matcha — myths & realities
101 questions to sort fact from fiction
A superfood with record-breaking antioxidants. Zen energy. A thousand-year-old ritual. That's what they sell you. Here's what it really is.
A documented investigation into contemporary matcha.
As global demand for matcha now outstrips Japan's real production capacity, this book — written from Fukuoka — examines what this green powder has become: in ten years, one of the most over-interpreted ingredients in the world.
Lattes, ice creams, cosmetics, cookies, brands that borrow the word like a suffix of desirability: since 2015, matcha has spread everywhere, and with it a structural confusion between ceremonial matcha, culinary matcha, and plain green-tea powder. Industry estimates suggest the global volume sold under the name matcha now far exceeds Japan's actual production.
The gap is filled by substitutes whose origin and process sometimes have little left in common with the original product. This book offers a documented investigation into what the word really covers — and what it no longer does.
Matcha is defined not by what it is, but by what we do: grinding, shading, whisking, passing it on. It is this gesture, repeated for nine centuries, that made it a philosophy before it ever became a market.
101 questions, 12 chapters, verifiable sources.
Every entry follows the same protocol: myth · reality · explanation · key takeaway. A rigorous method that lets each reader reach their own judgement, with the sources to back it up.
Three reading paths are offered, depending on the reader's level:
The newcomer
A first approach to matcha. Understand what you're drinking, how to choose it, and how to appreciate it.
The practitioner
Regular practice. Go deeper into techniques, cultivars, regions, and terroirs.
The connoisseur
Advanced practice. Economic, agronomic, and cultural questions. A critical reading of the market.
Among the questions addressed.
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Q.08
Matcha's Chinese origin and its Japanese perfection — what belongs to whom?
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Q.78
What science says (and doesn't say) about matcha's antioxidants.
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Q.87
Is a matcha latte really matcha? How milk affects the bioavailability of catechins — and the taste.
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Q.91
The structural pressure global demand puts on Japanese producers. Can Japan produce enough matcha to meet demand?
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Q.97
Why is there still no protected designation of origin for matcha at the international level?
→ And 96 more questions, documented with verifiable sources
Designed, illustrated, and typeset by the author.
The book is set in EB Garamond and Cormorant SC, illustrated with original vector plates of the objects of chadō, and closes with a bilingual glossary using standard Hepburn romanisation.
Enlarged pocket format (6 × 9 in / 15.2 × 22.9 cm), paperback, 1.6 cm thick.
Jimmy Braun.
Based in Fukuoka for over a decade, an art director and author. He works at the crossroads of French and Japanese culture, and has explored matcha for more than fifteen years — through research, daily practice, and retail.
His first book was published by Ideo / Hachette in 2019 (À chacun son régime), followed by MAJO — Tasting Journal in 2025.
At a glance.
- Title
- Matcha · Myths & Realities
101 questions to sort fact from fiction - Author
- Jimmy Braun
- Publication
- July 2026
- Pages
- 280 pages, paperback
- Format
- 6 × 9 in (15.2 × 22.9 cm) · 1.6 cm thick
- Language
- English
- Price
- US$24.90
- ISBN-13
- 978-969-9399-74-9
- Edition
- First edition, 2026 · paperback
- Where to buy
- amazon.com/dp/9699399740 →
Matcha deserves better than slogans.
US$24.90 · paperback · Amazon Prime delivery