Hojicha Roasted Tea: easy guide, top 5 best teas ⋆

Last updated: May 26, 2020 at 23:16 pm

What is Hojicha?

Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea. At some point of tea production, heat has to be applied to stop oxidizing of tea leaves. In Japan, this is traditionally performed by steaming the leaves, in China – by pan-firing. Hojicha is a special Japanese green tea made by roasting bancha (mature, late summer tea leaves) over charcoal.

What kind of tea is it?

Smooth, toasty, nutty. Naturally low in caffeine, rich in flavor. Some would say it has coffee accents, others would refer to toasted nori. This tea offers a lovely transition between green and black teas thanks to its unique earthy taste.

Hojicha tea is “green” in more ways than one!

It may be popular for its nutty, smoky flavor today, but Hojicha tea actually came about for eco-sensitive reasons. At the start of the 20^th century, Japan’s new trade policies had caused green tea exports to shoot up. To meet the sudden increase in demand, Japanese tea farmers started using mechanical harvesting machines. This helped them produce valuable green teas like Sencha, Gyokuro, Matcha, Genmacha at a fraction of the cost. However, there was a flipside – mechanized harvesting would create a lot of waste, something that’s a big no-no in the island nation. A tea merchant in Kyoto came up with a solution in the 1920s. He roasted the stems, stalks and leftover tea leaves over charcoal, and Hojicha was born. It wasn’t long before tea drinkers had discovered its irresistible smoky aroma and well-rounded flavor, and Hojicha green tea had become a crowd pleaser!

loose leaves of Japanese Hojicha roasted tea

5 best Hojicha teas to buy online

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organic

Mighty Leaf Organic Hojicha Green Tea, 100 Tea Pouches

Organic Hojicha is made of organic Japanese bancha tea, a mixture of pan-fired and slow roasted green tea leaves that yield a rich, nutty brew. Escape and find your retreat overlooking a glistening Lake Motosuko in the Japanese Alps with this organic green tea. Within the green tea category, Organic Hojicha contains lower levels of caffeine.

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The Republic of Tea Big Green Hojicha Full-Leaf Tea

Flat roasted green leaves yield a tea with an earthy aroma and nutty flavor that is robust yet subtle. A classic tea rarely found outside of Japan. Use 1 teaspoon of Big Green Hojicha Full-Leaf tea per 6 ounces of water. Steep for 2-4 minutes. For iced tea, double the amount of tea and pour over ice. Gluten Free, Kosher Certified, Sugar Free, Carb Free, Non-GMO Project Certified

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Yamamotoyama Loose Hoji-Cha Roasted Green Tea, 3.5-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)

Yamamotoyama tea bag products are 100% natural and Kosher Certified. Hoji-Cha Loose Tea's robust flavor comes from the gentle roasting of the tea leaves.

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Hojicha

Green tea from Japan that is rendered brown by roasting Bancha (a summer crop tea, harvested after Sencha) tea leaves. An Adagio customer favorite, with a toasty nutty flavor and slightly mesquite note. Earthy and warm quality, soothing, clean finish.

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Grasshopper Green

This refreshing blend consists of peppermint and Hojicha, a roasted Japanese green tea. Chocolate mint grasshopper confections capture the essence of this tea. There's no flavoring involved, but the peppermint leaves pull chocolate notes from the roasted tea resulting in a guilt-free decadent taste and aroma. Hojicha is naturally lower in caffeine than other green tea..

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