Matcha Hype Has Gone Too Far (But I Still Drink It)

August 18, 2026 | Maria Tan

A high-angle shot captures a dark round wooden tray set on a warm wooden tabletop, presenting a large, speckled beige ceramic bowl filled with a matcha latte featuring a multi-layered tulip foam art design. Beside the bowl on the tray rests a small white dish holding a single green matcha mochi dusted with fine matcha powder, accompanied by a slim gold spoon placed in the foreground. In the soft-focused background, a clear glass vase with delicate dried baby's breath flowers, a glass of water, and paper menu cards—including one branded "Matchaya Kyoto"—are arranged against a bright window setup.

I have a confession.

I am slightly tired of seeing matcha everywhere.

Not because I dislike matcha. In fact, I drink it quite often. But there is something amusing about watching a humble tea become the centre of every café menu, wellness conversation, and social media trend.

Matcha has gone from a traditional Japanese tea to a global personality.

It is now a latte. A dessert. A smoothie. A soft serve flavour. A lifestyle choice.

Somewhere along the way, matcha stopped being just something we drink and became something we identify with.

And honestly, I understand why.

There is something beautiful about matcha. The colour alone draws you in. The preparation feels intentional. The taste is unlike most other teas, with its earthy bitterness, gentle sweetness, and unmistakable character.

But I sometimes wonder if we have taken the trend a little too far.

Today, matcha is often treated as though it can do everything. It is the drink for focus. The drink for wellness. The drink for productivity. The drink that somehow makes your morning routine look more put together.

Sometimes I think we have forgotten that matcha is still just tea.

A wonderful tea, but still tea.

I have had incredible matcha experiences. The kind where the flavour feels balanced and the preparation feels almost meditative. I have also had matcha drinks where the tea itself was buried under sugar, milk, and toppings until the original character disappeared completely.

And perhaps that is where the conversation becomes interesting.

Does enjoying modern matcha drinks take away from its tradition?

I don’t think so.

Tea has always changed as it travels. Different cultures have adapted tea to their own preferences. Adding milk, sugar, spices, or new preparation methods is not something new. It is part of how tea survives.

The concern is not that matcha has evolved.

The concern is whether we still remember where it came from.

Behind every bright green latte is a tea with history. There are farmers who cultivate the leaves carefully. There are traditions that treat matcha preparation as an act of attention and respect.

Knowing that does not mean we cannot enjoy a matcha dessert or an iced matcha latte.

It simply means we can appreciate both versions.

The traditional and the modern.

The quiet tea room and the busy café counter.

The carefully whisked bowl of matcha and the drink we pick up on the way to work.

Maybe the real problem is not that matcha became popular.

Maybe the problem is when we stop being curious about why we loved it in the first place.

So yes, I think the matcha hype has gone a little too far.

And yes, I will probably still order a matcha latte tomorrow.

Because sometimes enjoying tea also means accepting that we are allowed to love it in imperfect ways.

— Maria Tan

On tea, culture, and everyday rituals.

Tags

Art of Brewing Black Tea Chai & Spiced Tea Climate & Terroir Green Tea Herbal & Tisanes Matcha & Japanese Tea Oolong Pu-erh Sustainability & Ethics Tea & Hospitality Tea & Mindfulness Tea & Wellness Tea appreciation Tea History & Trade Tea Innovation Tea Pairings & Food Tea Rituals & Ceremony Teaware & Aesthetics White Tea
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