Matcha Madness Sweeps Taiwan: Group-Buying Site Sees 6x Surge in Matcha Sweet Rice Ball Searches

▲ Old Joe's Ice Room's Yuzu Matcha Red Bean Sweet Rice Balls. (Photo / Provided by ihergo)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

With the Winter Solstice approaching, this year’s hottest matcha sweet rice balls are driving up sales of sweet glutinous ball desserts. According to ihergo, a group-buying shopping platform, due to the overwhelming demand for the matcha sweet rice balls from Guilan, searches for the keyword “matcha sweet rice balls” on the site have surged over 6 times in the past two weeks. Sales of sweet glutinous balls have also increased, with some vendors even launching their own matcha varieties to capitalize on the trend. ihergo also noted that with major players like Guilan and Ippudo rolling out matcha-flavored products, matcha has become the most sought-after dessert flavor this winter, with average sales of matcha desserts up by at least 25% compared to last year.

Next week marks the Winter Solstice, and back in late November, major brand Guilan launched its matcha sweet rice balls, sparking a craze. ihergo reported that since December, searches for “matcha sweet rice balls” on the site have increased by as much as 6 times. Some vendors have also seized the opportunity to launch similar products. For example, Yunlin-based “Old Joe's Ice Room” developed Yuzu Matcha Red Bean Sweet Rice Balls to attract customers, while vendor “QQ House” introduced 12 uniquely cute-shaped sweet rice balls, including dog-shaped, panda-shaped, and footprint-shaped ones. Currently, many flavors are so popular that they have sold out ahead of the Winter Solstice season due to high demand.


▲“QQ House” introduced 12 uniquely cute-shaped sweet rice balls. (Photo / Provided by ihergo)