Matcha latte fever turns coffee shops and milk tea shops green

Matcha latte fever turns coffee shops, milk tea shops, and candy stores green

The Vietnamese beverage market is witnessing a "change of throne", when matcha latte - a drink combining green tea powder and milk, went viral since the end of last year and has been popular for the past few months, covering the menus of beverage chains from high-end to popular.

The milk tea "craze" turns to matcha latte

Thanh Viet, owner of Sunny Coffee in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, said that his shop started "participating" in the matcha latte craze in December 2024, but sales were strongest after Tet. The price of a matcha latte at his shop is 49,000 VND, 14,000 VND more expensive than the same size M iced milk coffee, but customers really like it.

Anh Viet said that the shop's regular customers are mostly young people and women who used to come to the shop to order milk tea, but now switch to this drink. Some people also switched from iced milk coffee to matcha latte.

Dieu Ly (26 years old, living in Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City - a coffee lover has decided to switch to this drink. Dieu Ly said thanks to the cool green color, light sweet taste, plus the information that green tea powder contains a large amount of antioxidants, improves concentration and also helps beautify the skin thanks to its ability to prevent aging.

She said she is buying matcha powder to make her own matcha latte to drink every day instead of coffee, to control the amount of sugar and milk, and to save money, because the average price of each cup of matcha latte is around 35,000 - 65,000 VND.

The matcha latte craze is making a series of shops from large chains to small stores restless, constantly launching menus with new dishes made from this drink.

Katinat, which is quick to create trends, immediately launched the matcha tofu and matcha latte duo at prices of 59,000 VND and 69,000 VND to please customers. Despite the high price for a size M glass, this drink is attracting a large number of customers lining up to buy even though it has just been launched not long ago.

The Coffee House is not far behind, launching a series of 9 green-dyed menu items, priced at 59,000 - 69,000 VND/cup.

Cheese Coffee introduces a matcha collection called "Zentle matcha" with 4 versions priced at 55,000-95,000 VND/cup, along with many types of ice cream, cheese, and cakes with matcha "origin".

Phe La also immediately added to the menu a collection of matcha oolong, including canned ones priced at VND59,000-108,000. However, unlike other chains that advertise green tea powder imported from Japan, this chain said matcha is a Vietnamese agricultural product, made from domestically produced green tea.

More affordable, Mixue added 4 matcha dishes to the menu at the same time, priced at 25,000 VND/cup, with the slogan: "If you accidentally make me angry, buy me a matcha latte, I will stop being angry!".

Even fast food chain Lotteria also includes a matcha latte on its menu for 30,000 VND.

The menu is covered in green with a series of new dishes just launched by a famous tea and coffee chain.

Bakeries from popular to high-end are not outdone, constantly introducing new products from cakes to ice cream, jelly, snacks... with the presence of this green tea.

On online markets, forums, and matcha trading groups are also bustling. Many consumers believe that authentic matcha must be made from Japanese green tea powder, due to its rich, delicious flavor. That is why imported products are always reported to be out of stock and have increased prices due to high demand.

Trendy cuisine is out of date, but matcha is an exception

It is no coincidence that culinary brands are simultaneously promoting communication and launching new products revolving around matcha. The 2024 Food and Beverage Market Report by iPOS.vn, published in mid-March 2025, confirms that the drink is on the rise.

According to the report, in 2024, trendy cuisine will no longer be favored by restaurants, with nearly 53% of businesses affirming that they will no longer follow any culinary trends, but are very cautious in investing. However, matcha is an exception.

Nearly 30% of businesses in this field said they chose to add matcha drinks to their menu due to strong consumer demand.

In fact, in Vietnam, matcha appeared in 2010, but it was not until 2024, thanks to the "fever" of Thai matcha coconut cream (matcha coco), that matcha really exploded, becoming a drink that young people are competing to hunt for.

The booming demand for matcha is an opportunity for domestic production regions.

Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Quan, Brand Director of iPOS.vn, believes that matcha has emerged as a popular choice in modern drinks, such as lattes, smoothies or cakes, especially favored by Gen Z, because this drink brings a different experience thanks to its refreshing taste, eye-catching colors and health benefits.

But in reality, customers are still using coffee and tea depending on the time and need. For example, if you need to be alert in the morning, choose coffee, if you need to relax or detox in the afternoon, choose tea, but do not completely switch from coffee to matcha.

According to Mr. Quan, Japanese matcha is still the main ingredient that stores prefer to use. That is why there has been a shortage recently.

However, Vietnam is taking the initiative in producing high-quality matcha. Domestic raw materials are developing very well and aiming to be close to the quality of Japanese matcha lines. The proof is that products from domestic growing areas have been used by many stores and are not inferior to imported matcha. Vietnamese matcha powder is also being exported abroad by some units.

When Vietnamese matcha affirms its quality, the source of raw materials will be more stable and proactive, there will be no need to worry about raw material shortages in the near future, and the price will also be more affordable.

According to data from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry and Fisheries, the country's green tea exports, including matcha, in 2024 will reach 36.4 billion yen (about 244 million USD), up about 25% from 2023 and also the highest level of this product ever, before the global matcha craze.

Matcha is made from young leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant, ground into a fine powder, containing high levels of antioxidant compounds, providing higher nutrition than regular green tea.

But the way it is currently prepared in shops, some people think that in essence, matcha latte is no different from milk tea. The preparation method is that matcha powder is beaten very thickly with water and then poured directly onto milk. Similar to the preparation of milk tea, when fresh milk is poured into brewed black tea and green tea.

HQ (according to VTC News)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/con-sot-matcha-latte-nhuom-xanh-quan-ca-phe-tiem-tra-sua-411164.html