Matcha is thought to date back nearly 5,000 years to China’s Tang Dynasty. However, it only recently reached a wider audience in the U.S. when celebrities and social media influencers, most notably Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, began promoting it as a healthy alternative to coffee a little over a decade ago.
Rising interest in the herbal flavor profile and health benefits of matcha has spurred its inclusion in products throughout the food and beverage industry in recent years, going far beyond coffee shop menus. Matcha isn’t the only popular Asian influence to hit U.S. markets with gusto in recent years, though.
Staples of Asian cuisine like yuzu and ube have also made a splash with consumers. How are brands innovating with matcha products in a saturated market, and which other East Asian flavors are currently influencing beverage and dessert markets?
The Intersection of Flavor and Function
Matcha is a type of green tea commonly found in dried, powdered form, and it is known for a range of health benefits. Matcha features a bounty of antioxidants called catechins, which are linked to reduced blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. It’s also packed with polyphenols, which offer anti-inflammatory benefits.
On its own, matcha has a bitter, herbal flavor profile that doesn’t necessarily boast mainstream appeal. However, the grassy taste adds complexity to sweet applications.
You don’t have to look far to find samples at coffee chains. In addition to a classic matcha menu with lattes, iced beverages, and blended drinks, Starbucks has a rotating menu of specialty matcha blends with trending flavor profiles. Its spring 2026 lineup of iced matcha drinks includes:
- Dubai Chocolate
- Mango Cream
- Lavender Cream
- Banana Bread
- Double Berry
Consumers can also sample a Strawberry Matcha Loaf.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf seasonal menu features an Iced Matcha Horchata Tea Latte. Lately, matcha has made its way into the lucrative ready-to-drink (RTD) and hybrid beverage markets, as well.
Related: Functional Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Innovation, Ingredients, and Opportunities
Expansion Into Food and Beverage Segments
With a global market value currently estimated at over USD $965 billion and a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% by 2033, brands have ample opportunity to advance in the RTD market. While some consumers have no problem shelling out for a daily go-to from their favorite local coffee chain, there’s also demand for more affordable and convenient beverages.
CHUH has gained attention with silky, “ceremonial grade” matcha. The brand’s Spiced Vanilla Matcha Latte is made with natural ingredients and features low sugar, thanks to monk fruit extract, while the Blueberry Oat Milk Matcha Latte caters to the plant-based crowd.
Hybrid drinks offer even more incentive for consumers to buy. REBBL’s Matcha Latte Shake not only features 20 grams of protein, but also 200 grams of nootropic lion’s mane extract to support cognitive function.
In the dessert space, Gen Z’s demand for exceptional experiences may be a key driver, and restaurants and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands are meeting the demand with creative desserts and snacks. California-based Shin-Sen-Gumi offers a Matcha Crème Brûlée, Loacker has Matcha Green Tea wafers, and Meiji sells Rich Matcha Biscuits, which are similar to Oreos with matcha filling.
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Broader East Asian Flavor Influence
Matcha isn’t the only Asian ingredient to influence U.S. food and beverage markets. Yuzu has dominated drinks and desserts for the past few years, while ube is currently seeing increased demand, particularly in the coffee world, as seen with the 2026 spring menus from Starbucks and Peet’s.
With ingredients like black sesame and hojicha moving beyond Asian establishments, opportunities for cross-cultural flavor innovation abound.
Matcha Is Quickly Becoming an American Classic
Matcha has been around long enough to earn American patronage and invite scalable innovation. It’s also opened the door to other East Asian influences in the U.S. food and beverage industry, creating opportunities to bolster novel flavor profiles with functional and wellness benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Versatile matcha is a crowd-pleaser, thanks to complex flavor notes and attractive health benefits
- Following the success of matcha and yuzu, brands and consumers are ready to explore East Asian ingredients like ube, black sesame, and hojicha
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