How Japan’s matcha fell prey to America’s celebrity-driven consumerism

Matcha, the powdered green tea originating in Japan, has conquered the United States. Its frothy, velvety consistency underscored by an earthy flavour has become all the rage across the country, especially in the enclaves of Los Angeles and third-wave coffee shops.

The demand for matcha is spreading fast all over the world with its market size predicted to increase from $3.8 billion to $6.10 billion in the next five years.

One often encounters pictures of aesthetically pleasing matcha drinks, meticulously captured by Instagram’s well-being influencers as they indulge in their essential ‘morning matcha’, fervently avowing its indispensability in their morning routines. A normal matcha drink contains antioxidants, boosts liver functions, heart and skin health, and helps in weight loss.

One of the siblings of the Kardashian lineage — the American family notable for their extensive social media presence and business ventures — even has her own matcha recipe. Given the family’s considerable influence on popular culture, Kourtney Kardashian’s matcha recipe has ignited a wave of recreation, contributing to its extensive circulation on online platforms, and thereafter in the market.

Kourtney has also launched her own brand of matcha powder, which seems like an attempt to emblem her stamp upon this verdant powder’s narrative.

For those yet unacquainted with how she drinks her matcha every morning, allow me to introduce the recipe posted on her online platform, Poosh — “modern guide to living your best life”.

The “Kourt-certified matcha” ingredients include half a teaspoon of matcha powder, two cups of almond milk and one-fourth cup of organic maple syrup.

All you need to do is boil the milk and melt the matcha in hot water on the side. Mix the liquified matcha with the hot milk and add maple syrup. Mix it well. And there you have it.

Dodging matcha’s Japanese identity

Thanks to this recipe, matcha is transformed into a consumable delight within a mere 10 minutes. Yet, amidst the allure of convenience, there emerges a realm of inquiry for the critical eye.

Generously incorporating milk and subtly infused sweetness, the recipe strays notably from how it is prepared in Japan — from where matcha originates — and from where Americans source their ‘original’ matcha powder. Indeed, tailored to resonate with American palates and consumption habits, the American re-invention of the matcha is dubbed ‘matcha latte’.

At first glance, a consensus seems readily apparent on adapting global flavours to cater to local palates — in the globalised world of ours, isn’t this rendition both customary and convenient?

When asked about his impression of the matcha latte, Tomohisa Watanabe, a 27-year-old Japanese PhD student specialising in polymer science tells TRT World, “I am open to the possibilities of various interpretations and adaptations made within and outside of Japan.”

However, an essential focal point remains conspicuously absent in the narrative: matcha’s Japanese identity.

Discovery, re-invention and erasure

Promoted aggressively by Los Angeles’ ‘healthy eating’ influencers on social media to set new health trends, matcha’s owes its newly-acquired global popularity to a term named superfood, which means “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being”.

“Superfoods have become cultural foci in the United States; each year provides an array of new and trendy products as well as branding and marketing materials that proudly trumpet these foods as the latest nutrient-loaded wonders,” writes PhD student in Policy Studies Nick Dreher in his article “Food from Nowhere”.

While matcha has become more accessible than ever before, thanks to its health benefits, many argue that the drink has fallen prey to West’s cultural appropriation.

In Japan, matcha is not seen as some raw material awaiting refinement or reinvention.

Lisa M. Heldke, philosophy professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, points at the concepts of novelty and exoticism, which she identifies as the genesis of “food colonialism”, a term she introduces in her book Exotic Appetites: Ruminations of a Food Adventurer, in which she examines the patterns of Euro-American food adventurers and points out a troubling tendency to overlook the inherent cultural and traditional underpinnings of a food product.

That matcha, with enduring historical, cultural and philosophical bonds to Japan, has been an indispensable cultural product and the cornerstone of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony sadō/chadō or chanoyu, practised for well over five centuries, is in fact a revelation for many.

Since its introduction to the United States, matcha has undertaken a transformation that renders it as a “food from nowhere” — ostensibly born anew on American soil. This evolution prompts a pressing inquiry: are consumers and marketers of matcha, who produce and perpetuate a discourse laced with cultural appropriation, inadvertently taking part in what many describe as food colonialism?

Beyond consumption: chadō or “way of tea”

When thinking about matcha in its original, Japanese context, it is not solely the ingredients that undergo a transformation, but also the very manner of its preparation and consumption itself. No wonder then that significant aspects are lost in the process of appropriation and standardisation while adapting matcha for the capitalist market.

In the time-honoured tradition of Japan, the meticulously orchestrated steps involved in the preparation of matcha during tea ceremonies, diverge starkly from the hurried pace of modern consumption and the rapid and "convenient" manner in which matcha is often consumed in the American context.

Beyond its role as a ready-to-use flavour powder, matcha is traditionally consumed during tea ceremonies. Translated as “way of tea” from Japanese chadō or sadō, the name encapsulates the very essence of matcha, as it self-evidently intertwines with the profound philosophies embedded in the fabric of its preparation and consumption rituals.

Dr Naoki Yamamato, a Japanese academic teaching at the Asian Languages ​​and Cultures Department of Marmara University in Istanbul, unveils the meticulous etiquette of matcha’s ceremonial ritual.

Performing tea ceremonies himself, he tells TRT World, “These ceremonies carry profound cultural significance, standing as embodiments of Japanese aesthetics, artistry, spirituality and hospitality.”

“Central to its essence is the concept of mindfulness and the principle of ‘ichi-go ichi-e’, often translated as ‘one time, one meeting’,” Yamamoto says.

Within this philosophical framework, he elucidates the belief that each encounter bears a singular and unique significance, marking an unrepeatable juncture in time.

Treasuring ‘little everyday things’

The exact origins of chadō or tea ceremonies in Japan is not pinpointed. All we know is that matcha leaves have been imported from China since at least the 9th century. Yet, they likely found their roots in tea's early use as a tool for meditation in various Japanese monasteries and temples.

“Many of the guidelines and principles of ceremonies, in its modern practice, are codified by the tea master Sen no Rikyū during the 16th century,” Yamamoto says. He adds that even though various schools and interpretations exist today, there remains a steadfast core principle: illustrating a microcosm of Japanese aesthetics of ‘little everyday things’, and appreciating simplicity.

Serving as a means of social bonding, matcha ceremonies also provide the experience of Japanese hospitality, adhering to the concept of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, he adds.

Yamamoto describes the ceremonies that follow a specific ritualised process in six steps:

Initially, the host arranges the tea room, known as the chashitsu, meticulously preparing it for the guests, who enter through a humble, low entrance named nijiriguchi.

Then the guests purify themselves at a stone basin called tsukubai by washing their hands, rinsing their mouths, taking off their shoes and sitting traditionally on a tatami mat. “This purification ritual signifies leaving the outside world behind and entering a sacred space, aligning mind and body,” says Yamamoto.

Once the guests admire the carefully curated decoration and arrangement of the room, usually overseeing a garden, the host begins to prepare the tea.

Diligently measuring the matcha powder with a spoon, chashaku, the host puts it into a tea bowl called matcha-chawan.

Hot water is added, and with a handmade bamboo whisk known as chasen, the host whisks the mixture vigorously until a lusciously foamy and creamy consistency is achieved.

Then matcha is presented to the first guest, and passed to others to take their sips.

“During this time, silence is preserved to create a serene atmosphere,” Yamamoto says.

Thus unfolds the journey of a modest clump of green powder as it metamorphoses into one of Japan's most culturally cherished beverages.

For those who are in Istanbul, the necessary quietude is not readily available, but in the Japanese Garden in Baltalimani, it’s possible to sip your traditionally crafted matcha offered in their tea room. Taking your matcha to the garden, while settling comfortably on a sunbed, with the sun beaming through cherry blossom trees, you can transform the moment into a unique experience, as you close your eyes and let the matcha envelop your senses.