Behind the rich bitterness of matcha lies a shift in consumer taste and the quiet rise of China’s domestic matcha industry. “No sugar, please”, a young professional orders at Heytea, choosing the trending bitter matcha. Once avoided, its bitterness is now its main appeal. Since 2024, matcha has claimed its place on menus of major tea brands, a trend that reflects broader shifts in the bakery and beverage sectors—precisely the kind of evolution explored in depth at Bakery China.

01 Taste Reversal: The Bitterer, the Better

Consumers now seek “original flavor”, valuing the true taste of ingredients.

“Bitter matcha is closer to tea’s authentic taste”, Heytea notes. CoCo increased matcha concentration by 1.3 times, while brands like Nayuki’s Tea launch “Strong Matcha” drinks.

Young people actively choose no sugar and compare brands for thickness and smoothness online. Thousand-mesh matcha has become a quality benchmark—finer powder, smoother texture.

02 Health Demand & Coffee Alternatives

Matcha is seen as a superfood, rich in antioxidants like polyphenols and L-theanine. It’s also becoming a coffee substitute. “Matcha has less caffeine and theanine, so it energizes without overstimulating”, one consumer shares.

Work alertness is now the third-largest matcha consumption scenario. Many office workers replace coffee with matcha, boosting the DIY matcha market.

03 The Rise of Domestic Matcha

Though matcha originated in China, it long carried a Japanese image. This is changing.

China now produces over 55% of the world’s matcha. Key regions include Jingshan (Zhejiang) and Tongren (Guizhou), the latter producing over 1,200 tons in 2024. In early 2025, Tongren matcha was exported to Japan—a milestone. Retailers like Freshippo and Walmart now highlight Tongren origin matcha.

04 Cultural Gaps & Opportunities

Domestic matcha still lags in cultural storytelling. Brands like 27° Leaf are incorporating Song dynasty tea whisking to differentiate from Japanese matcha.

Yet compared to Japan’s rich matcha culture, China’s narrative is still developing. Building recognition for Chinese matcha remains a key challenge.

From Guizhou tea fields to urban offices, domestic matcha is gaining ground. The bitter cup in hand reflects a lifestyle shift—toward authenticity, health, and gentle energy.

Bakery China 2026 will continue to share more industry professional content with you, so please stay tuned!

Bakery China 2026, organized by China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry (CABCI) and Bakery China Exhibitions Co., Ltd. was launched since 1997. Bakery China 2026 is the Asia Pacific’s leading event serving the entire value chain for the bakery and confectionery market. The event presents all range of ingredient, equipment, packaging and services, and enables global leading professionals and buyer delegates to meet and share the latest innovations and thinking on manufacturing & distribution, R&D, applications and related services for bakery industry. It is the first-choice trade fair to enter China’s bakery market.

The 2026 ASEAN International Bakery Exhibition (Bakery ASEAN) is a premier trade event focusing on the bakery and related industries in ASEAN and global markets. The resources of the full industrial chain from the local and the international of Bakery China are converged here.

The 2026 ASEAN International Bakery Exhibition (Bakery ASEAN)，will be held on August 27-29 at JIExpo (Jakarta, Indonesia), co-located with renowned WEPACK Indonesia, Cafe Show Indonesia held by Reed Exhibitions Group， is a premier trade event focusing on the bakery and related industries in ASEAN and global markets. the shows will be covering 20,000 square meters, expecting more than 500 exhibitors and 50,000 professional buyers including distributors, imports and exports, manufacturers, chain stores, supermarkets, convenient stores, hotels and cafes, etc. from not only the ASEAN but also the rest of the world.

(Source: DT Commercial Insight)