• Gen Z and Millennials are replacing coffee with matcha for a clean, focused energy fix.
• The global matcha market is growing rapidly, but the internet is advancing even more quickly.

Matcha isn’t just showing up in your feed—it’s showing up in your bloodstream, your skincare, and your shopping cart. From Tokyo to London to Los Angeles, the powdered green tea is having a moment that’s been years in the making.

And that moment is about more than aesthetics. It’s about how our bodies are reacting to overstimulation, how our habits are recalibrating toward balance, and how brands are chasing this shift with full-speed marketing strategies.

Where It Starts—and Why That Still Matters

Before matcha became a trendy beverage, it was a slow ritual. First cultivated in China, then shaped by Japanese tea ceremony culture, it carries a depth that’s hard to replicate. Matcha comes from tencha leaves—shade-grown, picked by hand, and stone-ground to preserve every antioxidant compound.

And here’s what doesn’t always make it to the label: the way matcha is grown changes what ends up in your body. Shading increases chlorophyll and L-theanine. Stone grinding keeps nutrients intact. None of this is fast. None of it is cheap. But your system knows the difference.

Why This Generation is Choosing Matcha Over Coffee

Caffeine hasn’t been cancelled—but its form has changed. Younger consumers want clean energy. Less spike, less crash, more calm alertness. Matcha delivers on that with around 30-70 mg of caffeine per cup (compared to 95+ in coffee) plus L-theanine, which helps modulate how that caffeine feels.

The science supports it. A 2024 Nutrients review showed improved cognitive performance and reduced fatigue in subjects consuming matcha regularly. In a 2023 UK-based consumer panel, 62% of matcha drinkers cited “mental clarity without jitters” as their main reason for switching from coffee.

When your body responds better, your habits change. That’s what we’re seeing now.

Matcha Is Breaking the Internet

It’s not just in cafés—it’s on screens. Matcha is everywhere online, and social media has played a massive role in turning it into a global wellness signal.

On TikTok, matcha content is approaching one billion views. Aesthetic matcha routines—whisking, pouring, sipping—are now staples in morning ritual videos. Instagram is packed with pastel green matcha lattes on marble counters. YouTube creators post side-by-side comparisons of ceremonial vs culinary grades. Pinterest boards are filled with matcha-based smoothie bowls and skincare routines.

This visual culture around matcha isn’t accidental. The powder’s vibrant green colour, slow-prep process, and wellness cues make it ideal for short-form video. It’s a drink that shoots well and shares better. For Gen Z, especially, matcha isn’t just a choice. It’s an identity marker.

Online retailers have responded in kind. Google Shopping reports a 70% year-over-year increase in matcha-related product searches in the UK. Amazon shows over 6,000 matcha-based listings across food, beverage, beauty, and supplements. That kind of saturation doesn’t happen without major online buzz.

So, yes—matcha is trending offline. But its digital momentum is what truly accelerated this global movement.

Matcha’s Market Has Outgrown the Tea Aisle

It’s not just a drink anymore. Matcha is a format. A flavour. A function. The matcha trend has expanded beyond mugs to include:

• Canned energy drinks and sparkling tonics
• Protein bars and post-workout snacks
• Sheet masks and clay cleansers
• Frozen desserts and baked goods

PerfectTed—a UK brand built around matcha energy drinks—was funded on Dragon’s Den and now sells nationally. Starbucks UK’s iced matcha is trending among Gen Z, with an 18% sales increase over last year. Waitrose, Boots and Superdrug are all in.

Statista pegs the global matcha tea market at £2.3 billion in 2023, with a forecasted rise to £4.1 billion by 2029. It’s one of the fastest-growing corners of the health beverage market.

The Power of What’s in the Powder

One ceremonial-grade teaspoon can hold up to 1300 ORAC units of antioxidant power. That’s concentrated EGCG—a catechin studied for its role in supporting metabolism, cellular health and skin.

Real matcha contains polyphenols, chlorophyll, caffeine, and L-theanine. Together, they influence energy levels, inflammation response, mental clarity and even gut health. These aren’t wellness buzzwords. These are measurable compounds with measurable impacts.

But only when the matcha is real—and that’s where things get complicated.

A Supply Chain That Can’t Keep Up

The surge in demand has pushed traditional producers to the edge. The number of certified farms hasn’t grown fast enough. Cultivation takes years to perfect and generations to pass down. So while exports have exploded—Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture cites a 160% increase over five years—the product itself is becoming harder to trace.

This leads to a dilution of standards. Some “matcha” is powdered green tea, not tencha. Some are bulk-blended. Some are processed in ways that strip the nutrients.

Consumers notice. So do nutritionists.

What to Watch For on the Label

Not all matcha is the same. Look for bright colour (vibrant green means fresh), clear sourcing (Uji, Nishio, and Kyushu regions in Japan are trusted), and grade (culinary for baking, ceremonial for sipping). Transparency here isn’t just ethical—it’s nutritional.

Low-grade matcha often includes fillers, sweeteners or oxidised leaves. These may look similar but offer far less in terms of antioxidant capacity or L-theanine content.

Brands Are Chasing More Than Sales

This isn’t just about profits. It’s about positioning. Brands are using matcha to speak to a kind of consumer who reads labels, tracks energy, follows wellness creators, and is suspicious of sugar and synthetics.

That consumer doesn’t just want a drink. They want alignment. Ritual Matcha taps into Japanese heritage with clean packaging and ceremonial-grade focus. Other brands use pastel aesthetics and Gen Z-friendly copy. Both are selling the same compound, but through completely different value systems.

The Risks of the Rush

When something goes mainstream too fast, it fractures. Matcha is now found in sugar-loaded drinks, green-coloured desserts with no real leaf content, and skincare that lists it under “fragrance”. That dilutes both the product and the benefits.

There’s also the question of cultural reduction. When matcha becomes just another wellness trend, it risks erasing the traditions it came from. Brands that win long-term will be the ones that honour this, not commodify it.

And from a health point of view? Overconsumption matters. Matcha still contains caffeine. It’s not recommended in high quantities for those pregnant, breastfeeding or managing certain conditions. Balance matters.

So Where Are We Headed?

Matcha isn’t done growing. Expect to see more hybrid formats: adaptogen matcha blends, protein-matcha combos, and prebiotic matcha sodas. Brands will try to “innovate”. Some will miss. Some will hit.

But the people driving this trend—you—are more informed than ever. You want to know what goes into your body. Where did it come from? What it does.

And that’s what will keep the matcha movement from fizzling out like a short-term craze. Because this isn’t a one-season hype. It’s a recalibration of how we energise, focus and consume. That green powder in your hand? It might be one of the most meaningful shifts in modern health habits.