SAN DIEGO — Some would think it came straight from a witch's cauldron if one said a green-colored beverage can be decked out and infused with purees and syrups ranging from strawberries to Earl Grey.

“Matcha mania” shows no signs of slowing, with global demand pushing “supply chains to the brink,” as Australia’s ABC News reported in July 2025. The powdered drink retains a massive following in ...

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are full of videos about matcha that, more often than not, aren't really about matcha. Performative matcha is the idea that drinking or preparing the tea has become less ...

Once consumed mainly in small, formal tea ceremonies, matcha is now mixed into fruity lattes and preyed on by counterfeiters. Can it survive its own popularity? “It’s like the Wild West,” one tea ...