean it tastes like tea
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that tastes good it just tastes like a very herbal tea
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i guess i like it huh yeah i keep sipping it
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so i guess i like it i'm coming I'm coming back for it. That one's much stronger.
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Okay, yeah, that one tastes like pond scum, which I've never had, but I imagine that's what it tastes like.
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This one's a little bit more earthy, almost like just plant -like,
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and I kind of miss the floral flavor that I was getting from this one over here.
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See, that tastes like grass, which is what I was expecting.
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It's extremely bitter.
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It didn't immediately repulse me, so that's good.
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Yeah, it tastes spinachy, it tastes drinkable.
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afterwards i'm sitting with like a like a sour like a
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weird sour taste on my tongue it kind of feels like
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it left the film of an unflattering taste yeah this one
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this one's not doing much at all it's definitely the lightest
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tasting it tastes like almost nothing this is definitely the most subtle flavor of the three
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and yet I dislike it the most for some reason.
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Definitely the lowest.
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This is in the middle and this is the highest.
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Okay, my ranking is three, two, one.
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I would say this would definitely be my first choice for the matcha latte.
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I think with the bitterness of it, the sweetness of like the latte would come through nice.
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The results are in and all three participants chose the Chinese ceremonial matcha as their favorite.
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Two ranked Japanese ceremonial as second, with one choosing it as the worst, and two out of three ranked Japanese culinary grade in last place.
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Like these two, they have way more flavor with them.
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They're just a more pleasurable drinking experience.
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You can tell that they were made to be drank.
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This is definitely like, if you're a fan of matcha, this is what I would think of when think of matcha and it tastes the most matcha -y.
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While preferences may vary, Japan still sets the standard for ceremonial matcha.
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Hopefully maybe after a year and hopefully matcha powder will be lowered a little bit so it's basically more affordable for everyone.
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Isabella's customers also say they're willing to spend a little extra to get their matcha fix.
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Yeah I would definitely still keep coming back because I just feel like you just can't really like top the quality here.
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I just love the richness, the earthiness that comes through when I eat the level 3 matcha.
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I think even today it is considered a bit of a luxury product.
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I think people would really don't mind spending the extra money to have special matcha. In Japan,
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officials are working to increase matcha production by encouraging tea farmers
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to shift their focus from other types of teas to grow matcha in order to meet the demand.
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The country's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is providing subsidies to help tea farmers transition to growing tencha.
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And Jintaro says he's seeing more and more young people taking up tea farming.
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Jintaro says he's seeing more and more young people taking up tea farming.
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But even with these ongoing efforts, a single season of climate stress can have long -term effects on the market.
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Once a tensha plantation is damaged, it can take up to five years to restore it to full production and meet soaring demand.
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And Jintaro believes climate events like these are far from over.
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I would like people to kind of respect that and understand that and be mindful in their consumption.
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The time and effort it takes and the attention.
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to creating that for this beautiful bowl of matcha green tea is really something that needs to be respected and honored.
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Vocabolario e note di pronuncia per questa lezione
Questo video contiene 200 frasi e 2736 parole da ripetere con lo shadowing. Il parlato dura 20:02. Chi parla mantiene un ritmo costante di circa 137 parole al minuto, comodo per lo shadowing. Solo il 76% delle parole rientra nelle 3.000 più comuni dell’inglese, quindi il lessico è impegnativo.
Vocaboli chiave di questo video
15 parole del video che vale la pena imparare, con pronuncia e significato:
| Parola | Pronuncia | Significato |
|---|---|---|
| flavor sostantivo | /ˈfleɪvə/ | sapore, gusto |
| powder sostantivo | /ˈpaʊ.dɚ/ | polvere |
| bitter aggettivo | /ˈbɪ.tɚ/ | amaro, amara |
| farmer sostantivo | /ˈfɑɹ.mɚ/ | agricoltore, fattore |
| culinary aggettivo | /ˈkʌlɪˌnɛɹi/ | culinario |
| label sostantivo | /ˈleɪ.bəl/ | etichetta |
| beverage sostantivo | /ˈbɛv(ə)ɹɪd͡ʒ/ | bevanda |
| producer sostantivo | /pɹəˈdjuːsə/ | produttore |
| rank sostantivo | /ˈɹæŋk/ | traversa |
| gather verbo | /ˈɡæðɚ/ | raccogliere, bottinare |
| leaf sostantivo | /lif/ | foglia |
| consume verbo | /kənˈsum/ | consumare |
| dessert sostantivo | /dɪˈzɝt/ | dolce, dessert |
| thin aggettivo | /ˈθɪn/ | sottile, fine |
| thick aggettivo | /θɪk/ | spesso |
I phrasal verb che sentirai
| Parola | Significato |
|---|---|
| keep up with verbo | tenere dietro a |
| take up verbo | sollevare, prendere |
| come back verbo | tornare |
| come up with verbo | ideare, escogitare |
| stock up verbo | rifornirsi |
| take over verbo | usurpare |
| turn out verbo | risultare |
Pronuncia a cui fare attenzione
Chi parla usa 26 contrazioni e forme ridotte, come I'm, don't, I've. Pronunciale nella forma breve, così come le senti.
- I suoni “th”: gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, thin /ˈθɪn/, thick /θɪk/, smooth /smuːð/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
- I suoni “sh” e “zh”: consumption /kənˈsʌmp.ʃən/, shortage /ˈʃɔː(ɹ)tɪd͡ʒ/, practitioner /pɹækˈtɪʃənəɹ/, transition /tɹænˈzɪʃ.ən/, luxury /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/
- Parole lunghe — attenzione all’accento: culinary /ˈkʌlɪˌnɛɹi/, ceremony /ˈsɛɹ.əˌmoʊ.ni/, practitioner /pɹækˈtɪʃənəɹ/, ambassador /æmˈbæs.ə.dɚ/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
Come esercitarsi con questo video
- Ascolta tutto il video una volta senza parlare e annota le parole che non conosci.
- Fai shadowing frase per frase a velocità normale, ripetendo ognuna finché il tuo ritmo coincide con quello di chi parla.
- Registrati e confronta con l’originale, facendo attenzione a parole come flavor, powder, bitter.
La grammatica di questo video
Le strutture che chi parla usa di più, con le parole esatte del video:
| Struttura | Nel video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + participio passato — un’azione passata che conta ancora adesso | I've read · has only been · I've always said |
| Forma passiva be + participio passato — conta ciò che accade, non chi lo fa | was served · was consumed · was sweetened |
| Frasi relative who / which + frase — un’informazione in più su una persona o una cosa | matcha, which is · grass, which is |
Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?
Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.