It’s lean, it’s green, and it’s taking over Australian cafe cuisine. Matcha, a powdered green tea promising a smooth caffeine hit and numerous health benefits, has become a global sensation, outselling coffee at many cafes, going viral on social media, and depleting stocks at centuries-old Japanese producers for the first time. At Stanmore bakery-cafe Pantry Story, which opened in February , customers queue along Parramatta Road for croissants filled with creamy, matcha-infused frangipane, and iced coconut water layered with a thick matcha foam.
Co-owners Mutiara Putri Sucipto and Hari Wibowo say every time they introduce a new matcha item to the menu, it becomes a bestseller. At Melbourne cafe Bloomwood, customers need to get in line for the strawberry matcha “Bloomtini”, its signature iced drink made with hand-whisked matcha and milk, layered over strawberry foam, and garnished with three tiny croissants on a cocktail pick. Co-owners Darren Nguyen, Brian Taing and Joe La are espresso enthusiasts who found it “remarkable” when matcha sales began to rival coffee sales, but they’re not alone.
Matcha has become the go-to drink at cafes across the country, including Naau Cafe (Melbourne), where it makes up to 80 per cent of all sales. “I really feel like it could become as popular as coffee,” says Taka Kaneko, owner of Edo Matcha, a tea shop in Newtown. Kaneko has struggled to keep up with demand, often waiting up to three months for a new shipment to arrive .