No more matcha? How demand for powdered Japanese tea is leading to global shortages

Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, a minimalist matcha bar in Los Angeles, all but four are out of stock, due to a global shortage driven by the powdered Japanese tea’s social media stardom.

“One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don’t have what they want,” says Zach Mangan, the shop’s founder.

It is now “a cultural touchpoint in the Western world”, found everywhere from ice-cream flavour boards to Starbucks.

Kettl Tea customers with their matcha drinks in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP

This has caused the market for matcha to nearly double over a year, Mangan says.