About Houjicha
Houjicha
Houjicha is a roasted Japanese green tea known for its comforting nutty and toasty aroma with low bitterness.
Originally, houjicha was developed in the 1920s as a way to repurpose old tea leaves. It was found that roasting the leaves gave them a new life and delicious smoky aroma.
Traditionally, houjicha is drank as a loose leaf tea. It is often made using leftover parts from sencha and tencha production, such as stems, as well as leaves from second and third harvests. These leaf parts naturally contain less caffeine, making houjicha a tea that can be enjoyed at any type of the day.
During the roasting process, houjicha loses both catechin and caffeine content, resulting in a low bitterness, low caffeine tea that is often enjoyed by children and the ederly alike.
The Roasting Process
Hōjicha is generally made by roasting green tea, such as sencha. Hojicha can be made with different parts of the tea leaf. In particular, producers often use extraneous parts obtained during tencha and sencha processing, such as stems (kukicha/karigane), or tea leaves from second or third harvests (bancha). The final flavor of the hojicha varies depending on which part of the tea leaf is used and how much it is roasted. Using the upper parts of the tea leaves results in a more astringent hōjicha, while using the lower parts or stems produces a sweeter hōjicha with less astringency.
The tea is heated for a lesser amount of time or at lower temperatures, resulting in a more gentle roast that gives the tea nutty, floral undertones.
The tea is heated for a higher amount of time or at higher temperatures, resulting in a profound transformation resulting in chocolatey, smoky, and coffee-like notes.
Powdered Hojicha
Once the tea leaves or stems are perfectly roasted, they can be stone-ground into an ultra-fine powder. Hojicha powder is the foundation of the modern hojicha latte, offering a lower-caffeine, roasted alternative to matcha. It also makes for an excellent addition to sweets, and complements desserts wonderfully.
SHOP HOJICHA POWDER →Matcha vs. Hojicha
| Feature | Matcha | Hojicha |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivation/Processing | Shaded, Steamed & Stone-Ground | Roasted |
| Color | Vibrant Emerald Green | Amber to Chocolate Brown |
| Flavor | Umami, Grassy, Sweet | Nutty, Smoky, Caramel |
| Caffeine | High | Very Low |
