The popularity of matcha is skyrocketing worldwide. The famous finely-ground green tea powder is in short supply. Most of the world's matcha is produced in Japan. Record high temperatures there have lowered harvests of the shade-grown tea leaves. Increased demand and lower crop yields have resulted in prices hitting an all-time high. Masahiro Yoshida, a sixth-generation farmer from Uji, Kyoto, told the Reuters news agency about his decreased production. He said he was only able to harvest 1.5 tons of tencha tea leaves this year, instead of his typical harvest of two tons. He added: "Last year's summer was so scorching that it damaged the bushes, so we couldn't pluck as many leaves."
全球抹茶熱潮持續升溫，但這款細磨綠茶粉正面臨供應短缺危機。由於日本遭遇破紀錄高溫，導致遮光栽培的茶葉歉收，而需求激增與產量下降雙重夾擊下，價格已飆升至歷史新高。京都宇治的六代茶農吉田昌弘向《路透社》透露，今年十茶葉收成僅1.5噸，遠低於往常的2噸產量。他解釋：「去年夏季酷熱天氣損害茶樹生長，導致我們無法採收同等數量的茶葉。」作為全球抹茶主要產地的日本，正經歷氣候變遷與市場需求的嚴峻考驗。
Matcha has exploded in popularity, from being a niche product to becoming a trendy flavouring for beverages, smoothies, desserts, and even skincare products. The Global Japanese Tea Association said Japan's tourism boom is exacerbating the green tea shortage. It told the website Sustainability Magazine: "Many foreigners buy lots of matcha…as souvenirs, sometimes even in bulk." It that added this increased appetite for matcha was "unprecedented," and was in part fuelled by social media. Yuki Ishii, founder of the store Tealife, said demand has grown ten-fold, and that he is always out of stock. "Matcha mania" has resulted in a scarcity that is also affecting Japan's traditional tea ceremonies.
抹茶已從小眾產品爆發性崛起，成為飲料、冰沙、甜點乃至護膚品的熱門風味。《全球日本茶協會》指出，日本旅遊熱潮正加劇綠茶短缺危機，該協會向《永續雜誌》表示：「許多外國旅客大量採購抹茶作為紀念品，甚至出現批發式購買」，並強調這波需求增長是「前所未見的」，且部分由社群媒體推波助瀾。茶鋪Tealife創辦人石井裕紀透露，需求量暴增十倍，店鋪始終處於缺貨狀態。這場「抹茶狂熱」導致的稀缺性，甚至已開始影響日本傳統茶道文化的傳承。
單字
•Skyrocketing (verb) – Increasing rapidly.
•Finely-ground (adj.) – Crushed into very small particles.
•Short supply (noun phrase) – Limited availability.
•Shade-grown (adj.) – Cultivated under shade to enhance flavor.
•Yields (noun) – Amount produced (e.g., crops).
•Scorching (adj.) – Extremely hot.
•Bushes (noun) – Low-growing plants (here, tea plants).
•Pluck (verb) – To pick or harvest.
•Niche (adj.) – Specialized, not mainstream.
•Exacerbating (verb) – Making worse.
•Boom (noun) – Sudden increase.
•Unprecedented (adj.) – Never seen before.
•Fuelled (verb, past) – Driven or stimulated.
•Ten-fold (adv.) – Ten times as much.
•Out of stock (phrase) – Not available for sale.
•Mania (noun) – Extreme enthusiasm.
•Scarcity (noun) – Shortage.
