NEW DELHI: Gone are the days when matcha was just an Instagram-friendly green drink, Indians are now whisking it at home and pairing it with fruits, with Google searches for 'how to make matcha' surging a whopping "1,300 per cent" over the past year, according to Google Trends.
The data, released by the search engine giant as of the end of August 2026, highlights growing curiosity about matcha among consumers in India.
Searches for 'matcha' and 'what is matcha' increased "50 per cent" over the past year, while 'what does matcha taste like' saw breakout interest in August 2026. 'Breakout searches' refer to queries that recorded more than 5,000 per cent growth over the given period.
"Delhi recorded the highest searches for 'matcha near me' over the past year, followed by Goa, Chandigarh and Karnataka," the report said.
Indians are also experimenting with seasonal versions of the drink, with searches for 'mango matcha' rising "200 per cent" and 'strawberry matcha' "400 per cent" over the past year.
'Dirty matcha' and 'coconut matcha' saw breakout interest during the monsoon.
The matcha ritual is also increasingly moving into homes, with searches for 'matcha kit' doubling over the past year, while 'matcha whisk' and 'matcha bowl' emerged as breakout searches in August.
Health is another major area of interest.
According to the report, searches for 'matcha health' and 'matcha protein' rose "1,000 per cent" and "2,500 per cent", respectively, over the past year.
"Searches for 'does matcha have caffeine' rose 70 per cent, while 'matcha vs coffee' saw breakout interest," it added.
The matcha aesthetic has also extended into fashion and beauty, with breakout searches for 'matcha shoes', 'matcha enzyme scrub', 'matcha candle', 'matcha face wash' and 'matcha perfume'.
Besides matcha, two other flavours are also trending -- 'purple yam Ube' and 'roasted Japanese green tea Hojicha'.
Ube is a sweet, creamy purple yam from the Philippines, while Hojicha is a smoky, low-caffeine roasted green tea from Japan.
According to the report, Ube appears to be enjoying its own purple patch, with searches for the drink reaching an all-time high in August 2026, while 'ube matcha' saw breakout interest.
Hojicha is also gaining popularity, with searches reaching an all-time high in March 2026 and seeing further breakout interest in August.