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Hojicha

Wikipedia: Hojicha | Teaviews: hojicha-tea 
Last Updated: Mar. 12, 2014 

About Hojicha

Long, flat, flakey, dark brown tea leaves with a wooden-looking color and textureA typical dark-roast 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.

A collection of small pieces of dark brown twigs against a white backgroundThis hojicha is made exclusively out of twigs and stems,
making it both hojicha and kukicha.
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 rss icon

88 / 100

Everyday Houji-cha Roasted Green Tea from Maeda-en

Style: Hojicha – Region: Japan
Aug. 27th, 2020

I 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...

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80 / 100
Picture of Organic Ho-ji Cha Kamakura

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.

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89 / 100
Picture of Hojicha

Hojicha from Harney and Sons

Style: Hojicha – Region: Kyoto, Japan
Feb. 26th, 2018

An 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...

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87 / 100
Picture of Houjicha Tea

Houjicha Tea from Mood & Mind

Style: Hojicha – Region: ?????
Nov. 18th, 2016

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. ...

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90 / 100
Picture of Hoji-cha, Roasted Green Tea (Loose)

Hoji-cha, Roasted Green Tea (Loose) from Yamamotoyama

Style: Hojicha – Region: Japan
Oct. 4th, 2016

This is a very special tea. Its aroma and flavor transport you to magical places. I love this tea.

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Most-Rated Hojicha

Picture of Hoji-cha, Roasted Green Tea (Loose)

Hoji-cha, Roasted Green Tea (Loose)

Brand:Yamamotoyama
Style:Hojicha
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
21
5 Ratings
Picture of Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)

Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)

Brand:Yamamotoyama
Style:Hojicha
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
76
5 Ratings
No image of this tea

Hojicha

Brand:ITO EN
Style:Hojicha
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
65
4 Ratings
No image of this tea

Organic Ho-ji Cha Kamakura

Brand:Upton Tea Imports
Style:Hojicha
Region:Kanagawa, Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
5
3 Ratings
No image of this tea

Houjicha Tea

Brand:Mountain Rose Herbs
Style:Hojicha
Region:China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
85
3 Ratings

Top-Rated Hojicha

No image of this tea

Houjicha Tea

Brand:Mountain Rose Herbs
Style:Hojicha
Region:China
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
85
3 Ratings
Picture of Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)

Roasted Tea Hoji-cha (16 ct.)

Brand:Yamamotoyama
Style:Hojicha
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Teabag
76
5 Ratings
Picture of Hojicha

Hojicha

Brand:Adagio Teas
Style:Hojicha
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
67
3 Ratings
No image of this tea

Hojicha

Brand:ITO EN
Style:Hojicha
Region:?????
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
65
4 Ratings
No image of this tea

Houjicha Roasted Green Tea

Brand:Wegmans
Style:Hojicha
Region:Japan
Caffeine:Caffeinated
Leaf:Loose
40
3 Ratings

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