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The rise of matcha bars in India
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In the past year, there's been a proliferation of boba tea brands and matcha bars. Looking at the global adoption of these teas, we're a bit late to the party but are certainly catching up. About a year ago, I wrote on the changing styles of tea, and Anne-Frédérique Dayraut, a tea promoter in France, had talked about how matcha, boba and chai are almost dissociated from tea, as standalone beverages. Still, the tea world can lay claim to this popularity, especially given that these are teas one enjoys out of home, lend themselves to customising, and are hence attractive to a new generation of tea drinkers.
In the past year, there's been a proliferation of boba tea brands and matcha bars. Looking at the global adoption of these teas, we're a bit late to the party but are certainly catching up. About a year ago, I wrote on the changing styles of tea, and Anne-Frédérique Dayraut, a tea promoter in France, had talked about how matcha, boba and chai are almost dissociated from tea, as standalone beverages. Still, the tea world can lay claim to this popularity, especially given that these are teas one enjoys out of home, lend themselves to customising, and are hence attractive to a new generation of tea drinkers.
I decided to visit the newest entrant in Bengaluru, Got Tea, a matcha and bubble tea bar that has opened in Kalyan Nagar, after seeing a lot of traction in their National Capital Region outlets. What was fascinating was to see matcha and bubble tea, two very different tea styles with different origins, converge to become a single beverage that is especially popular with 18-25-year olds.
Also read: How to unlock umami from matcha
YuSung Eo, one of Got Tea's three founders who's originally from Korea, says when they launched their first outlet in 2020 in Delhi, it was more about boba. Matcha has now taken centre stage and in the past nine months, he is seeing a big boost in interest and sales globally.
Matcha is a tea that was traditionally about Japanese tea ceremony, with flavours quite different from the average tea. Yet that hasn't come in the way of this current surge in popularity. For so long, one spoke of its acquired flavours of umami and bitterness. And of course, it's not an inexpensive tea. So to see the demand surge with a global shortage is reason enough to take notice of it. The Japan Times reported in February that matcha production saw a threefold increase from 2010 to 2023, and that in the last five years, it has reached a 'tipping point", with over half of matcha from Japan exported.
Its popularity is owed to its increased association with wellness (high antioxidants and also high caffeine), but perhaps also to its sheer versatility—finding its way into cooking and baking, as hot or cold, with or without milk. And of course, the vibrant green colour. The noise around matcha is growing louder, especially on Instagram.
YuSung spoke of offering an authentic experience, sourcing premium grade matcha from Shizuoka and not skimping on how much matcha they use. He speaks of 'guiding" customers to navigate the matcha flavours, and a campaign to promote matcha that includes matcha workshops for tea enthusiasts (so far invitee-only, but soon open to public). It seems to be working—a lesson here for Indian speciality tea makers, on how to create a market for their teas.
I had a matcha lemonade with coconut jelly, not the right choice for a windy day. I wished I had opted for a hot latte instead. But that's the thing—with so many matcha bars, pop-ups and options across the country offering access to the tea, returning to try another matcha has gotten so easy.
Also read: India's very own tea ceremony
Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series on the world of tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a tea drinker, writer and editor. She posts @AravindaAnanth1. Topics You May Be Interested In
