Matcha drinks have become one of the fastest-growing beverage searches in India this year, and they’re no longer traveling alone. Google’s own 2026 trends data shows “how to make matcha” searches up 1,300% year over year, while two other flavors, purple yam ube and roasted Japanese green tea hojicha, have hit all-time search highs in the same period. This isn’t a single-drink fad. It’s a broader shift toward experimenting with Japanese and Southeast Asian beverage traditions at home rather than only ordering them at a café. This article compares matcha, ube, and hojicha on taste, caffeine, sweetness, and ease of preparation, and shows you exactly how to make matcha at home.
Why Matcha Drinks Are Trending in India Right Now
Matcha drinks have been on Indian café menus for a few years, usually as iced lattes or fruit-infused specials. What changed in 2026 is the direction the curiosity is heading. According to Google’s own India trends report, search interest for matcha itself actually peaked in mid-2025, yet curiosity hasn’t slowed down at all.
Instead, people have moved from “where can I buy this” to “how do I make this myself.” That shift explains why “matcha kit,” “matcha whisk,” and “matcha bowl” all became breakout searches in August 2026 alone. Meanwhile, ube and hojicha are riding the same curve, each appealing to a slightly different kind of drinker.
What Matcha, Ube and Hojicha Actually Are
What Is Matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves, whisked directly into water or milk instead of steeped and strained. Because the whole leaf is consumed, matcha has a deeper color and a more concentrated flavor than ordinary green tea. On its own, it tastes grassy, slightly bitter, and umami-forward, though milk and sweeteners soften that considerably in a latte.
What Is Ube?
Ube is a naturally purple-fleshed yam that’s a staple in Filipino desserts and drinks. It isn’t a tea at all, it’s a root vegetable with a mild, vanilla-like sweetness, usually blended into syrup or milk to create the vivid purple drinks now appearing on Indian menus. Since it contains no caffeine, ube-based drinks appeal to people who want something indulgent without the buzz.
What Is Hojicha?
Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that’s roasted rather than steamed, which gives it a nutty, toasty flavor and a warm brown color instead of matcha’s bright green. The roasting process also breaks down much of the tea’s natural caffeine, positioning hojicha as a gentler alternative. In fact, hojicha’s caffeine content drops significantly compared with matcha once the leaves are roasted, and Google Trends shows hojicha search interest in India hitting an all-time high in March 2026, with a second surge in August.
Alt: Three matcha drinks in India, ube latte and hojicha latte side by side
Matcha vs Ube vs Hojicha: Taste, Caffeine and Sweetness
Choosing between these three drinks usually comes down to three factors: how they taste, how much caffeine they carry, and how sweet you want your cup to be.
- Taste. Matcha is grassy and slightly bitter, hojicha is nutty and smoky, and ube is sweet and creamy, closer to dessert than tea. If matcha feels too intense, hojicha is generally the easiest transition since it uses the same whisking method with a much milder flavor.
- Caffeine. Matcha typically contains around 70 mg of caffeine per serving, similar to a moderate cup of coffee. Hojicha, by contrast, contains roughly 8 mg per cup thanks to the roasting process, while ube has no caffeine at all since it isn’t derived from the tea plant.
- Sweetness. Ube is naturally the sweetest of the three, usually served as a syrup or milk-based drink. Matcha and hojicha are both naturally bitter or savory teas, though flavor mashups like “mango matcha” and “strawberry matcha” have become popular ways to sweeten matcha without losing the tea itself.
It’s no surprise that India searches for “does matcha have caffeine” rose 70% this year, while “matcha vs coffee” became a breakout query in its own right.
Which One Is Easiest to Make at Home?
Ube-based drinks are arguably the simplest to recreate, since most recipes rely on ube extract, jam, or syrup blended with milk, with no special equipment required. Matcha and hojicha both need a bit more technique, since the powder has to be sifted and whisked properly to avoid clumps.
That said, neither matcha nor hojicha require expensive tools. A small milk frother can substitute for a traditional bamboo whisk if you’re just starting out, and the technique becomes second nature after a few tries.
How to Make Matcha at Home
If you’re one of the many people now searching for how to make matcha, the process is simpler than it looks. Here’s a straightforward method for a classic bowl:
- Sift the powder. Sift about half a teaspoon (1 to 2 grams) of matcha into a bowl to break up clumps.
- Add warm water. Pour in 60 to 80 ml of water heated to roughly 80°C. Avoid boiling water, since it can scorch the powder and make it taste bitter.
- Whisk briskly. Using a bamboo whisk, or a small frother if you don’t have one, whisk in quick zig-zag motions until the surface turns frothy.
- Serve it your way. Drink it straight as a traditional bowl, or pour it over ice and milk for an iced matcha latte.
- Store what’s left. Keep unused powder in an airtight, light-proof container in the fridge to preserve its color and flavor.
Alt: Step-by-step process of whisking matcha powder in a ceramic bowl
Ube Matcha and Other Flavor Mashups
Rather than treating these drinks as separate categories, Indian drinkers are increasingly mixing them. “Ube matcha,” which layers ube’s sweet purple base with matcha’s grassy top note, recorded breakout search growth in August 2026. “Ube coconut” and “ube latte” also grew steadily throughout the year.
On the matcha side, seasonal combinations have taken off too. Summer brought spikes in “mango matcha” and “strawberry matcha,” while monsoon season triggered breakout interest in “dirty matcha,” which layers matcha with espresso, and “coconut matcha.” These mashups suggest people aren’t just adopting one drink wholesale, they’re adapting it to Indian tastes and seasons.
Alt: Purple ube matcha latte layered in a glass with ice
Why Japanese-Inspired Drinks Are Gaining Ground in India’s Café Culture
Part of the appeal of matcha, ube, and hojicha is visual. All three photograph well, from matcha’s bright green to ube’s vivid purple, which has helped them spread quickly through social media and café menus. However, the deeper driver appears to be wellness positioning: matcha in particular is searched alongside terms like “matcha health” and “matcha protein,” both of which saw sharp growth in 2026 according to Google’s trends data.
This crossover extends beyond the cup entirely. Google’s report also notes breakout searches for “matcha shoes” and “matcha enzyme scrub,” along with August 2026 surges in “matcha candle” and “matcha face wash.” In other words, matcha has become shorthand for a broader lifestyle aesthetic in India, not just a drink order.
Geographically, the trend isn’t evenly spread. Telangana leads national search interest for ube, Delhi drives the most hojicha searches, and Delhi, Goa, and Chandigarh top the list of cities searching for “matcha near me.”
Alt: Customer ordering a Japanese-inspired tea drink at an Indian café counter
Frequently Asked Questions About Matcha, Ube and Hojicha Drinks
Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee?
Not usually. A typical serving of matcha has around 70 mg of caffeine, slightly less than an average cup of coffee at roughly 95 mg. Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid many drinkers say produces steadier energy compared with coffee’s quicker peak.
Is ube matcha the same as regular matcha?
No. Ube matcha typically layers or blends matcha with sweet purple yam syrup or milk, so it still carries matcha’s grassy flavor and caffeine underneath a sweeter, creamier top layer.
Can hojicha be made the same way as matcha?
Yes. Hojicha powder is prepared the same way as matcha, sifted, mixed with warm water, and whisked until frothy. The main difference is flavor and caffeine content, not technique.
Why are matcha, ube and hojicha all trending in India at once?
Google Trends data from 2026 shows all three rising together, driven by a broader shift toward experimenting with Japanese and Southeast Asian drink traditions at home rather than only ordering them at a café.
Which Indian city has the strongest matcha café scene?
Delhi tops searches for “matcha near me,” followed by Goa and Chandigarh, suggesting these cities currently have the most active café options for the drink.
Is it fine to drink matcha every day?
Most healthy adults can enjoy one to two servings of matcha a day without issue, similar to moderate coffee consumption. Anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or sensitive to caffeine should check with a doctor before making it a daily habit.
Conclusion
Matcha drinks are no longer a single-note café trend in India, they’ve become a starting point for a much wider experiment with Japanese and Southeast Asian flavors. Ube offers a caffeine-free, sweeter option, while hojicha gives the same ritual as matcha with a fraction of the caffeine. Whichever one you choose, the 2026 data makes one thing clear: people want to understand these drinks well enough to make them at home, not just order them once and move on.
