the soul of matcha: onslaught of overconsumption
the constant bombardment of dopamine from social media isolates us from everything natural.
in the heart of kyoto, you stand in a bustling cafe under the absurdly bright LED lights that cast an artificial, almost clinical glow across the sterile white surfaces. a barista hastily prepares their seventh #matchalatte of the morning rush. The harsh lights highlight the mess of wasted matcha powder spilled on the counters by the rushing baristas. the air is thick with competing aromas: an almost alcoholic artificial vanilla, stale coffee beans, and the sickly-savory aroma of the three different sandwiches they offer. you’re waiting, almost grinning with anticipation, counting the seconds until your hot matcha finally arrives in front of you and you can escape the chaos.
you try to remain patient as the influencers monopolize the bar area for their personal photo studio. their phones flashing incessantly as they adjust and readjust their drinks until the ceramic has run cold. the abrupt whir of a blender is competing with a dozen other conversations happening in the vicinity. the barista tosses your cup down on the counter in front of you. your hand excitedly reaches forward, anticipating the comforting warmth to radiate through your hands… but its cold. The cup is slick with condensation. iced, not what you ordered. you take a moment to try and appreciate what you have. you exhale.
cut to fifteen minutes across town, down an alley unchanged by the modern world, rests a centuries-old tearoom. morning light filters softly through the rice paper screens, casting delicate shadows along the handmade tatami mats. you can feel the mat gently adapt with the movements of your body. the gentle breeze cools the warm air against your skin; the sweet vegetal aroma of freshly sifted matcha excites your senses. we watch in complete and total appreciation of the tea master’s delicate and masterful choreography. their hands move in a methodically slow manner, yet every motion comes naturally to the tea master. it’s calming. the bamboo whisk pounces back and forth within the tea bowl in a delicate rhythmic circles. every moment of this is appreciation of life itself as we pray for this experience of mindfulness to remain even outside the tearoom. these elements of patience and timelessness are not measured in seconds, but in breaths, as if the universe itself holds the exhale.
these two moments, separated by mere miles yet disconnected by centuries of cultural heritage, illustrate a profound shift in the story of matcha, one that reflects broader changes in our relationship to tradition, technology, and nature itself. what was once a sacred ritual of mindfulness has become a global phenomenon of convenience, consumed in a frenzy for speed and performance. beneath this transformation lies a deeper story, one of environmental changes, agricultural challenges, and the clash between appreciation and overconsumption.
matcha’s journey from praised ceremonial liquor to a viral social sensation is both fascinating and troubling. for centuries, in japan’s tranquil tea gardens, matcha was revered not just as another beverage, but as a spiritual practice. the ceremony of chanoyu, the way of tea, was an expression of zen philosophy, each gesture in the preparation and consumption of matcha was imbued with meaning and purpose. the slow, methodical movements were designed to focus the mind, allowing the tea master to free themselves of worldly thoughts. participants could find stillness in a world of constant motion. this sacredness was not only in the tea, but in the space it created, a space where time stretched and slowed, where the present became the past and time no longer mattered.
today, in cafes across the world matcha is no longer about mindfulness, but about speed. matcha has been swept into the frenetic currents of global consumerism. the drink, once poured from a handmade ceremonial bowl, is now served in unsustainable to-go cups, whipped up in a moments notice with the buzz of a metal wand followed by the flash of a phone camera. the hashtag #matchalatte has exploded across every social media platform, with millions of posts showcasing everything from intricate latte art on their matcha to ads with neon green drinks artfully arranged against pastel backgrounds. in a world where instagram aesthetics reign supreme, the soul of matcha is often sacrificed in favor of photogenic perfection.
the transformation of matcha from sacred ritual to social media sensation mirrors our relationship with the very land that nurtures it. In traditional tea cultivation, farmers worked in harmony with nature’s rhythms, allowing tea plants to grow slowly under careful shade, much like how the tea ceremony itself embraces patience and mindfulness. each leaf was treated with the same reverence as each movement in the ceremony. but as we’ve condensed the hour-long tea ceremony into a three-minute cafe transaction, we’ve forced the natural growing cycle to bend to our demands for higher yields and faster production.
this parallel degradation of culture and environment manifests in the cup itself. traditional shade-grown tea plants, stressed by erratic rainfall and shortened frost periods, struggle to produce the amino acids that give matcha its distinctive umami flavor (suga et al., 2020). similarly, the rich, complex experience of traditional matcha, one that engaged all senses and demanded full presence, has been flattened into a hastily prepared beverage, often more valued for its photogenic qualities than its taste or cultural significance.
“what we’re really measuring is the commodification of contemplation,” says dr. sarah chen, a market researcher specializing in traditional food commodities (Chen, 2023). the simple, profound experience of making and sipping matcha, once a practice of mindful reflection, is now reduced to a performance enhancement or even worse a quick fix for the dopamine response triggered by the perfect instagram post. rather than sitting down and appreciating the art of matcha, the intent of matcha, we strive to show society our ability to appreciate something rooted in culture. consumers have abandoned the contemplative aspects and mindfulness of matcha consumption in favor of quick fixes. the shift in how we consume matcha reflects a broader societal trend toward efficiency, instant gratification, and the commodification of culture. the rise of the matcha latte, whipped up in minutes, sipped in seconds, and often photographed out of some perceived form of necessity, reflects a world that prizes speed over depth, surface over substance.
the rise of “quick matcha” if you will, has created a feedback loop. As demand for matcha skyrockets, driven by social media trends and promises of a healthier quick energy boost, famers face increasing pressures to produce more tea with less regard for traditional methods, and therefore quality. many have abandoned shade-growing techniques, opting for faster, more concentrated methods that strain soil health and water resources.
a 2021 report from the japan tea association notes that modern farming practices used to meet overconsumption demands, including increased use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, have contributed to soil degradation and reduced biodiversity in key matcha-producing regions. These changes pose serious risks to the sustainability of high-quality matcha cultivation, especially as consumer demand continues to outpace traditional growing practices.
In uji’s tea fields, where generations of farmers once listened to their plants voices, and waited for the perfect frost-free period, rising temperatures of 1.4 Celsius, or 2.5 Fahrenheit, over the past 30 years has forced farmers to abandon centuries-old growing patterns, just as cafes have abandoned the careful whisking of bamboo for the mechanical whir of metal wands (suga et al., 2020). The tea plants respond to these environmental pressure with biological confusion, flowering out of season, their natural rhythms disrupted by temperatures their genetics simply cannot comprehend.
in the face of these drastic environmental challenges, there are those who believe that innovation can coexist with tradition. families of tea farmers have begun introducing advanced technologies onto their farms. farmers are now resorting to a delicate dance of allowing change while maintaining their traditional roots. farmers used to be able to rely on speaking to the plant in order to cultivate a profound tea. today, environmental factors drown out the voice of the gentle tea plants. tradition teaches us patience and respect for nature. modern changes can help farmers adapt as mother nature herself adapts to us humans.
rising to the challenge across japan, a movement is emerging among tea farmers, innovators, and educators who are determined to preserve the essence of matcha while embracing necessary change. programs like the uji tea industry promotion association, the japanese green tea association, matcha promotion council, kyoto prefecture’s matcha preservation efforts, and various government tea farming revitalization initiatives provide necessary scientific research, agricultural preservation while maintaining the traditional significance of matcha. these groups prove the future of matcha lies in a gentle balance of honoring tradition while incorporating necessary advancements.
in a small tearoom at the edge of the modern world, a tea master kneels beside their grandchild, their hands moving in the synchronized dance of the ceremony. the soft whisper of the hand-carved bristles from the bamboo whisk gently scratches the textured surface of the tea bowl, a family heirloom that holds generations of stories. There are no cameras, no hashtags, no distractions. This moment, shared between generations, speaks not of performance, but of presence.
the bows of emerald matcha passing between them represents more than just tradition, it embodies a path forward. just as this tea master adapts ancient movements to teach young hands, modern tea farmers are finding ways to preserve their craft while facing social and climate changes. they combine centuries of agricultural wisdom with precise environmental monitoring, proving that tradition need not be sacrificed for survival. the future of matcha lies not in choosing between preservation and adaptation, but the careful dance that is their integration.
As the evening sun sets over uji’s tea fields, its rays filter through the carefully maintained shade cloths that protect both the tender tea leaves and the soil beneath. these fields tell a story of resilience, one where innovation serves tradition rather than replacing it, where quick profits bow to patient cultivation, and where the mindful appreciation of a single bowl of tea can still quiet the clamor of a rushed world. In this balance lies matcha’s future: not as a relic to be preserved unchanged, nor as a trend to be consumed and forgotten, but as a living tradition that adapts while holding true to its essence of mindfulness and profound beauty of timelessness.
eden barker-gillooly
citations:
Chen, S. (2023). The commodification of traditional foods in the age of Instagram. Journal of Global Food Trends, 12(3), 45-60.
Japan Tea Association. (2021). Sustainability in tea farming: Challenges and innovations in matcha cultivation. Retrieved from www.japan-tea-association.org.
Suga, S., Tanaka, H., & Kato, M. (2020). Climate change and its effects on the tea-growing regions in Japan: A study from Kyoto University. Environmental Science Journal, 33(1), 67-80.
