Over the past few years, the matcha market has been flooded with powders that are diluted, processed, or grown far outside Japan. Some are easy to spot: dull in color, bitter on the palate. Others are convincing fakes: bright green on the surface, but sharp and harsh the moment they hit your tongue.

A dead giveaway of careless production, or origins that have nothing to do with Japan. For most people, this became their entire experience of matcha. Which is why so many wrote it off as a drink that tastes like grass.