Matcha and Green Tea Products Made Outside Japan

Matcha is produced in other countries now. The products have recognizable tendencies.

Application preceded raw material

International growth has been strongest in food ingredient use rather than drinking.

MAFF's analysis of Japanese export growth points to demand for powdered tea as a food ingredient — lattes and confectionery — as the driver.

Ingredient applications do not demand the particle fineness or aroma that drinking does. Color and flavor suffice. Product design reflects that.

Sweet is often the default

Matcha lattes abroad come sweetened as standard.

Retail powders are frequently pre-sweetened as well — close in construction to Japanese sweetened matcha.

Labeling covers a wide range

Products sold as matcha include:

• Shade-grown tencha, stone-milled
• Leaf never grown under shade, ground
• Green tea powder supplemented with flavoring and coloring

No internationally standardized definition exists, so all can carry the name in some jurisdictions.

Prices spread widely

Japanese green tea exported to the US commands a unit price roughly five times that of Chinese green tea.

Products sitting on the same shelf can differ substantially in both raw material and processing.

"Japanese" as a marker

Japanese origin functions as a quality signal.

Adding Uji or Kyoto raises unit prices further — origin operating as a brand.

Reading a product

Ingredient list, origin statement, price.

Color intensity and aroma strength are not reliable indicators, since both can be produced by additives. The same criteria that apply in Japan apply abroad.

Figures reflect statistics as of 2025.