A 抹茶ラテ is a matcha-flavoured variant of the latte which can be served either hot or cold. The drink gained popularity after viral video on social media such as Instagram and TikTok, becoming a TikTok food trend.
Characteristics
The drink is made by first whisking a fine green tea or matcha powder with hot water to create a dense liquid. It is then combined with
milk or a
milk substitute. It has been described as an alternative to
coffee by
Vogue.
History
The drink became popular in the 21st-century following it going viral on the social media applications
TikTok and
Instagram.
The drink has been described as a "more eye-catching alternative to coffee" by
GQ. It is a stereotypically feminine drink.
The coffee chain Blank Street Coffee is credited with popularising matcha lattes in the United Kingdom. Keiko Uchida, a "master of chaodo" interviewed by
The Independent, claimed that most matcha lattes were made of
green tea powder, a cheaper and less regulated product.
Matcha lattes have received criticism for using ceremonial grade matcha, causing shortages.
Social connotations
In 2025, posts on various social media platforms began to associate the drink with a particular online masculine archetype known as the "performative male".
Poppy Sowerby for
The Times explained the phenomenon as men imitating the lifestyles of women to attract them. The newspaper further described the drink as "the ultimate status symbol for the modern
metrosexual".
GQ described "matcha men" as the new "
soy boy".
