Nowadays matcha is one of the most popular and expensive beverage items available on restaurant menus.
It’s distinct green color is aesthetically pleasing, and people love capturing photos of their fancy matcha drinks.
The flavor profile of matcha tea is grassy, vegetal, and almost spinach-like.
Today we’re going to discuss some of the reasons why matcha can be so pricey.
Table of Contents
Lack of Land
Japan is a somewhat small island, and land is very scarce, so it’s typically for Japanese tea to cost a little more in the first place, compared to some other regions of the world. The lack of land is a driving price factor.
There are some matcha tea facilities in China as well, but those products from are typically not as high-quality as their Japanese counterparts.
Long Production Process
Matcha has a long production process and it can take a considerable amount of time to produce it.
The leaves have to be separated and dried. The stems and veins of the leaves also have to be removed.
Then the matcha has to be finely ground, and it is often done using stone wheels. It can take many hours to grind a reasonable amount of matcha the traditional way.
The farming requirements are also strict and more labor-intensive, as the plants require weeks of shading before harvest.
Matcha Has Become Symbolic of Japanese Culture
It is said matcha was discovered accidentally by farmers in older times.
It later became distinctly symbolic of Japanese culture.
Although tea was originally used primarily for medicinal purposes, you can now find matcha tea throughout the developed world, and you can usually even find some form of it available at popular coffee or tea franchises such as Starbucks.
All of the ‘buzz’ around matcha has been a contributing factor to it’s price as well.