Matcha has become a global sensation.
The bright green powdered tea now appears in lattes, smoothies, desserts and viral foods across social media feeds. Global demand has surged so quickly that producers in Japan are struggling to keep up. But matcha's story didn't begin in a cafe. For centuries, the tea has been at the center of a carefully choreographed ritual known as the tea ceremony, a practice rooted in mindfulness, hospitality and attention to detail.
In this episode, we explore how a drink with roots in centuries-old tea traditions became a modern global craze. Along the way, we meet a San Diego tea sensei who practices the ceremony and invites others to slow down long enough to experience matcha the traditional way.
As matcha's popularity continues to grow, we ask a simple question: What gets lost — and what might be gained — when an old tradition becomes a global trend?
Guests:
- Rie Morita, Japanese tea ceremony instructor
- Rebecca Corbett, Japanese Studies Librarian and Senior Lecturer in History, University of Southern California
- Robert Hellyer, historian and author of “Green with Milk and Sugar”
Sources:
- Japanese Tea Ceremony Explained (Adam Sensei, Phd., Maikoya)
- The Matcha Problem (Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 2025)
- Shortages, Smoothies and Fraud: The Matcha Market Cracks Under Pressure (Pete Wells, The New York Times, 2025)
- How much for matcha? Prices for the popular powdered tea soar due to global demand (Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press, 2025)
- 'Skyrocketing' demand for matcha raises fears of shortage in Japan (Justin McCurry, The Guardian, 2025)
- Matcha's popularity has skyrocketed, but it was initially met with skepticism in the West (Rebecca Corbett, PBS News, 2025)
- PARU Tea: How the viral matcha spot is transforming tea culture with love and purpose (Julia Dixon Evans and Anthony Wallace, KPBS, 2025)
From KPBS Public Media, The Finest is a podcast about the people, art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Pandora, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
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