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The glass is greener
杯子变绿了
It was a freezing winter’s day in London as patrons jostled in a poky outpost of Blank Street, a coffee-shop chain. You might have expected them to pick up a warming cappuccino.
那是伦敦的一个寒冷冬日，客人们挤在“空白街”咖啡连锁店的一个狭窄分店里。你可能以为他们会买一杯热乎乎的卡布奇诺。
Instead, many placed orders for iced matcha lattes, which arrived in shades of green, cream (white-chocolate flavour) or purple (blueberry). Such is the craze for matcha that fans are willing to risk frostbite to get their hands on one.
相反，许多人点了冰抹茶拿铁，这种拿铁有绿色的、奶油色的（白巧克力味）、紫色的（蓝莓味）。人们对抹茶就是这么狂热，抹茶爱好者们甘愿冒着冻伤的风险也要端一杯在手中。
In Japan, the world’s leading producer of matcha, the export value of tea in 2023 rose by 33% from the previous year.
日本是世界上最主要的抹茶生产国，日本2023年的抹茶出口值比前一年增长了33%。
Matcha is big on social media: videos tagged #Matcha on TikTok have more than 15bn views. Fans share recipes and teach their followers how to tell a high-quality matcha powder from a shoddy one.
抹茶在社交媒体上很火爆：TikTok上带有“抹茶”标签的视频浏览量已超过150亿次。抹茶爱好者们分享食谱，并教关注者如何区分高质量的抹茶粉和劣质的抹茶粉。
(Apparently they should look for “ceremonial grade”, which has a vibrant hue, fine texture and higher price tag.)
（显然，他们应该寻找“礼仪级”的抹茶粉，这种抹茶粉颜色鲜艳，粉质细腻，价格也更贵。）
Asia is responsible for more than 40% of matcha consumption: as well as going into bottled, pre-mixed drinks, the powder is used in ice cream, biscuits and mochi (rice cakes). What explains the drink’s newfound popularity outside Asia?
亚洲的抹茶消费量占全球的40%以上：除了用于瓶装预调饮料外，抹茶粉还用于冰淇淋、饼干和麻糬（一种米糕）中。是什么让抹茶饮料最近开始在亚洲以外的地区受到欢迎？
Matcha mavens tout it as a healthier alternative to coffee. Some studies suggest that green tea’s antioxidants can help stave off cardiovascular disease, improve gut health and speed up metabolism.
抹茶内行们将其标榜为比咖啡更健康的替代品。一些研究表明，绿茶的抗氧化剂有助于预防心血管疾病、改善肠道健康、加快新陈代谢。
It also gives a steady boost of energy, compared with the surge and crash of a cup of joe. A coffee contains around 100-200mg of caffeine; a matcha contains around 70mg, as well as l-theanine, an amino acid, which together improve concentration and alertness.
抹茶还能稳定地提神，不像咖啡那样会让人快速亢奋又疲惫不堪。一杯咖啡含有大约100至200毫克的咖啡因，一杯抹茶含有大约70毫克的咖啡因，以及一种叫做茶氨酸的氨基酸，这些物质能共同提高注意力和警觉性。
Gen Z and millennials—who drink less coffee than their elders, spend more time online and care about wellness—are seeking it out. The irony is that much of matcha’s growth in the West is driven by flavoured matcha lattes, which are crammed with sugar.
Z世代和千禧一代比长辈喝咖啡更少、上网时间更多，也更关心健康，他们发掘了抹茶。讽刺的是，抹茶在西方的流行主要是由风味抹茶拿铁推动的，而这些拿铁中含有大量的糖。
The future may not be all that sweet, however. Tea production in Japan is decreasing, as is the area of land being used for cultivation; farmers are retiring and are put off by rising prices for fertiliser and other essentials.
然而，抹茶的未来可能并不那么甜蜜。日本的茶叶产量正在下降，用于种茶的土地面积也在减少，农民正在退休，并因化肥和其他必需品价格上涨而不愿种茶。
Lovers of the trendy iced beverage may soon feel a chill when it comes to their bill.
喜欢喝这种时髦冰饮的人可能很快就会在结账时感到一阵寒意。
