New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- India's interest in drinks is expanding beyond familiar favourites, according to Google Trends data. Matcha, purple yam ube and roasted Japanese green tea hojicha are attracting growing curiosity. Searches suggest people want new flavours, home preparation methods and comparisons before trying them.

Reports suggest that Japanese Zen Buddhist tea ceremonies introduced matcha in the 12th century. For Japanese people, it's a part of an 800-year-old cultural tradition. Some even connect it to early Chinese powdered tea.

The data show that searches for "how to make matcha" increased by1,300% over the year. Meanwhile, ube and hojicha reached their highest search interest during 2026. These patterns reflect online curios...