What Is Hojicha? Japan's Roasted Green Tea
Hojicha (ほうじ茶) is Japanese green tea that has been roasted. Sencha or bancha leaves are roasted over strong heat, which turns them brown and gives a toasty aroma with hardly any bitterness.
It is the green tea Japan drinks after a meal. It sits inside our Drinks Masterclass.
Our hojicha: Otsuka Japanese Shizuoka Hojicha Green Tea Bags, 2g x 20.
What Is Hojicha?
Hojicha is sencha or bancha roasted over a high flame. Roasting turns the leaf and the cup a warm brown and brings out a toasty fragrance. The tea is light in the mouth, with hardly any astringency or bitterness.
Does Hojicha Have Caffeine?
Yes, but less than unroasted green tea. Roasting reduces both tannin and caffeine, which is why hojicha is described as low in caffeine and gentle on the palate. In Japan it is even given to infants. We do not give a figure in milligrams per cup, because no source we hold states one.
Hojicha or Matcha: What Is the Difference?
Both start as green tea, but they are made and drunk differently. Matcha is shade-grown leaf ground to a fine powder and whisked, so you drink the whole leaf; its taste is grassy and rich. Hojicha is roasted leaf brewed in water and strained; its taste is toasty, mellow and low in bitterness.
How Do You Brew Hojicha?
Hojicha is one of the easy teas. MAFF's guidance for bancha, hojicha and genmaicha is to pour boiling water straight onto the leaves without cooling it first, and to pour the second brew promptly. With a tea bag, put one bag in a cup and add boiling water.
When to Drink Hojicha
In Japan, bancha and hojicha are named as after-meal teas. Its low bitterness and gentle caffeine make it a good evening cup.
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Our hojicha.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hojicha?
A Japanese green tea made by roasting sencha or bancha over strong heat, giving a brown, toasty, low-bitterness tea.
Does hojicha have caffeine?
Yes, but roasting lowers it, so hojicha is a low-caffeine green tea.
How do you brew hojicha?
Pour boiling water straight onto the leaves or bag; there is no need to cool it as you would for sencha.
Is hojicha the same as matcha?
No. Matcha is powdered shade-grown tea that is whisked; hojicha is roasted leaf that is brewed.
Where to Buy Hojicha in the UK
We sell Otsuka's Shizuoka hojicha in tea bags with UK delivery.
For more, browse the Drinks Masterclass. Read next: Japanese tea
