By The Era Store, small-batch coffee roasters and suppliers of single-origin ceremonial grade Uji matcha.
Matcha costs more than it did a year ago. Prices for first harvest leaf in Kyoto rose again this spring, for the second year running, and the effect is now reaching cafes and kitchens everywhere, including here in the UAE.
The good news is the tea itself. After last year's frost-damaged crop, the 2026 first harvest in Uji came in clean, early, and healthy, and it's already in our tins. This guide covers what happened at the Kyoto tea auctions, why prices climbed in a good growing year, what is going on with hojicha, and how to buy well right now.
First harvest matcha leaf from Kyoto sold for roughly a fifth more at auction in 2026 than in 2025, even though it was a good growing year. Global demand is still rising faster than the tea fields can. A mild spring with steady rain and no frost gave Uji a clean, healthy first harvest, so prices are higher but so is the quality. The 2026 harvest is what we're shipping now.
Jump to Your Question
- What happened in 2026
- Why prices keep rising
- Why first harvest matters
- The 2026 quality
- What about hojicha?
- How to buy well this year
- FAQs
What Happened at the Kyoto Tea Auctions in 2026
Most of Kyoto's tencha, the shade-grown leaf that is stone-milled into matcha, changes hands at auction each spring. Those auctions set the tone for what every serious matcha buyer in the world pays for the year ahead.
When this year's first harvest auctions opened, average prices came in roughly a fifth above 2025, according to Japanese press coverage of the sales. That comes on top of the sharp rises of 2025, the year the "matcha shortage" made international headlines, and prices stayed at or near record levels through the season.
What makes 2026 unusual is that it was a good harvest. In 2025, a spring frost damaged part of Kyoto's crop, so a price spike made sense. This year the leaf came in early, clean, and in healthy volume, and buyers still paid more for it.
Why Prices Keep Rising, Even in a Good Year
In most markets, a better harvest means softer prices. Matcha doesn't work that way right now, for three reasons.
Demand is global and still growing. Japan's tea exports have hit record highs, driven largely by matcha. Cafes, food brands, and drinks companies from the US to the Gulf are all drawing on the same small group of growing regions.
Buyers are competing to lock in supply. After the shortages of the last two years, tea manufacturers go into the spring auctions determined to secure raw material before someone else does. That competition sets a high floor under prices regardless of how the fields perform.
Supply is slow to respond. A new tea field takes around five years to reach full production. Shading and tending the plants is skilled, manual work, and the average tea farmer in Japan is past retirement age. More fields are being converted to matcha, but one good spring doesn't close a gap that took years to open.
Why First Harvest Is the Number That Matters
Tea plants are picked more than once a year, and the pickings are not equal. The first harvest, in spring, is the softest, sweetest, and richest in the amino acids that give matcha its umami. Later harvests are stronger, more bitter, and duller in color. They're perfectly good for baking, flavorings, and bottled drinks, and that's where most of that leaf ends up.
Ceremonial matcha, the kind you whisk and drink, comes from the first harvest only. There is one chance a year to grow it, and everyone who wants the best leaf is bidding for the same few weeks of picking. That's why the spring auctions matter so much, and why the pressure on price is greatest at the top of the market.
If you've ever wondered why two tins that both say "matcha" can sit so far apart on price, this is a large part of the reason. We break down the rest in ceremonial vs culinary matcha.
The 2026 Harvest: A Good Year in Uji
Tea is an agricultural product, and like wine, it has better and lesser years. After a difficult 2025, this one went the growers' way.
Spring arrived mild, with steady rain from March onward, and the harvest came forward by several days. Most importantly, there was no late frost. Frost is the event growers fear most in spring, because it can burn the tender new shoots overnight, and it's what hurt Kyoto's crop last year. Growers across the region reported healthy yields and good quality leaf.
A clean, unstressed spring like this tends to show up in the bowl as a brighter green, a creamier foam, and a finish that is sweet rather than grassy.
The 2026 first harvest is already in our tins, so every tin of Era Ceremonial Matcha we ship is this year's leaf.
What About Hojicha?
Hojicha, the roasted tea behind the hojicha latte, has been hit too. At this year's spring auctions in Japan, prices for the material that gets roasted into hojicha roughly doubled compared with 2025.
The cause is matcha. Growing shaded leaf for matcha now pays far better than growing tea for roasting, so farmers are switching their fields over. Every field that moves to matcha is one less producing everyday teas, right as roasted tea lattes are taking off around the world. Some of Japan's best-known tea houses have limited hojicha sales this year because of it.
We still think it's one of the most underrated cups you can make at home. Ours is roasted in small batches from tender first harvest stems, which gives a sweet, rounded cup with notes of caramel and cocoa and very little caffeine. If you haven't tried it, Era Hojicha is a good evening cup if you drink matcha in the morning.
How to Buy Matcha Well in a Year Like This
When raw material gets more expensive, brands have two choices. They can pay more for the same leaf, or they can quietly move down a grade and keep the label the same. "Ceremonial" is not a regulated term, so nothing stops the second option. A few things to watch for.
- Be suspicious of cheap "ceremonial" matcha. With first harvest Uji leaf at record levels, a bargain tin is almost certainly a later harvest, a blend of regions, or old stock.
- Ask where and when. A seller who knows their matcha can tell you the region, the harvest, and how recently it was milled. Vague answers usually mean a long chain of middlemen.
- Put freshness first. Matcha begins to fade from the moment it's ground, and heat speeds that up. In the Gulf, a tin that spent months in a warehouse is a different product from one that was milled recently. Freshly ground mid-tier matcha will beat stale top-tier matcha every time.
- Work out the cost per cup. A 30g tin makes about 15 bowls and a 100g tin about 50. Worked out per serving, even the very best matcha costs a fraction of a cafe latte. The larger tin is the better value if you drink it daily.
- Buy what you'll finish. Once opened, aim to use a tin within a month or two and keep it sealed in the fridge. A subscription helps here. A fresh tin arrives as the last one runs out, so you're never drinking old powder.
Our own approach hasn't changed. Era Ceremonial Matcha is first harvest only, from a single family farm in Uji, stone-milled in small batches and brought to the UAE fresh. When leaf costs rise, we would rather absorb what we can than change what goes in the tin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is matcha so expensive in 2026?
Because the world wants more first harvest Japanese matcha than Japan can grow. At this spring's Kyoto auctions, first harvest leaf sold for roughly a fifth more than in 2025, following even larger rises the year before. Tea fields take years to establish and the work is skilled and manual, so supply can't catch up quickly.
Is there still a matcha shortage?
It has eased but it isn't over. Kyoto had a healthy, frost-free first harvest in 2026, which took some pressure off availability. Prices still rose, which tells you demand is continuing to outrun supply, especially at the ceremonial end.
Will matcha prices come down?
Not soon for top grades. More farmers are converting fields to matcha production, which will help over several years, but new plantings take time to mature. First harvest ceremonial matcha is the part of the market under the most pressure, so it will be the last to ease.
Is the 2026 matcha harvest good?
Yes. Uji had a mild spring with steady rain and no frost damage, a clear improvement on 2025, and growers reported healthy yields and good quality leaf. It's the harvest we're shipping now.
Is Era matcha from the 2026 harvest?
Yes. Era Ceremonial Matcha is currently 2026 first harvest leaf from a single family farm in Uji, Kyoto, stone-milled in small batches.
Why did hojicha get more expensive?
Farmers are switching their fields from everyday teas to matcha, because matcha pays far better. That leaves less material for roasting just as hojicha lattes are becoming popular worldwide, and auction prices for it roughly doubled this year.
Does a higher price mean better matcha?
Not automatically. Price reflects harvest, region, and how it was milled, but also marketing and how many hands it passed through. Judge it in the bowl: real ceremonial matcha is a vivid, almost electric green, smells fresh and sweet, and tastes smooth with no harsh bitterness.
How can I make my matcha last longer?
Use 2 grams per bowl, which is about one level teaspoon, keep the tin tightly sealed in the fridge, and buy only what you'll finish in a month or two. In a hot climate, storage makes as much difference as the grade you bought.
Read next: The Complete Guide to Matcha, and Ceremonial vs Culinary Matcha: Is It Worth the Price?
