Name: 為何抹茶越來越貴？全球抹茶狂熱與日本茶農的困境| Why Japan Can't Keep Up With America's Matcha Obsession
Uploaded: 2026-02-26T08:26:14.000Z
Duration: 20 min 25 s

The US imports over 2,000 tons of this bright green powder from Japan a year.

美國每年從日本進口超過兩千噸這種亮綠色的粉末。

This specific powder is the highest quality and most expensive version of matcha known as ceremonial grade.

這種特別的粉末是最高品質、最貴的 matcha，也就是所謂的抹茶粉 (茶道級)。

As the matcha frenzy reaches new heights in the US More Western consumers are opting for this type of matcha over less expensive versions or matcha grown outside Japan.

隨著 matcha 在美國的熱潮達到新高點，越來越多西方消費者選擇這種 matcha，而不是比較便宜的版本或在日本以外種植的 matcha。

But with Japanese farmers struggling to keep up with demand, matcha shortages around the world, and

但是，隨著日本農民難以跟上需求、全球 matcha 短缺，

prices soaring to new records, picky matcha drinkers might actually be making the problem worse.

價格飆升創下新紀錄，挑剔的 matcha 飲用者可能反而讓問題變得更糟。

We do have some crazy matcha connoisseurs that come in, but

我們確實有一些瘋狂的 matcha 鑑賞家會來，但是

these labels may not be as definitive as we think.

這些標籤可能不像我們想像的那麼確定。

Anyone can label anything a ceremonial grade and use it as a marketing term.

任何人都可以將任何東西標示為抹茶粉 (茶道級)，並將其作為行銷術語。

So are people in the US drinking matcha all wrong?

所以美國人喝 matcha 的方式是錯的嗎？

And is that the only reason why matcha is more expensive than ever?

這也是 matcha 比以往任何時候都貴的唯一原因嗎？

Matcha drinkers in the US Typically think about the tea in two quality based culinary grade, the lower quality version, and

美國的 matcha 飲用者通常會將茶分為兩種等級：烹飪級，也就是品質較低的，

ceremonial grade, the higher quality one.

以及茶道級，也就是品質較高的。

But in Japan, the traditional classifications were completely different because based on when the tea was served during a Japanese tea ceremony known as chanoyu, koicha, or thick tea, was served at the beginning, and

但在日本，傳統的分類方式完全不同，因為是根據茶在日本茶道 chanoyu 中飲用的時間來區分，濃茶 koicha 會在開始時飲用，

usucha, or thin tea would come at the end.

For koicha, like a thick soup or like melted ice cream would be a good way to describe the consistency.

濃茶 koicha 的質地，就像濃湯或融化的冰淇淋一樣，可以很好地形容它的稠度。

Rebecca Corbett has been studying and practicing chanoyu for over 20 years because of that viscosity.

Rebecca Corbett 學習和練習茶道 chanoyu 超過 20 年，就是因為這種黏稠度。

And there's so much tea in there, you want it to be the highest quality blend that you can get.

而且裡面有這麼多茶，你當然想要品質最高的茶葉。

For usucha, practitioners whisked the matcha powder with more water, creating a lighter, frothier drink.

至於薄茶 usucha，實踐者會用更多的水來攪打 matcha 粉，創造出一種更清淡、更綿密的飲品。

We can think of the thin tea portion of a tea gathering as kind of the most informal and relaxed part at the at the end of the tea gathering.

我們可以把茶會中的薄茶部分，想像成茶會最輕鬆、最隨性的結尾。

For centuries, ceremonies like these were the primary way matcha was consumed in Japan.

幾個世紀以來，像這樣的茶道是日本飲用 matcha 的主要方式。

Most people in Japan did not consume matcha very often.

日本大多數人並沒有經常飲用 matcha。

Its main consumption was among people in the tea practitioner community.

它的主要飲用者是茶道社群裡的人。

It wasn't until the 20th century that people in Japan began consuming matcha more casually.

直到 20 世紀，日本人才開始更隨意地飲用 matcha。

It also became a popular flavoring in baked goods and desserts.

它也成為烘焙食品和甜點中受歡迎的調味品。

But in the US it was still nearly impossible to find.

但在美國，它仍然幾乎找不到。

In the early 2000s, Japan exported just 1% of its tea.

在 2000 年代初期，日本只出口了 1% 的茶葉。

Matcha was always more expensive than other teas.

Around this time, a pack of green tea bags in the US cost around three to four dollars, while a small tin of matcha could cost up to 10 times more.

大約在這個時候，美國一包綠茶包大約要三到四塊美元，而一小罐 matcha 可能要貴上 10 倍。

And the bold taste of matcha in its Pure form was another barrier for western drinkers.

而且 matcha 原味濃鬱的口感，也是西方飲用者的一大障礙。

I've read a lot of newspaper articles and travel diaries.

我讀了很多報紙文章和旅遊日記。

They're using phrases like green gruel, bitter, unpalatable.

他們用了像是「綠色糊狀物」、「苦澀」、「難以下嚥」之類的詞。

They use pea soup as a common description in a not flattering way.

他們還用豌豆湯來形容，但都不是什麼好話。

But 2006 marked a turning point for matcha in the U.S.

不過，2006 年對 matcha 在美國的發展來說，是一個轉捩點。

that's when Starbucks brought matcha to the masses through its Green Tea Latte.

那時候 Starbucks 透過他們的 Green Tea Latte，讓 matcha 走進大眾的視野。

Unlike its traditional preparation, this drink was sweetened, served with milk, and either served hot or iced.

和傳統的泡法不同，這款飲料加了糖，搭配牛奶，可以熱飲或冰飲。

I mean, there's a built in audience there.

我的意思是，那裡本來就有一個既有的客群。

That's Rhona Tison, the North America Tea Ambassador for the Japanese brand Ito N.

這位是 Rhona Tison，日本品牌 Ito N 的北美茶葉大使。

The fact that they introduced matcha in a beverage that was more familiar to a lot of, you know, sweetened beverages, I would have to say that was probably the beginning that it really kind of went mainstream and widespread.

他們把 matcha 融入了一款對很多人來說更熟悉的飲品，也就是甜味飲品，我必須說，那大概是它真正開始普及大眾的開端。

In 2007, the term ceremonial grade matcha was coined in the west according to Canadian brand Dough Matcha.

根據加拿大品牌 Dough Matcha，2007 年時，西方創造了「抹茶粉 (茶道級)」這個詞。

It was their founder who came up with the category.

這個類別是由他們的創辦人想出來的。

It was created to differentiate it from culinary grade matcha, which is intended for cooking or baking with a stronger, slightly bitter flavor.

這樣做的目的是為了區分它和用於烹飪或烘焙的抹茶粉，後者味道較濃且帶點苦味。

Culinary tends to be much more older plant and not of the really high grade tea leaf.

烹飪級的通常是比較老的茶葉，不是非常高品質的茶葉。

The higher quality ceremonial grade matcha is typically made from young tea leaves that come exclusively from the first harvest of the picking season.

品質較高的抹茶粉 (茶道級) 通常是用當季第一次採收的嫩茶葉製成。

It's rich in the chemical L theanine, which gives the tea a slight natural sweetness, making it better for drinking.

它富含化學物質 L-茶胺酸，這種物質讓茶葉帶有天然的微甜，更適合直接飲用。

Ceremonial grade matcha is typically priced higher than culinary grade matcha, costing anywhere from 20 to over $50 per ounce, while culinary grade matcha is typically under $20 per ounce.

抹茶粉 (茶道級) 的價格通常比烹飪級抹茶粉高，每盎司價格從 20 美元到 50 美元以上不等，而烹飪級抹茶粉通常每盎司不到 20 美元。

Matcha's popularity in the US continued to grow in the 2010s, with Google searches for matcha beginning to rise more steadily around 2012.

抹茶在美國的受歡迎程度在 2010 年代持續增長，對抹茶的 Google 搜尋量大約在 2012 年開始穩步上升。

Ito and Rona Tson's tea company rolled out its Matcha Love line in 2015.

Ito 和 Rhona Tison 的茶葉公司在 2015 年推出了他們的 Matcha Love 系列。

Even Business Insider covered the craze, releasing several videos about the bright green tea powder.

就連 Business Insider 也報導了這股熱潮，發布了幾支關於這種亮綠色茶粉的影片。

The power of social media is pretty phenomenal and it really the outreach globally is amazing.

社群媒體的力量真的很驚人，它在全球的觸及範圍真是太棒了。

Today, the US is the biggest importer of Japanese matcha, accounting for nearly 80% of the country's powdered green tea exports in 2024.

今天，美國是日本抹茶最大的進口國，佔該國 2024 年抹茶粉出口量的近 80%。

Google searches for Matcha reached an all time high in 2025.

2025 年，抹茶的 Google 搜尋量達到了歷史新高。

There are even cafes dedicated solely to the green tea powder.

甚至還有專門販售這種綠茶粉的咖啡館。

You'll find it in almost everything on the menu at the New York City Cafe Eoko Matcha Matcha Lattes, Matcha Soft Serve and even Gelato Ayoko Matcha has only been open since August 2025.

在紐約市的 Eoko Matcha 咖啡館，菜單上幾乎所有東西都能看到它的蹤影，像是抹茶拿鐵、抹茶霜淇淋，甚至是抹茶口味的義大利冰淇淋，Ayoko Matcha 自 2025 年 8 月才開幕。

Its owner, Isabella Peng, says business is booming as prices for matcha continue to climb.

它的老闆 Isabella Peng 表示，隨著抹茶價格持續攀升，生意也越來越好。

It turned out better than I thought, actually.

She uses only ceremonial grade matcha in all of her matcha desserts, which she says she sources directly from Japan.

她在所有抹茶甜點中都只使用茶道級抹茶粉，並表示這些抹茶粉是她直接從日本進口的。

Singapore called for the matcha latte specifically because they want to, like, taste all different matcha lattes.

新加坡特別點抹茶拿鐵，是因為他們想品嚐各種不同的抹茶拿鐵。

In the city, we do have some crazy match of connoisseurs.

在這個城市，我們確實有一些瘋狂的抹茶鑑賞家。

I come in and it's like, this is super good, or like, this is a little bit too sweet.

我進來後覺得「這個超讚」，或是「這個有點太甜了」。

Aoko's menu mainly consists of desserts, with its matcha mochi parfait being one of the most popular.

Aoko 的菜單主要以甜點為主，其中抹茶麻糬百匯是最受歡迎的之一。

It starts with a base of matcha pudding and syrup.

首先是抹茶布丁和糖漿作為基底。

So we do make our pudding in house, but it's very light.

我們店裡的布丁是自己做的，但口感非常清爽。

Then it's layered with matcha soft serve rice crisps, more soft serve Mochi balls and red bean paste are gelato's our specialty right now.

然後疊上抹茶霜淇淋米餅、更多霜淇淋，麻糬球和紅豆泥是我們現在的招牌冰淇淋。

We do have levels one through five, one being the most sweet and five is being the most bitter.

我們有分一到五級，一級最甜，五級最苦。

So personally, I like level three because it's right in the middle.

我個人喜歡三級，因為它正好在中間。

But people that love matcha go straight to level five.

但喜歡 matcha 的人會直接選五級。

不只像 Aoko Matcha 這樣的咖啡廳。

Fueling this recent matcha craze, communities are forming in pockets of the Internet, such as Matcha Talk, where matcha enthusiasts share recipes and tips.

最近這股 matcha 熱潮，網路上也出現了像 Matcha Talk 這樣的社群，讓 matcha 愛好者分享食譜和技巧。

As I've always said, matcha is very versatile, but

我一直都說，matcha 的用途非常廣，但是

goodness, it's been sort of applied in so many different food products and beverages.

天啊，它被用在好多不同的食品和飲料裡。

But producing enough for matcha's growing fan base is becoming increasingly challenging.

但要生產足夠的量來滿足 matcha 日益增長的粉絲，變得越來越困難。

We first met Gintaro Yamamoto back in 2022 on his over 180-year-old farm in Kyoto.

我們第一次見到 Gintaro Yamamoto 是在 2022 年，在他位於京都、有 180 多年歷史的農場。

The region is responsible for 25% of Japan's production of tencha, the tea leaf from which matcha is made.

這個地區負責日本 25% 的 tencha 產量，tencha 是製作 matcha 的茶葉。

The harvest begins in the spring when workers gather the young leaves used for ceremonial grade match.

採收在春天開始，工人會採集用於 抹茶粉 (茶道級) 的嫩葉。

But it's more than just western categories, putting a strain on Japanese supply.

但這不只是西式產品，讓日本的供應吃緊。

This is Jintaro's elaborate shading system designed to protect the leaves, a step that's perhaps become more important than ever.

這是 Jintaro 精心設計的遮蔭系統，用來保護茶葉，這一步驟或許比以往任何時候都更加重要。

In 2024, intense heat waves damaged tea bushes in Kyot.

2024 年，強烈的熱浪損壞了京都的茶樹。

But even with these adjustments, he says, his farm's yields took a hit.

但 Jintaro 說，即使做了這些調整，他的農場產量還是受到了影響。

After the leaves are picked, Jintaro starts by steaming the tencha leaves.

採摘完茶葉後，Jintaro 會先蒸煮 tencha 茶葉。

This locks in their flavor and preserves their rich green color.

這能鎖住茶葉的風味，並保留其濃鬱的綠色。

He cools them with a leaf spreader and places them in a nearly century old furnace to dry.

他用葉片鋪展機冷卻茶葉，然後放入近百年歷史的烘乾爐中乾燥。

After drying the leaves stems are removed and then they are prepared for grinding.

乾燥後，會移除茶葉的莖，然後準備研磨。

Jintaro grinds his tencha leaves using a handmade granite stone mill.

Jintaro 使用手工製作的花崗岩石磨來研磨他的 tencha 茶葉。

This traditional method creates a fine powder that preserves the nutrients of the tencha.

這種傳統方法製成的細緻粉末能保留 tencha 的營養。

It takes Gentaro an hour to grind just 40 grams of matcha.

Jintaro 需要一個小時才能研磨出 40 克的 matcha。

Another issue plaguing Japan's tencha production is the shrinking number of tea farmers available to grow it.

另一個困擾日本 tencha 生產的問題是，越來越少的茶農願意種植。

With most tea farmers in their 60s and 70s and a few young growers like Gentaro joining the field, there aren't enough new farmers to take over existing tea fields or expand production.

由於大多數茶農都已年屆六、七十歲，加上像 Gentaro 這樣年輕的種植者加入，新一代的茶農人數不足以接管現有的茶田或擴大生產。

These issues have created a shortage that's driving the price of matcha upward.

這些問題造成了短缺，進而推高了 matcha 的價格。

The average price of tencha reached 8,235 yen, or $56 per kilogram, in April 2025, the highest it's ever been.

2025 年 4 月，tencha 的平均價格達到每公斤 8,235 日圓，相當於 56 美元，創下歷史新高。

These producer price hikes trickled down to distributors like Ito n, the company Rona works for.

這些生產者價格的上漲，也影響到了像 Rona 所任職的伊藤公司這樣的經銷商。

In September, it increased its prices on some of its premium grade matcha products, as well as double the price of its ceremonial grade matcha.

九月份，該公司調漲了部分頂級 matcha 產品的價格，並將 抹茶粉 (茶道級) 的價格翻倍。

It's becoming difficult to to get matcha these days.

現在要買到 matcha 越來越難了。

On top of everything new US Tariffs threaten to make Japanese matcha even pricier for American consumers.

此外，新的美國關稅也威脅著讓美國消費者買到的日本 matcha 更加昂貴。

Isabella is also thinking about price increases for Aoko Matcha in New York City during August and September.

Isabella 也考慮在八月和九月調漲紐約市 Aoko Matcha 的價格。

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為何抹茶越來越貴？全球抹茶狂熱與日本茶農的困境| Why Japan Can't Keep Up With America's Matcha Obsession

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