In the last few years, matcha has risen in popularity globally, shifting from a drink once reserved for the Japanese social elites in the 12th century to the ultimate lifestyle accessory.‘It-girls’ and self-proclaimed wellness gurus have begun to parade the streets with a bright green cup in hand, advertising the drink as the pinnacle of modern wellness. Now, a matcha latte features on almost every cafe’s menu, from Pret to Palompos.
But why matcha? With fitness and wellness trending again, following the fitness trends of the 80s, it only made sense for a ‘health’ drink to rise alongside. After all, a full-fat Coke doesn’t complement the pilates princess, ‘in bed by 9:30 pm on weekends’ aesthetic. Health-conscious consumers were looking for an alternative to coffee that would give them a similar feeling of alertness with an added boost of antioxidants. The vibrant green colour, visually reminiscent of green juices, signals participation in contemporary wellness practices, echoing the “Matcha, pilates, alo” lifestyle.
The earthy-tasting drink has also found its way into fashion and beauty content, with brands like Nike coming out with ‘matcha’ coloured shoes. Most notably, matcha has infiltrated the influencer marketing space. Beauty, fashion and athletic brands alike use matcha to create community. Matcha carts have become the centre of attention at influencer events, offering a refreshing treat after an intense hot yoga session or a morning Pilates session, reinforcing the drink’s connection to a healthy, disciplined lifestyle. These moments are photographed and shared with millions, solidifying matcha’s role as a branding tool in contemporary pop culture.
The origins
Western popular culture has a history of importing from other cultures, repackaging them and removing the cultural significance of their traditional practices. We tend to see this more in fashion: in 2025, for example, traditional South Asian neck scarves (dupattas) were rebranded as Scandinavian neck scarves. Or more recently, the trending ‘mandarin tops’ in spring. However, this erasure is no longer confined to fashion, as food and drink have begun to play a crucial role in branding and styling, making drinks like matcha susceptible to appropriation. This is evident in the characterisation of matcha as a “basic white girl drink”– a label that trivialises and obscures its rich East Asian history. Matcha originated around 800 years ago in China. Monks and aristocrats used matcha to facilitate meditation during religious ceremonies, as it created the calm and focus necessary for the practice. Matcha was then introduced to Japan, where it became a part of Zen Buddhist ceremonies. The role of matcha in early East Asian religious practices highlights it as more than just a drink, but a tool for meditation and cultural symbolism.
Matcha in the present day
Now, matcha looks very different from how it looked 800 years ago, as companies like Blank Street combine the green powder with sickly sweet syrups and flavours like cookies and cream or banana bread. These adaptations make matcha as we know it unrecognisable from its original form. Although I love an Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte from Spoiled Life and would sell a kidney to try a Nitro Bar-style matcha, I appreciate how greatly this departs from authentic East Asian tea consumption. Nonetheless, adapting the products of other cultures is not necessarily a negative thing; in a globalised world, cultural practices will inevitably spread and change. But the balance between appreciation and appropriation begins to tip when the product is bastardised and or gentrified. Stripping the history of matcha to sell low-quality, yellowish-green powders at a premium price further detaches the drink from its ritual and ceremonial origins. Companies are selling a repackaged Westernised idea of health, not a health drink anymore, and this is problematic. My goal here is not to reprimand lovers of blueberry matcha lattes or those who cannot distinguish between different qualities of matcha, but to highlight how many trends in Western popular culture have been imported from other regions, often without due acknowledgement or protection of their cultural integrity.