The Trendy Ingredient That Gives Popcorn A Vibrant Upgrade

The matcha trend has come to popcorn as the demand for matcha continues to skyrocket. Matcha is a fine green powder made from the green tea plant, Camellia sinensis, which is very popular in Japan. It is known for its bittersweet, umami flavor and — even though you might be making matcha wrong —  it's easy to pair matcha with popcorn for a sweet or savory snack. Dust it on top of your kernels and join in on the trend.

But matcha popcorn does not stop at matcha plus popcorn. There are recipes for matcha popcorn with chocolate drizzle and sea salt, vanilla matcha popcorn, and more. When making your own at home, you can really get creative with the powder and flavor combinations. Just remember to use clarified butter or ghee to pop your kernels. Ghee has a high smoke point, so the popcorn can be cooked with that rich, buttery flavor. You can get your seasoning to stick to homemade popcorn by drizzling a little melted ghee over your popped kernels so the matcha sticks to the moisture, making the mix of green tea powder, salt, popcorn — and maybe a little sugar — a very flavorful treat.

The matcha popcorn trend is fairly new, but the ingredients are thousands of years old. Matcha originated in China during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th to 10th centuries. But the powder didn't make it to Japan until the 1100s, when it was introduced by Chinese Buddhist monks. Seeming almost youthful in comparison, popcorn itself has been around for about 9,000 years. 

But both finally came together in 2015 thanks to social media and the Chicago-based Garrett Popcorn company. The matcha powder trend quickly captivated the U.S. as it took over the internet. Along with the globally-distributed Garrett Popcorn offering, the matcha popcorn flavor profile has been duplicated by other manufacturers and home cooks who have posted recipes and tutorials all over the internet. Of course, matcha is also widely used in drinks, pastries, and desserts.

The powdered tea's popularity has triggered rumors of a matcha shortage and a fear of rising prices. But, in January 2025, the Global Japanese Tea Association assured the public that there is not really a matcha shortage; Instead, the regular growing season and production is just trying to keep up with demand. So, if the price rises, don't blame it on the tea. But with matcha popcorn, you now have a homemade treat to go with your Starbucks matcha lattes.