Hojicha: Roasted Japanese Tea That You'll Love

There is a Japanese tea that even people who "don't otherwise drink tea" will love. A tea that smells like warmth, caramel, and wood. A tea that is ideal for the evening, for children, for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It's called hojicha (ほうじ茶) and in Japan it's almost as ubiquitous as sencha.

What is hojicha?

Hojicha is an unoxidized Japanese tea that has undergone a roasting process at high temperatures (approximately 200 °C). The starting material is most often the leaves of bancha or sencha — teas from later harvests or older production — or stems (kukicha).

Roasting fundamentally changes the tea's properties. The green color of the leaves changes to reddish-brown, and the grassy, green aroma transforms into an earthy, nutty, and caramel scent. Tannins and bitterness are significantly reduced, and caffeine breaks down — hojicha has the lowest caffeine content of all Japanese teas.

Where does hojicha come from?

Hojicha was created in Kyoto around the 1920s. Tea merchants were looking for a way to give value to lower-quality tea leaves and stems that didn't sell as premium sencha. Roasting proved to be a brilliant solution — "waste" transformed into a delicious beverage with a unique character.

Today, hojicha is intentionally produced from carefully selected raw materials, and there are even premium variants roasted from gyokuro or kabusecha.

How does hojicha taste?

Hojicha is completely different in flavor from other Japanese green teas. The flavor is earthy and warm, like a walk through the forest in autumn, with nutty notes (subtle almond or hazelnut) and caramel sweetness (natural, without added sugar). You can sense a slightly smoky tone from the roasting and practically no bitterness — due to roasting, tannins are significantly reduced. The infusion color is characteristic — reddish-brown to chestnut, not green.

Hojicha and caffeine: Ideal for evening and children

Hojicha contains approximately 5–10 mg of caffeine per cup — significantly less than sencha (20–30 mg), matcha (80–100 mg), or coffee (80–100 mg). The low caffeine content comes from the fact that roasting at high temperatures breaks down most of the caffeine present in the leaves.

Due to its low caffeine content, hojicha is a welcome solution for evening drinking — it is traditionally assumed that it does not disrupt sleep. It is popular in households with children and is often chosen by pregnant and nursing mothers (in reasonable amounts). Similarly, it is popular with older adults sensitive to caffeine and those who prefer lower-caffeine teas.

How to prepare hojicha tea

Preparing hojicha is very easy — more forgiving than preparing sencha or gyokuro.

Classic cup of hojicha:

For preparation, use 3–5 g of hojicha per 200 ml of water (approximately 1.5–2 teaspoons), hot water at a temperature of 90–100 °C (hojicha can handle boiling water and won't become bitter), and a steeping time of 30–60 seconds. The process is simple: place the tea in a pot or filter, pour hot water, steep for 30–60 seconds, then strain and drink. Hojicha can be steeped 2–3 times.

Hojicha latte:

Hojicha latte is one of the most popular trends in Japanese cafes and increasingly in Europe too. To prepare it, first make a stronger hojicha base from 5–6 g of hojicha in 100 ml of water (90 °C, 1 minute), then heat and froth milk — oat, almond, and cow's milk all work well. Mix with the hojicha base and optionally add a teaspoon of honey or seasonal spices (cinnamon, cardamom). The result is a warm, creamy beverage with a warm earthy flavor — an ideal alternative to a strong coffee in late afternoon hours.

Iced hojicha:

Strong hojicha infusion cooled on ice is a summer treat. Add milk for an "iced hojicha latte" or drink it plain with ice.

Hojicha in the kitchen

Hojicha is suitable not only for drinking but also as an ingredient. In desserts you can prepare hojicha panna cotta, tiramisu, cookies, or mochi. Hojicha soft serve is an iconic treat in Japan, and hojicha powder (similar to matcha) goes well in cakes and cookies. A delicate hojicha glaze pairs beautifully with roasted meat or vegetables.

Types of hojicha

Not every hojicha is the same — quality and character vary:

Standard hojicha (from bancha/sencha)

The most common variant is earthy, smooth, and accessible — ideal for everyday drinking. Hojicha made from stems (kukicha hojicha) offers a more delicate, mildly sweeter profile with less earthiness. Premium hojicha (from kabusecha or gyokuro) is a rarer and more expensive variant — it retains more sweetness and umami from the original tea grown on shaded plantations, but the roasting adds complexity. It's a luxurious experience.

Hojicha vs. Sencha: Quick comparison

Conclusion

Hojicha proves that Japanese tea doesn't always mean a fresh green infusion. It is a tea of comfort, warmth, and calm. Whether you drink it as an evening ritual, as an alternative to strong coffee, or as the base for a homemade latte — hojicha is a joy.

Hojicha is a tea of a quiet evening, a ritual of slowing down. The entire range of hojicha — from standard to premium variants — selected by Areek and guaranteed by the CHAJIN seal, you can find on rishe.eu. From Japanese farmers to your teapot with the seal of quality from Rishe Tea.