為何抹茶如今風靡一時？｜《經濟學人》翻譯

Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment

為何抹茶如今風靡一時？

Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it

它真的是咖啡的健康替代品嗎？從 Z 世代的點單方式來看，恐怕未必。

Jan 14th 2025  

IT WAS A freezing winter’s day in London as patrons jostled in a poky outpost of Blank Street, a coffee-shop chain. You might have expected them to pick up a warming cappuccino. Instead, many placed orders for iced matcha lattes, which arrived in shades of green, cream (white-chocolate flavour) or purple (blueberry).

倫敦的冬日寒氣逼人，Blank Street咖啡店裡人頭攢動。本以為顧客會點一杯暖心的卡布奇諾，許多人卻點了冰抹茶拿鐵：綠的、奶白的（白巧風味）、紫的（藍莓風味），色彩繽紛。

Such is the craze for matcha that fans are willing to risk frostbite to get their hands on one. Blank Street claims that it sells some form of the green-tea-based drink “every four seconds” from its 80-odd shops in Britain and America (though it refuses to say how much that adds up to). In Japan, the world’s leading producer of matcha, the export value of tea in 2023 rose by 33% from the previous year. The global market for matcha-based products is worth around $4.24bn and will grow around 53% by 2029, predicts the Business Research Company, a consultancy.

抹茶熱潮如此瘋狂，粉絲們甘願冒著凍傷的風險也要搶購一杯。Blank Street 宣稱，它在英美 80 多家分店中，每四秒鐘就會售出一款抹茶飲品（儘管它拒絕透露總銷售額）。日本作為全球最大抹茶生產國， 2023 年茶葉出口價值較前一年增長 33%。據商業研究公司預測，全球抹茶產品市場價值約 42.4 億美元，並將在 2029 年前增長約 53%。

Matcha is big on social media: videos tagged #Matcha on TikTok have more than 15bn views. Fans share recipes and teach their followers how to tell a high-quality matcha powder from a shoddy one. (Apparently they should look for “ceremonial grade”, which has a vibrant hue, fine texture and higher price tag.) Asia is responsible for more than 40% of matcha consumption: as well as going into bottled, pre-mixed drinks, the powder is used in ice cream, biscuits and mochi (rice cakes).

抹茶在社交媒體上風靡：TikTok 上 #Matcha 標籤影片觀看次數超過 150 億次。粉絲們分享食譜，並教導如何辨別高品質與劣質抹茶粉。（應尋找「儀式級」抹茶，色澤鮮豔、質地細膩，價格更貴。）亞洲佔全球抹茶消費量 40% 以上：除了瓶裝和預調飲料，抹茶粉還用於冰淇淋、餅乾和麻糬。

Matcha is made from ground leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea culture developed in China during the Tang Dynasty. Myoan Eisai, a Japanese monk, came across it while travelling there in the 12th century; he brought seeds back to Japan and wrote a book extolling green tea’s benefits, describing it as “the elixir of the immortals”. Matcha later spread through Japanese polite society with the rise of chanoyu, or the tea ceremony.

抹茶由茶葉研磨而成。茶文化始於中國唐朝。12 世紀，日本僧侶榮西西在中國旅行時接觸到茶文化，將茶種帶回日本，並撰書讚頌綠茶益處，稱其為「長生不老藥」。隨著茶道興起，抹茶也在日本上流社會中流行開來。

What explains the drink’s newfound popularity outside Asia? Matcha mavens tout it as a healthier alternative to coffee. Some studies suggest that green tea’s antioxidants can help stave off cardiovascular disease, improve gut health and speed up metabolism. It also gives a steady boost of energy, compared with the surge and crash of a cup of joe. A coffee contains around 100-200mg of caffeine; a matcha contains around 70mg, as well as L-theanine, an amino acid, which together improve concentration and alertness.

為何抹茶在亞洲外走紅？抹茶愛好者稱其為咖啡的健康替代品。研究表明，綠茶抗氧化劑有助預防心血管疾病、改善腸道健康並加速新陳代謝。與咖啡的短暫提神相比，抹茶提供更穩定的能量。一杯咖啡含 100-200 毫克咖啡因，而抹茶含約 70 毫克咖啡因及 L-茶氨酸，兩者協同提升專注力和警覺性。

Gen Z and millennials—who drink less coffee than their elders, spend more time online and care about wellness—are seeking it out. The irony is that much of matcha’s growth in the West is driven by flavoured matcha lattes, which are crammed with sugar. The future may not be all that sweet, however. Tea production in Japan is decreasing, as is the area of land being used for cultivation; farmers are retiring and are put off by rising prices for fertiliser and other essentials. Lovers of the trendy iced beverage may soon feel a chill when it comes to their bill.

比年長者喝更少咖啡，花更多時間上網，注重健康的Z 世代和千禧一代，正成為抹茶主要消費者。諷刺的是，抹茶在西方市場的增長很大程度上依賴於高糖份的抹茶拿鐵。然而，抹茶的未來未必一片光明——日本茶葉產量下降，種植面積縮減；農民退休，肥料等必需品價格上漲——這款潮流冰飲的愛好者，或許很快就會因帳單數字而心頭一冷。

摘要

Matcha, the powdered green tea rooted in Japanese tradition, has become a global sensation, fuelled by social media and health-conscious millennials. Yet, its Western popularity often hinges on sugary lattes, contradicting its health-driven image. Meanwhile, Japan’s declining tea production, due to ageing farmers and rising costs, threatens future supply. As demand grows, fans of this trendy drink may soon find themselves paying a premium for their matcha fix.

抹茶，這種源自日本傳統的綠茶粉，在社交媒體和注重健康的千禧一代推動下，已成為全球熱潮。然而，它在西方的流行往往建立在含糖抹茶拿鐵上，與其健康形象背道而馳。與此同時，日本因農民老化和成本上升而減少的茶葉產量，正威脅未來供應。隨著需求增長，這款潮流飲品的愛好者可能很快要為一杯抹茶付出更高代價。

本文為個人翻譯，若有疏漏之處，敬請指教－