Green gruel? Pea soup? What Westerners thought of matcha when they tried it for the first time

Green gruel? Pea soup? What Westerners thought of matcha when they tried it for the first time

(The Conversation) - “Matcha mania” shows no signs of slowing, with global demand pushing “supply chains to the brink,” as Australia’s ABC News reported in July 2025. The powdered drink retains a massive following in Tokyo, where long lines of customers snake out of The Matcha Tokyo on any given Saturday. At the trendy, minimalist cafe, the staff uses a cast-iron kettle and a bamboo ladle. Both are a nod to the traditional Japanese way of prepar…