Hojicha
Wikipedia: Hojicha | Teaviews: hojicha-teaLast Updated: Mar. 12, 2014
↑About Hojicha
Hojicha(ほうじ茶), sometimes spelled houjicha or written hoji cha, is a Japanese style of roasted green tea. The level of roast varies, but tends to be heavier than most roasted oolongs, giving the leaves and tea an appearance, flavor, and aroma totally distinct from most green teas, and indeed, from any other teas.Hojicha is a relatively new style of tea; it probably originated around 1920. There is one story that a Japanese merchant wanted to find a way to sell stale bancha, and invented hojicha as a way of turning this tea into something that could be sold; however, RateTea was unable to find a reliable source to verify this story and it may be a myth.
Hojicha is usually made by roasting bancha, but is sometimes made from sencha, kukicha, or other varieties of green tea. If hojicha is created out of mature, winter leaves harvested in spring, we classify it as Kyobancha, rather than in this category. Hojicha made out of kukicha (made exclusively or primarily from twigs and stems) is also called hoji-kukicha, pictured below to the right.
The leaves of hojicha are a deep, rich brown color and often have a flakey appearance. The tea brews a dark brown color, the flavor is mild, and the aroma is rich and toasty and lacks the vegetal tones characteristic of most green teas. The level of roast can vary greatly; some hojicha can have a smoky quality as well. The aroma of dark-roasted hojicha can be remarkably similar to the aroma of coffee, although hojicha has a definitively milder flavor.
The roasting process destroys much of the caffeine, greatly lowering the caffeine content, and making this tea an excellent choice for those seeking a low-caffeine tea. The darker the roast, the less caffeine. Hojicha made from kukicha (twigs) is also lower in caffeine.
↑Recent Hojicha Reviews — RSS
I love teas with a toasted flavor like this. This tea is certainly a great example of a good hojicha. This tea is sweet and thick bodied, slightly astringent in a good way, and of course has that wonderful toasted flavor. The aroma is very nice and also has the toasted smell. This tea is yet another old tea I'm reviewi...
Read Full ReviewI was very impressed by this tea. The only other hoji-cha I've tried was from YamaMotoYama, and I enjoyed it. But, this had a more toasty, well-rounded scent to it. The leaves differed more in their shape and appearance, which made it look more natural. The tea also had a more nuanced flavor.
It wasn't that expensi...
Organic Ho-ji Cha Kamakura from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Hojicha – Region: Kanagawa, JapanDec. 30th, 2019
This is a very nice hojicha. It is pleasantly roasty, but there is some complexity (dashes of soy sauce and caramel) and the underlying bancha comes thru well. The aroma is woody and fresh.
Read Full ReviewAn excellent roasted twig tea, crisp flavor and complex aroma! Probably my favorite roasted twig tea (i.e. not roasted leaf tea) that I have ever had.
I tend to always like hojicha, but this was one of the more interesting batches I've tried in a while.
This one is a roasted kukicha (twig tea) and the roast look...
I love the quality of the wellness products available at Mood & Mind.
So a while back when I found that they offered a few teas, I immediately ordered their Houjicha.
I was not disappointed. Roasted leaves and twigs smell subtle but also rich.
Brews up a nice brown color with flavors that remind me of Autumn. ...
Read More Reviews of Hojicha (53) ...
↑Top Reviewers
Rank | User | # | % |
1 | Alex Zorach | 16 | 34 |
2 | Amanda | 7 | 15 |
3 | Sylvia | 5 | 11 |
4 | E. Alex Gerster | 3 | 6 |
5 | Mariko | 2 | 4 |
Review 3 teas to get on this list!
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↑Most-Rated Hojicha
Hoji-cha, Roasted Green Tea (Loose)
Brand: | Yamamotoyama |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | Japan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)
Brand: | Yamamotoyama |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | Japan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
Organic Ho-ji Cha Kamakura
Brand: | Upton Tea Imports |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | Kanagawa, Japan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
↑Top-Rated Hojicha
Houjicha Tea
Brand: | Mountain Rose Herbs |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)
Brand: | Yamamotoyama |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | Japan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
Houjicha Roasted Green Tea
Brand: | Wegmans |
Style: | Hojicha |
Region: | Japan |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |