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Foodie News
Matcha has skyrocketed in the past year or so as the most popular drink on cafe menus. The green lattes that are all over your social media feed actually have roots in ancient Japanese history, but may soon vanish. Since the tea has a reputation for less jitters, more antioxidants, and other health benefits than traditional caffeine sources, it has seen an unprecedented increase in popularity around the globe. As a result of this sudden trajectory, though, and the conditions under which the tea is grown, supplies may soon run out. Read on to learn more about the rumored matcha shortage.
Matcha’s Rise to Global Stardom
Matcha is a stone-ground powder made from green tea leaves that are grown in the shade. Matcha has been used for centuries in Japan in traditional tea ceremonies. The tradition of drinking matcha was built on four principles: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.
Due to high concentrations of chlorophyll, L-theanine, and of course, caffeine, the drink is heavily praised as a “superfood” that has various health benefits. The drink is also praised as a coffee alternative for those who experience jitters or a “crash” from traditional caffeinated beverages, with added cognitive benefits for focus and mood from the l-theanine content. The high chlorophyll content is a product of the leaves being grown in the shade. These benefits have resulted in an international explosion in demand in the past two years, with most cafes serving strawberry, lavender, pumpkin spice, and even banana bread matcha lattes.
Read More: Drinks, Pastries, Ice Cream, + More: Best Matcha Treats in Hoboken + Jersey City
In conversation with The New York Times, Matchaful owner Hanah Habes explained the causes of the shortage and related ‘knockoff’ teas. There are different “grades” of matcha quality, including ceremonial and culinary grades. Ceremonial grade matcha, which is also known as “first flush” matcha, is from the first harvest in the spring. Since in previous planting seasons, the demand for the tea leaves was much less than it is right now, supplies of ceremonial-grade matcha are set to run out.
Remy Morimoto Park, commonly known by her online usernames Veggiekins and Matcha Mommy, is a vegan food, matcha, and lifestyle social media creator. She is also the author of a cookbook and owns a matcha business. Her matcha business, Frauth, collaborated earlier this year with Hoboken-born salad chain, Alfalfa, on vanilla matcha bliss balls. In her cookbook Sesame, Soy, Spice , she includes a recipe for a “Dirty Jersey Diner Plate” reflecting on nostalgic experiences at New Jersey diners as a child growing up in Fort Lee.
She started Frauth in 2024, after six years in the making. About the growth of the matcha industry, she said, “At that time, matcha was gaining popularity but it was nowhere near as mainstream as it is today. I think what has changed the most is the general understanding of what matcha is and the appreciation for a higher quality of matcha. ” She continued that the growing understanding of different matcha qualities today was not the case six years ago, and consumers’ appreciation for quality is beneficial to matcha brands like hers.
Remy is part Japanese, so matcha was introduced to her early on, and it was regularly served with wagashi, or sweet treat,s and after meals. She was motivated to create her brand partially because she found it difficult to find high-quality tea in the States, having been “spoiled” by her grandmother, who brought back tea from her favorite regions in Japan.
“The matcha shortage is already in effect. All businesses will be impacted a bit because there is now an increased demand for matcha, but the available quantity has not increased [in fact, this year’s harvest yield was negatively impacted because of the weather conditions]. Prices will increase and as the average consumer becomes more aware of higher quality matcha, the demand for higher grades of matcha [typically more limited in yield per year] will also increase,” Remy shared with The Hoboken Girl, “Essentially, everyone wants to get their hands on matcha but the industry cannot handle the demand and it will take some time before that is possible. I don’t think it will impact the East Coast specifically differently, but those in the US could be subject to price increases due to tariffs and import fees.”
“Because higher quality matcha is harvested only once a year, first flush/harvest matcha will not be easy to secure. There is a fixed quantity available per year,” she added.
Given her platform, Remy has made countless latte (and food) recipes using the tea powder, but some standouts include her Matcha Jelly Latte, Cantaloupe Matcha Latte, and, of course, the seasonally appropriate Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte.
Matcha’s Presence at Hoboken + Jersey City Cafes
While the powder is a superfood, many coffee shops in the area have gotten creative with the different ways the tea can be incorporated into a decadent latte. The drinks are made similarly to espresso lattes, adding a shot of matcha as the caffeine source. The Hive, Mojo, Empire Coffee + Tea, Hidden Grounds, The Little Local, Hey Coffee People, and Jane’s Matcha have all integrated matcha lattes into their menus with multiple spins on the drink. Some examples include the Strawberry Matcha Latte at Hey Coffee People, Hidden Grounds’ Rose and Coconut Matcha Elixirs, and the Lavender Matcha Latte at Empire. Matcha can also be used in place of espresso in your favorite seasonal beverages, including a Spiced Brown Sugar Matcha at Mojo Coffee and the Iced Maple Berry Matcha at Lil’ Dove.
Abbe Rivers of Empire Coffee and Tea shared that while she has not felt the impact of the shortage yet, the signs can be seen in Los Angeles, where cafes are being hit especially hard. While Abbe is not sure about if or when a shortage will be felt, the already-expensive product is getting pricier. “Price increases will be based on both supply shortages and tariffs. We’ll be looking at approximately a 10-20% price increase, which we will unfortunately have to implement once our prices go up. We love our customers and will do our best to absorb as much as possible,” Abbe said.
Photo Credit: Ashley Oharonian
One Jersey City company entirely dedicated to matcha drinks, Jane’s Matcha, first launched during the 2024 Riverview Farmer’s Market. Jane first discovered matcha as a high school student when she worked as a boba-rista at the now-closed Grumpy Bobas in Somerville. She realized that the tea worked better for her than other caffeinated beverages, and cited the meditative process of whisking the tea that she would look forward to every morning. She wanted to bring high-quality, hand-whisked matcha beverages to her neighborhood in Jersey City, which is where she first applied to bring her new passion project.
Soon after her first setup at the Riverview Farmers Market, the shortage began to show itself. “The matcha shortage has impacted this year in a lot of different ways. I had to take off the first few weeks of the farmers market season because the producers we’d worked with the previous year were extremely low on their spring harvests and were waiting for 2025’s harvest season to replenish their stock,” Jane said. Explaining the different types of matcha and the different ways each will be impacted, she said, “The shortage is heavily impacting single-origin, first spring harvest. Essentially, higher-quality matcha that can only be picked once a year. Unfortunately, the pricing increases have already started for high-quality matcha, but we’re trying to keep our cafe prices as consistent as we can.”
See More: Where to Find Matcha Drinks in Hoboken + Jersey City
Other types of hand-whisked green tea, including hojicha, a darker roasted green tea usually made with sencha or bancha tea leaves, also appear on Jane’s regular menu. The cacao-ish flavored drink may grow in popularity as a result of the shortage, according to Jane. One of the core principles of Jane’s Matcha, she said, is keeping ingredients as local as possible. One of her favorite beverages on the menu, and most popular, is the Honeycomb Matcha. For the drink, Jane uses honeycomb from the Riverview Garden in Jersey City Heights, Beekeeper, Roger. Seasonal drinks like the Peaches + Cream and Blueberry Matcha drinks have used local produce from RH farms. About upcoming winter beverages and broadening tea variations to adjust to the shortage impacts, Jane said, “I’m excited to try out some new holiday drinks as well, especially with hojicha! I think the natural, nutty, roasted flavor of hojicha pairs well with more cozy flavors that we’ll start to test in the upcoming months.”
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