Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan tea farms dry

The powdered tea has exploded in popularity in the past 3 years

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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 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 said.

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, Mr 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, Mr Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavour 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.