Who needs financial stability when you can have a cup of overpriced green tea and a sense of wellness satisfaction? After all, nothing says “clean girl pilates aesthetic” quite like a drink that costs more than your actual breakfast. Matcha is not only the infamous drink that most people consume because they have gaslit themselves into liking it, as it has been promoted consistently by the wellness girlies on TikTok and Instagram. Matcha is also a current global trend and the golden asset that cafes proudly overcharge for.

 Over the last decade, the demand for this green tea has tripled. The traditional Japanese tea once used in quiet ceremonies is now all over social media and in cafes everywhere. With such high consumption, matcha has expanded beyond its cultural role and has become a highly profitable product on the market. Just recently, in 2023, the matcha market reached $4.3 billion and has continued to grow at an average rate of 10% since then. A matcha latte is typically sold for $5-$8 and can even go up to $10. This is just another proof of how wellness trends and aesthetic drinks influence consumer behavior and, even more importantly, drive economic gains.

 But if not for its taste, then what’s the secret behind matcha’s popularity? The answer is aesthetic appeal. The soft green drink with a velvety foam, put in a clear iced latte cup, is specifically designed to look good on your Instagram story. In fact, matcha doesn’t function only as a drink but also as an accessory, which many hold in photos to match the curated aesthetic of their feed. This so-called “pretty drink effect” allows restaurants and cafes to charge higher prices because the customer is not only paying for the matcha itself, but also for the image, the vibe, and the overall experience.

 For a drink that’s marketed for calm energy, matcha’s price tag is anything but relaxing. But this exact price tag has earned a high amount of profits, and people don’t seem to mind paying the cost. The Gen Z drink has become a factor in today’s economy and also a symbol of modern consumption, being the perfect example that sometimes the aesthetic value can be just as influential as the actual one when it comes to what people are willing to pay.

Citations:

Forshaw, Irenie. “The Rise of Matcha: The “Cool-Girl” Powdered Tea.” The Week, 5 Aug. 2024, theweek.com/culture-life/food-drink/matcha-tea? Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Grand View Research. “Matcha Market Size, Share | Global Industry Trends Report, 2018 - 2025.” Www.grandviewresearch.com, 2023, www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/matcha-market. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Gravalese, Stephanie. “Performative Matcha: The Tea Trend You Didn’t Know About.” Forbes, 23 Sept. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniegravalese/2025/09/23/performative-matcha-explained/? Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.