What Is Hojicha? Japan's Toasty, Low-Caffeine Roasted Green Tea
Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that has been roasted until the leaves turn a warm reddish brown. Roasting changes everything about the cup: instead of the fresh, grassy taste of most green teas, Hojicha is toasty, nutty and lightly sweet, with almost no bitterness. It's also known as a low-caffeine tea, which makes it a favorite for evenings in Japan.
What is Hojicha made from?
Our Hojicha starts as Bancha, a later, summer-harvest Japanese green tea. Bancha includes both leaves and some of the tea plant's twigs and stems. When it's roasted at high heat, the green leaves and stems turn brown and give off a rich, toasty aroma, a little like roasted nuts or caramel.
Hojicha is a relatively young tea. The most widely repeated story says it was created in Kyoto around the 1920s, when a tea merchant began roasting leftover leaves so they wouldn't go to waste. Today it's enjoyed all over Japan and has become a popular flavor for lattes and desserts.
What does Hojicha taste like?
Brewed Hojicha makes an amber cup that's nutty, toasty and slightly sweet, with a very clean finish. Roasting takes away the vegetal, grassy edge of green tea and almost all of its astringency, so it's an easy, mellow tea to sip, even for people who don't usually like green tea. It's also excellent iced.
Is Hojicha low in caffeine?
Hojicha is generally lower in caffeine than many green teas, though it isn't caffeine-free. It's usually made from later-harvest Bancha leaves and stems, which tend to have less caffeine than young spring leaves. Its low caffeine is why Hojicha is a popular evening tea in Japan, often served during and after dinner, and why it's a common choice for children and older people there. If you're comparing it with your other drinks, our guide to caffeine in tea vs. coffee has the basics.
How to brew Hojicha
Tea: 1 to 2 heaping teaspoons (about 3 g) per 8 oz of water. Roasted leaves are light and bulky, so a heaping spoonful is normal.
Water: 195–212°F. Unlike most green teas, Hojicha likes hot water, which brings out its roasted flavor.
Time: 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Start short and adjust to taste.
You can steep the same leaves again for a second cup. For more on that, see how many times you can re-steep loose-leaf tea.
Iced Hojicha: brew it hot and pour it over ice, or try our cold brew method for an extra-smooth, naturally sweet glass.
What to pair with Hojicha
Hojicha's toasty flavor goes well with grilled fish, rice bowls and other savory meals. It's also lovely with desserts like vanilla ice cream, roasted sweet potato or chocolate.
Hojicha comes in a sample size plus 4 oz and 8 oz bags, so it's easy to try. Shop Hojicha. If you enjoy Japanese green teas, you may also like Genmaicha, green tea with toasted rice, or Kukicha, a sweet stem tea; read more in our Kukicha guide. Or browse our full green tea collection.