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.
Tea Ceremony Kyoto: A Slow Dance of Bowls and Breath
The room is quiet enough to hear water. Somewhere beyond the paper screens of this traditional tea ceremony venue, a garden drips after morning rain. Inside a tea house on a tatami mat worn soft by years of kneeling, a tea master lifts a bamboo whisk and begins tea making. There is no rush in…
-
Why We Keep Romanticising Tea Moments That Never Happened
I sometimes wonder if we are drinking tea or remembering something that never really happened. A quiet morning that feels softer in memory than it ever was in real life. A perfect cup by the window that somehow always looks better in hindsight. A tea moment that feels cinematic, even though it probably lasted only…
-
Masala Chai Tea Origins: The Cultural Evolution of India’s Spiced Tea Tradition
There is a sound that belongs to mornings across India: the hiss of milk rising in a battered pot, the clink of a spoon against metal, the low murmur of a tea seller calling out to passing crowds. Before the first sip, there is the scent. Cardamom pods, fresh ginger, and cinnamon stick curling into…
-
We Are Turning Tea Into Something It Was Never Meant to Be
There is something quietly strange happening in tea culture. The more popular the tea becomes, the more it starts to resemble everything it once stood apart from. Speed. Branding. Productivity. Performance. Tea, which once belonged to unhurried moments, is increasingly being asked to do more. To energize. To optimize focus. To replace coffee. To support…
-
Sencha Green Tea vs. Matcha Powder: Understanding the Differences in Japanese Green Tea
Two tins of tea powder sit side by side on a shelf. Both hold a fine green powder. Both promise the taste of authentic Japanese tea. To the eye, they look almost identical, and that is precisely where the confusion begins. One is matcha powder, often used in matcha lattes and desserts. The other is…
-
Discovering Gryphon Tea Company’s Earl Grey in Singapore
I recently tried the Earl Grey from Gryphon Tea Company Singapore, and I have to admit, it surprised me. Not because it was flawless-it wasn’t, but because it felt like a tea that knew exactly what it wanted to be. The aroma is the first thing that hits you. Bergamot is present but subtle, not…
-
Hojicha: The Roasted Japanese Green Tea With A Mellow Twist
There is a moment, just after the hot water meets the hojicha tea leaves, when the kitchen fills with the aroma of something toasted. Not grassy. Not sharp. Warm, like roasted nuts or the edge of a freshly baked loaf. That moment is where hojicha begins. Hojicha (sometimes spelled houjicha) is a roasted green tea…
-
A Quiet Afternoon at Yixing Xuan Teahouse
I recently spent a quiet afternoon at Yixing Xuan Teahouse, a place that feels like a pause in the city. The moment you step inside, the world seems slower. The air carries the gentle aroma of steeped leaves, and the staff move with quiet precision. I chose an oolong, simple yet familiar. Watching the leaves…
-
The Controversial Smoky Tea That Divides Enthusiasts: Lapsang Souchong Black Tea
There is a tea that empties rooms and fills them in equal measure. Open a box of loose leaf lapsang souchong black tea, and someone nearby will lean in with delight while another quietly steps away. Few teas provoke such immediate, honest reactions. That divide is part of its story. This smoked lapsang souchong smells…
-
The Tea That Keeps Me Coming Back
I have a tea I return to more than any other. It is not rare. It is not expensive. In fact, most people would probably pass it by without a second thought. And yet, somehow, it has become a quiet companion over the years. I first drank it on a rainy afternoon. I had been…
