How did matcha transition from medicinal use to a beverage in Japanese culture?

Hello! Seeing this question feels particularly special to me since I'm a huge matcha enthusiast myself—from matcha lattes to matcha mille crepes, I never say no. Many people think matcha is just "fancy green tea powder," but its transformation from "medicine" to "everyday beverage" is actually a fascinating chapter in Japanese cultural history.

Let me break down this journey for you in plain language.

Phase 1: The "Supernatural Medicine" from China (Kamakura Period, approx. 12th-14th Century)

It all started with a Japanese monk named Myōan Eisai (Yōsai). He studied Buddhism in China during the Song Dynasty and brought back the popular "whisked tea method" (grinding tea leaves into powder and using a bamboo whisk to froth it up) along with tea seeds.

Back then, matcha wasn't for ordinary people. It was extremely rare, precious, and basically exclusive to:

Monks: Drinking matcha kept them alert during long meditation sessions, helping them stay focused and avoid drowsiness. So, matcha initially functioned more like a "performance drink" or "meditation aid."
Nobles and Samurai: Eisai wrote a book called Kissa Yōjōki (Drinking Tea for Healthy Living), promoting tea as an almost magical substance, calling it "the divine medicine of health preservation, the miraculous technique for prolonging life." This instantly captivated the upper classes, who believed tea could cure all ailments and extend longevity.

Thus, in this phase, matcha's identity was: a precious medicine + a stimulant. It had little to do with the common people; it was a luxury of the elite.

(Early on, matcha was primarily a drink for monks and the nobility.)

Phase 2: Transformation into an Art of Ritual (Muromachi Period - Azuchi-Momoyama Period, approx. 15th-16th Century)

Being just medicine wasn't enough. Matcha truly became woven into the fabric of Japanese culture thanks to a master – Sen no Rikyū.

Think of him as the "Steve Jobs of tea." He elevated drinking matcha from mere tasting and showing off wealth (early nobles had a practice of competing with extravagant tea sets) into a complete ritual rich in philosophy and aesthetics: the "Way of Tea" (chanoyu).

Rikyū championed the principles of "harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility" (wa, kei, sei, jaku). He emphasized performing the process of preparing and drinking tea in a simple, quiet setting as a path to inner peace and spiritual enlightenment.

Here, matcha's role shifted:

It was no longer just medicine or a stimulant.
It became a vessel for spiritual practice and artistic social interaction.

Samurai had to remove their swords before entering the tea room; merchants conducted business within. Through the bowl of green tea, participants engaged in an unspoken, highly ritualized form of communication. While still confined to the elite and specific groups, matcha had evolved from the "physical" realm (medicinal effects) to the "spiritual" realm (art, philosophy).

(Sen no Rikyū integrated matcha with the tea ceremony, transforming it into an art form.)

Phase 3: Becoming an Everyday Delight (Edo Period - Present)

Building on the first two phases, matcha's "popular appeal" grew stronger. So how did it leap from the solemn tea room into our Starbucks cups today?

Several factors were key:

Advances in Agricultural Technology: Techniques like shade-growing (covering the tea plants) – which reduces bitterness and increases sweetness – became widespread. Tea cultivation and processing improved radically. Matcha production ramped up, costs went down, and the once scarce commodity became affordable for ordinary people.
Cultural Popularization & Commercialization: The stable Edo Period saw a rise in urban culture. Simplified tea ceremonies became fashionable among commoners. Critically, merchants recognized matcha's appeal and began using it purely as a "flavor."
The Birth of "Matcha Flavor": This was the crucial step! When matcha ceased being solely "tea that needs to be whisked" and could instead be added to anything, it became fully integrated into daily life.
- Wagashi (Japanese Sweets): Incorporating matcha powder into mochi and yōkan created classic "matcha-flavored" confections.
- Modern Food Industry: This trend exploded in the modern era. Matcha ice cream, cakes, chocolate, lattes, matcha KitKats... matcha became a wildly popular flavor symbol.

(Today, matcha appears as a "flavor" in all kinds of foods.)

Summing Up the Evolution Path:

Think of the journey like this:

"Medicine" (healing the body) → "Path" (cultivating the spirit) → "Flavor" (pleasing the palate)

Starting Point: It was monks' stimulant and nobles' health tonic.
Turning Point: Sen no Rikyū made it the heart of chanoyu, transforming it into art and philosophy.
Popularization Point: Technological progress and commercial ingenuity turned it into a "flavor" infused into sweets and drinks, ultimately reaching tables and cafes worldwide.

So, the next time you sip that matcha latte, remember: you're not just consuming calories, but savoring a rich history that began in Song Dynasty China, spanned nearly a millennium, and journeyed from sacred remedy to everyday indulgence!