HEALTH + WELLNESS
© Sentidos Humanos
To date, the hashtag # matcha has amassed billions of views across TikTok, while Instagram’ s grid is awash with jade-toned lattes and innovative iced creations- quite clearly, this is no fleeting fad, but instead marks a full-bodied cultural shift. In the UK, that shift has been particularly pronounced over the past five years with coffee chains expanding their matcha menus, innovative independent cafés building entire menus around it, and supermarket shelves now stocking everything from ceremonial-grade powders to ready-to-drink cans. What was once a niche, specialist ingredient has made its mark on the mainstream- and increasingly into our morning routines.
But why matcha, and why now? Part of its appeal lies in its contrast. In a culture long dominated by coffee, which is considered fast, punchy and functional, matcha offers something slower, gentler and more considered. It promises sustained energy rather than spikes and crashes, and focus without overcaffeinated jitteriness, raising the stakes at a societal time where wellness has moved from aspirational to necessary for survival- and that is a powerful proposition.
At its core, matcha is finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves. Unlike traditional green tea, where leaves are steeped and discarded, matcha is consumed whole- meaning you ingest the entire leaf- and with it, a more concentrated dose of its natural compounds. Its origins trace back to China during the Tang dynasty, but it was in Japan that matcha became culturally embedded, particularly through the centuries-old traditional tea ceremony, where preparation is elevated to a revered artform.
The journey from ceremonial ritual to Kent café counter is a long one, but not entirely unexpected, with matcha first beginning to appear in the UK in small quantities in the early 2000s, largely through specialist tea importers and Japanese cultural circles. Its wider commercial breakthrough came later, as global interest in functional foods and wellness ingredients gathered pace, and by the late 2010s, matcha had moved out of the margins and onto the menus of major
“ Matcha contains both caffeine and L-theanine, a combination shown to support sustained focus and alertness without the sharper peaks and crashes often associated with coffee consumption.”
coffee chains, embedding itself slowly but surely into everyday consciousness.
Health, of course, sits at the centre of its appeal. Naturally rich in antioxidants, particularly catechins( potent plantbased antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals) such as EGCG, which have been widely studied for their role in supporting overall wellbeing, matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid associated with promoting a sense of calm alertness- a combination often described as‘ focused relaxation’. Unlike coffee, where caffeine hits quickly and can drop just as fast, matcha’ s caffeine is released more gradually, offering a steadier form of energy that many find easier to sustain throughout the day.
There’ s also something intangible at play- a sense of‘ intention’, which has become a hugely recognised and widely used term in modern wellness spheres that places emphasis on present-moment commitments that focus on how you want to live and feel. Preparing matcha- even in its simplest form- invites a welcome pause; whether whisked traditionally or shaken into an iced latte, the whole process carries with it a suggestion of ritual, of doing something properly rather than quickly, which, in a social landscape increasingly defined by rushing, matters.
If matcha’ s origins are steeped in ceremony however, its modern incarnations are anything but restrained, with today’ s matcha menus becoming increasingly more expansive, more creative and definitely more indulgent. Iced matcha drinks have surged in popularity, driven in part by their vivid visual appeal and signature aesthetic, which lends itself perfectly to social media.
Additionally, flavoured variations, especially those incorporating vanilla, coconut or berry notes, are increasingly common, broadening matcha’ s appeal beyond traditionalists to a new, younger audience, not least across Kent where a growing number of cafés are embracing matcha not as a token menu addition, but as a centrepiece. www. insidekent. co. uk • 141