TikTok’s matcha mania triggers tea shortage, price hikes in Japan

TikTok’s most popular tea brands appear to be hit hard.

The smooth, bright green powder plays a central role in Japanese tea ceremonies, and while it takes only a few seconds to dissolve in water, it can take an entire year to grow.

Matcha production has remained consistent, but sharp increases in demand driven by social media have created a strain on the industry, The Guardian reported.

Megumi Kanaike, manager of Simply Native, a tea shop in Sydney said that producers of the highest-quality matcha in Kyoto, Japan, recently increased prices by up to 40 per cent, which is the first price hike in many years, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“You’ll probably notice prices in cafes start to go up as well,” she said.