THERE is no doubt that matcha is one of the hottest trends in the Philippines this year. Matcha has been a permanent fixture in the global coffee shop chain Starbucks’ menu for several years now. Many new coffee shops have opened and are devoted solely to matcha.
Matcha’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, spurred by colorful and aesthetically pleasing social media content. The ‘Matcha Tok’ hashtag has clocked up tens of millions of views.
One of the reasons for matcha’s popularity online is its reputation as a ‘superfood’ due to its antioxidants, energy-boosting properties, and benefits for metabolism and weight loss. This fits right into current fitness trends.
Globally, matcha fans and enthusiasts faced high prices and short supplies of the tea powder.
In 2024, matcha accounted for more than half of the 8,798 tonnes of green tea exported from Japan, according to data from Japan’s Agriculture Ministry.
The bright green powder is swirled into drinks, ice cream, and pastries, and I won’t lie-it’s very photogenic, which is why matcha is so popular on social media.
Influencers like Sophia Margarette To and Caitlin Lee have driven the popularity of matcha online. To, who has over half a million followers on social media, is very popular for her ‘make matcha with me’ content on TikTok. She even has a matcha bar at home.
Lee and To have created content showcasing preparation techniques, innovative recipes (like chocolate matcha), and recommendations, contributing to its trendiness. Lee has her own matcha business called Maison Midori, which is available online via the brand’s website and bazaars.
Lee was abroad when she first tried matcha. It was a peanut butter matcha latte.
Long after she came back to the Philippines, Lee was still thinking about that matcha latte.
That memorable matcha became Maison Midori, Lee’s own brand that debuted in the Philippines with the goal of introducing what Lee calls ‘good matcha’ at fair prices to Filipinos.
Maison Midori officially launched in 2024 with its first line of premium matcha powders, supported by family, friends, and a growing community. In just a few months, the brand gained momentum through events such as the Soirée Bazaar, where Lee sold over 500 matcha drinks during her first pop-up.
‘From the very beginning, I wanted Maison Midori to be more than a product. I wanted it to be an experience that brings people closer to the heart of matcha,’ said Lee. She explained that while matcha is a green tea derivative, not all green tea leaves qualify as matcha, as only those grown under shade to boost chlorophyll and amino acids can be considered the real thing. ‘The location is very important. Where matcha is grown, how they cover it. Because the green matcha and the green leaves that you see in the matcha farm, it’s actually not matcha. It’s green tea. So, the ones covered are matcha. And that is how they actually measure how good matcha is,’ she said.
Maison Midori sources its matcha from Uji, known as the birthplace of matcha. It also sources its matcha from Wazuka, a region in Japan that has been gaining attention for its farms. Its first release, the Tenshi variant from the Samidori cultivar, is an ‘approachable, everyday matcha.’ Another variant, Mariaca, has a more floral profile, with what some describe as a subtle corn-like aftertaste.
There have been global shortages of matcha because of its popularity.
Lee said there is a shortage when it comes to the bigger and more popular brands but if you source from small farmers, there is adequate supply.
‘We also get our matcha from small farmers and they are able to supply us with what we need,’ she said.