Matcha Alternatives: Affordable Japanese Green Teas for the 2026 Matcha Shortage
The best matcha alternatives in the 2026 shortage: autumn bancha, hojicha and Kagoshima sencha, at 50 cents to $1.60 a cup. Taste, brewing and where to buy.
The best matcha alternatives in the 2026 shortage: autumn bancha, hojicha and Kagoshima sencha, at 50 cents to $1.60 a cup. Taste, brewing and where to buy.
A spontaneous stop in Williamsburg led me to discover Puerh Brooklyn, a calm and thoughtfully curated tea shop with an excellent puerh and maté selection.
First published September 2018. Updated October 2026 with a new map, the story behind each word, the exceptions, and books for going further. Tea and cha are the same word. Both come from the Chinese character 茶, which is pronounced te in the Min Nan dialect of coastal Fujian and cha in Mandarin and Cantonese….
Lately, I’ve still been reaching for familiar teas during busy weeks. I’m currently finishing a stash of Earl Grey that I buy in bulk from Oriental Pastry & Grocery on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. I always enjoy stopping there for raw almonds, cardamom seeds, tea, and pantry staples. The two brothers who run the shop…
I collect tea-related stories from newsfeeds, articles, and research. This is not a news cycle recap.It is a curated view of how tea appears across culture, industry, design, health debates, and daily life. Tea ranks among the most widely consumed beverages in the world.It also connects economies, rituals, and everyday habits across China, India, Kenya,…