The thirst in the world for The Tea Swallows Global Supplies

Matcha Mania sweeps the world. Green Japanese tea can be found in everything from Lattes in Starbucks in the United Kingdom to Krispy Kreme Donuts in Singapore.

Global Matcha Craze is driven by social media, as influencers share advice, assessments and recipes. The “Matcha Tok” brand recorded tens of millions of views.

The growing popularity of Macha is also associated with the post -Japanese birth Tourism boomWith the weakening of the country, which makes it an attractive destination in addition to enhancing the demand for Japanese goods.

In the midst of the noise, the demand for the powder rises. Lauren Porvis, a tea importer in the United States, tells the BBC that her customers saw what was once a month running out in days.

“Some cafes are asking even a kilo per day,” says Ms. Porvis, who runs Mizuba Tea Co..

But this increasing demand, along with smaller tea crops due to American heat waves and definitions on Japan, is also Pay the matches.

Traditionally, MATCHA – which is searched for its health benefits, caffeine and flavor – is the product of a very specialized and specialized process.

It is made of green tea leaves called Tencha, which is kept under the shade for weeks while still grows. This step is crucial to developing the “umi” flavor to sign tea – a delicious taste that complements its natural sweetness.

The leaves are harvested and dried And the ground in powder using stone factories, which can produce only 40 grams (1.4 ounces) of the watch per hour.

But in recent months, farmers have struggled, as standard thermal waves have struck crops.

In the Kyoto region, where about a quarter of the Japanese Tinisha comes, the hot weather led to poor harvest even with a high demand.

The country also faces a shortage of farmers as its population is old and does not go to their young to industry.

The stores in UJI, a city in Kyoto, which is famous Rapid shelves By tourists as soon as their doors are opened.

As a result, many retailers have placed restrictions on how much customers can buy.

Director Atsuko Mori says that the Kyoto -based Cyoto tea allows customers to buy only one tin of Matcha, as visitors’ numbers have multiplied over the past year.

Master tea Ray Takda says it is too You should closely monitor Matcha stocks, as the requests that will be previously arrived in only days can now take more than a week.

She works in Chazen, a tea -based tea series in Tokyo, which hosts traditional rituals that serve Matcha to guests.

The deficiency means that tea prices in Shazin outlets increased by 30 % this year.

“The request) is good,” Mrs. Takeda said through a translator. “It is a gateway to more people to know Japanese culture.”

It has also attracted more farmers.

Macha production has doubled almost three times between 2010 and 2023, according to the Japanese Ministry of Agricultural.

It also says that green tea exports, including Macha, also increased by 25 % last year to 36.4 billion yen (180 million pounds; $ 250 million).

Macha’s madness sparked a movement to enhance the most aware consumption.

Defenders call on people who see that they are storing or waiving his popularity. Others urge those who drink tea to be careful not to use them, and taste what is in the purest shape instead of being as a component in the recipes.

Ms. Mori said that “it is somewhat sad” to see a high -quality Macha used in cooking – as his microscopic flavor – or stored to resell it.

“Matcha is the highest degree of tea and is very special for us. So there is some contradiction when I hear stories about how to resell them or use them in food.”

The Japanese Global Tea Association encourages people to use Matcha of a low -degree harvest, which is more abundant and suitable for cooking.

MATCHA high -quality Matcha often adds its sensitive flavor when used in drinks such as lattes.

The association says: “Enhancing awareness of these differences helps to ensure that Japanese tea is respected, while supporting the crafts and traditions behind it.”

It also says that the matches are likely to rise more due to the definitions imposed by the United States on Japan.

On Tuesday, Washington and Tokyo announced The commercial deal This will mean an import tax of 15 % on Japanese products Going to the United States.

Matsha distributors like MS Purvis are preparing to influence. Orgon -based businessman says that orders rose by more than 70 % in early July before the two countries of the two countries to reach a commercial agreement.

“Since Japanese tea is not grown in the United States, there is no American industry under the threat that the customs tariff needs to protect it,” she said. “We hope that there is awareness that specialization tea must be exempt.”

Even with high excessive demand and limited supplies, there is some light on the horizon.

The Matcha Café series believes at least that prices can be reduced in the future – albeit not for a while.

“Matcha is selling low quality at a high price, and we think this will not be an applicable work,” Matcha Tokyo, co -founder of Matcha Tokyo, told BBC.

“There is a boom at the present time and the demand is increasing quickly, but we believe this will calm down a little in two to three years.”