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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Global matcha craze sparks shortages
At a minimalist Los Angeles matcha bar, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink's social media stardom, reports AFP. Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, the shop's founder Zach Mangan told AFP. "One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don't have" what they want, he said. With its deep grassy aroma, intense colour and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha "has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years," the 40-year-old explained. It is now "a cultural touchpoint in the Western world" – found everywhere from ice-cream flavour boards to Starbucks. This has caused matcha's market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said. "No matter what we try, there's just not more to buy." Thousands of miles (kilometres) away in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, Masahiro Okutomi – the 15th generation to run his family's tea business – is overwhelmed by demand. "I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders," he said. Producing the powder is an intensive process: the leaves, called "tencha," are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients. They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine. 'Long-term endeavour' "It takes years of training" to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavor requiring equipment, labour and investment." "I'm glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha... but in the short term, it's almost a threat – we just can't keep up," he said. The matcha boom has been fuelled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products. At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo's hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate flavoured matcha. "Matcha is visually very appealing," Ella told AFP. To date, her matcha brand, produced in Japan's rural Mie region, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees. "Demand has not stopped growing," she said. In 2024, matcha accounted for over half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to agriculture ministry data – twice as much as a decade ago. Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand. "We don't strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling," said store manager Shigehito Nishikida. "In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified: customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media," he added. Tariff threat Anita Jordan, a 49-year-old Australian tourist in Japan, said her "kids are obsessed with matcha." "They sent me on a mission to find the best one," she laughed. The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese products - currently 10 per cent, with a hike to 24 per cent in the cards. Shortages and tariffs mean "we do have to raise prices. We don't take it lightly," said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it hasn't dampened demand so far. "Customers are saying: 'I want matcha before it runs out'." At Kettl Tea, matcha can be mixed with milk in a latte or enjoyed straight, hand-whisked with hot water in a ceramic bowl to better appreciate its subtle taste. It's not a cheap treat: the latter option costs at least $10 per glass, while 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of powder to make the drink at home is priced between $25 and $150. Japan's government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs. But that risks sacrificing quality, and "in small rural areas, it's almost impossible," grower Okutomi said. The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added. "Training a new generation takes time... It can't be improvised," Okutomi said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan tea farms dry
At a minimalist Los Angeles matcha bar, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink's social media stardom. Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, the shop's founder Zach Mangan told AFP. "One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don't have" what they want, he said. With its deep grassy aroma, intense color and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha "has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years," the 40-year-old explained. It is now "a cultural touchpoint in the Western world" -- found everywhere from ice-cream flavor boards to Starbucks. This has caused matcha's market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said. "No matter what we try, there's just not more to buy." Thousands of miles (kilometers) away in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, Masahiro Okutomi -- the 15th generation to run his family's tea business -- is overwhelmed by demand. "I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders," he said. Producing the powder is an intensive process: the leaves, called "tencha," are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients. They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine. - 'Long-term endeavor' - "It takes years of training" to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavor requiring equipment, labor and investment." "I'm glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha... but in the short term, it's almost a threat -- we just can't keep up," he said. The matcha boom has been fuelled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products. At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo's hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate flavored matcha. "Matcha is visually very appealing," Ella told AFP. To date, her matcha brand, produced in Japan's rural Mie region, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees. "Demand has not stopped growing," she said. In 2024, matcha accounted for over half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to agriculture ministry data -- twice as much as a decade ago. Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand. "We don't strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling," said store manager Shigehito Nishikida. "In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified: customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media," he added. - Tariff threat - Anita Jordan, a 49-year-old Australian tourist in Japan, said her "kids are obsessed with matcha." "They sent me on a mission to find the best one," she laughed. The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese products -- currently 10 percent, with a hike to 24 percent in the cards. Shortages and tariffs mean "we do have to raise prices. We don't take it lightly," said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it hasn't dampened demand so far. "Customers are saying: 'I want matcha, before it runs out'." At Kettl Tea, matcha can be mixed with milk in a latte or enjoyed straight, hand-whisked with hot water in a ceramic bowl to better appreciate its subtle taste. It's not a cheap treat: the latter option costs at least $10 per glass, while 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of powder to make the drink at home is priced between $25 and $150. Japan's government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs. But that risks sacrificing quality, and "in small rural areas, it's almost impossible," grower Okutomi said. The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added. "Training a new generation takes time... It can't be improvised," Okutomi said. cg-rf/ep/kaf/cwl/sco
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan tea farms dry
Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, the shop's founder Zach Mangan told AFP. "One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don't have" what they want, he said. With its deep grassy aroma, intense color and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha "has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years," the 40-year-old explained. It is now "a cultural touchpoint in the Western world" -- found everywhere from ice-cream flavor boards to Starbucks. This has caused matcha's market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said. "No matter what we try, there's just not more to buy." Thousands of miles (kilometers) away in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, Masahiro Okutomi -- the 15th generation to run his family's tea business -- is overwhelmed by demand. "I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders," he said. Producing the powder is an intensive process: the leaves, called "tencha," are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients. They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine. 'Long-term endeavor' "It takes years of training" to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavor requiring equipment, labor and investment." "I'm glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha... but in the short term, it's almost a threat -- we just can't keep up," he said. The matcha boom has been fuelled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products. At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo's hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate flavored matcha. "Matcha is visually very appealing," Ella told AFP. To date, her matcha brand, produced in Japan's rural Mie region, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees. "Demand has not stopped growing," she said. In 2024, matcha accounted for over half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to agriculture ministry data -- twice as much as a decade ago. Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand. "We don't strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling," said store manager Shigehito Nishikida. "In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified: customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media," he added. Tariff threat Anita Jordan, a 49-year-old Australian tourist in Japan, said her "kids are obsessed with matcha." "They sent me on a mission to find the best one," she laughed. The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese products -- currently 10 percent, with a hike to 24 percent in the cards. Shortages and tariffs mean "we do have to raise prices. We don't take it lightly," said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it hasn't dampened demand so far. "Customers are saying: 'I want matcha, before it runs out'." At Kettl Tea, matcha can be mixed with milk in a latte or enjoyed straight, hand-whisked with hot water in a ceramic bowl to better appreciate its subtle taste. It's not a cheap treat: the latter option costs at least $10 per glass, while 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of powder to make the drink at home is priced between $25 and $150. Japan's government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs. But that risks sacrificing quality, and "in small rural areas, it's almost impossible," grower Okutomi said. The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Global Matcha 'Obsession' Drinks Japan Tea Farms Dry
At a minimalist Los Angeles matcha bar, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink's social media stardom. Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, the shop's founder Zach Mangan told AFP. "One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don't have" what they want, he said. With its deep grassy aroma, intense color and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha "has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years," the 40-year-old explained. It is now "a cultural touchpoint in the Western world" -- found everywhere from ice-cream flavor boards to Starbucks. This has caused matcha's market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said. "No matter what we try, there's just not more to buy." Thousands of miles (kilometers) away in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, Masahiro Okutomi -- the 15th generation to run his family's tea business -- is overwhelmed by demand. "I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders," he said. Producing the powder is an intensive process: the leaves, called "tencha," are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients. They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine. "It takes years of training" to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavor requiring equipment, labor and investment." "I'm glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha... but in the short term, it's almost a threat -- we just can't keep up," he said. The matcha boom has been fuelled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products. At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo's hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate flavored matcha. "Matcha is visually very appealing," Ella told AFP. To date, her matcha brand, produced in Japan's rural Mie region, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees. "Demand has not stopped growing," she said. In 2024, matcha accounted for over half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to agriculture ministry data -- twice as much as a decade ago. Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand. "We don't strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling," said store manager Shigehito Nishikida. "In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified: customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media," he added. Anita Jordan, a 49-year-old Australian tourist in Japan, said her "kids are obsessed with matcha." "They sent me on a mission to find the best one," she laughed. The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese products -- currently 10 percent, with a hike to 24 percent in the cards. Shortages and tariffs mean "we do have to raise prices. We don't take it lightly," said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it hasn't dampened demand so far. "Customers are saying: 'I want matcha, before it runs out'." At Kettl Tea, matcha can be mixed with milk in a latte or enjoyed straight, hand-whisked with hot water in a ceramic bowl to better appreciate its subtle taste. It's not a cheap treat: the latter option costs at least $10 per glass, while 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of powder to make the drink at home is priced between $25 and $150. Japan's government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs. But that risks sacrificing quality, and "in small rural areas, it's almost impossible," grower Okutomi said. The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added. "Training a new generation takes time... It can't be improvised," Okutomi said. Customers sip matcha beverages at Kettl Tea in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood AFP Masahiro Okutomi, working at his farm in Japan's Sayama, says it has been impossible to keep up with the growing demand for matcha AFP Matcha, which means 'ground tea' in Japanese, can be mixed with milk to make a matcha latte AFP Twenty grams of matcha powder to take home can set you back anywhere from $25 to $150 at one Los Angeles tea shop AFP Matcha leaves, called 'tencha', are grown in the shade for several weeks before harvesting, then dried and finely ground AFP
The Journal
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
A mummified cat and other curiosities: Take a peek inside Dublin's newest museum
A NEW MUSEUM in Dublin promises something 'different' for locals and tourists alike. The Museum of Curiosities on Pembroke Street, which opened at the end of May, houses an array of strange and scary items spanning centuries. 'There are some very niche Facebook groups out there,' says Paul Mangan, who founded the museum. 'I've been collecting strange stuff all my life.' The strange stuff includes a mummified cat, 19th century torture devices, clowns, and lots of creepy dolls. A mummified cat Mangan has also received some donations from the public. Among them is a kangaroo foot bottle opener that someone found in a flat they were renting and, for some reason, did not want to keep. A kangaroo foot bottle opener This isn't Mangan's first foray into the weird and whacky. He was a performer in a travelling freakshow, which was described as a 'nightmarish cabaret steeped in the surreal'. Advertisement It was on his travels that he picked up unique pieces, storing them at his mother's house in his native Glasnevin until he found the two-storey space near Fitzwilliam Square. 'I was looking for a place for a long time … it was kind of a semi-delapadated space. 'A lot of work has been done on it in the last four to five months to get it to a visitable standard.' The dark museum has three main rooms. Downstairs houses copious amounts of taxidermy in one room, while the other primarily displays Victorian pieces. A preserved hand of a hanged man Upstairs, cabinets store an array of questionable medical devices of the past, as well as a clown collection and – you guessed it – more creepy dolls. The museum, Mangan says, is for 'people who are looking to do something different in Dublin'. 'We've had goths, families … The people we've had in have been from every walk of life.' Mangan's day job as a social media manager and web developer meant he was well-equipt to build a brand, and his life-long passion means he has '20 years worth of weird stuff' to show the public. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday 11am-7pm and tickets are €15 for adults and €13 for children. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
