Matcha tea: is the hype justified?

Matcha has become much more than a Japanese tea dating back to the 12th century. It established itself as a total sensation: a trendy and praised beverage that is just as instagrammable as healthy. But is It really worth all the hype it is getting online?

Story and tradition

Matcha tea is a green powder produced mainly in Japan from premium-grade tea leaves, grinding them to obtain a fine particle. The beverage is connected to the traditional teachings of Buddhism.

Its origin traces back to the Song Dynasty (10th-13th century) in China. Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist Monk, was travelling in China searching for himself and his spirituality. He came in contact with the practice of drinking green tea and in 1191, Eisai returned permanently to Japan. He brought with him some seeds and he had learned the Zen Buddhist method of preparing powdered green tea. Eisai planted these seeds in Kyoto, on the temple ground. During the period of the Kamakura Shogun, matcha was only produced in extremely limited quantities and became a luxurious status symbol.

The abundant properties of this variation of tea remained relevant for centuries establishing the traditional tea ceremony called “Chanoyu”, a practice that is still an integral part of the Zen lifestyle today. It is served together with traditional Japanese sweets to balance with the bitter taste of the tea with a solemn procedure that is all about tradition and aesthetics.

Health and success

The antioxidant composition of the product is its main feature. One cup of matcha tea has as many antioxidants as 10 cups of brewed green tea, that’s because in regular tea we throw away a large part of leaves. This huge quantity of antioxidants enables it to prevent various chronic diseases and ageing. A polyphenol in matcha called EGCG is the responsible of boosting metabolism, and slow or halt the growth of cancer cells. The amino acid content in the product is approximately five times higher than regular black and green tea. As a beverage is also contains 3 times the caffeine as tea.

Another element of the rising success with matcha is its affiliation with meditation thanks to its relaxing effect. The preparation process of the beverage is part of Japanese traditions and It is connected with Zen. Meditation is becoming more and more mainstream lately and this adds to the trend.

Market and future trend

In 2016 the global match market size was about 2.62 billion dollars and expanding. The scenario for the future tells that the sector will grow at a stunning +7.6% on average from now until 2025, strengthening the incredible expansion it had in the last few years. Key markets for it are US, Canada, Germany, UK, France and Australia.

Products that sport matcha as an ingredient are sold as health-conscious choices, justifying their premium price with the high beneficial and nutritional content. It can go for as much as 130 dollars for 100 grams in its more premium forms.

One concern about matcha is connected with the fact that the entire leaf is used. Green tea trees contain lead, especially those grown in China. While for traditional tea the actual leaf is not assumed, with the nature of match the entire lead content is ingested. For this reason the daily dose shouldn’t exceed one cup.

Matcha tea is a simple yet expensive way to add powerful health benefits to your diet. Its health benefits are innegable, but today’s society made it the opposite of tradition: matcha has become the trendy ingredient to add to all kinds of foods to feel “cool” more than anything else.