Teas / green / Hōjicha (Roasted Green Tea)

Hōjicha (Roasted Green Tea)
🇯🇵 Japan

Hōjicha (Roasted Green Tea)

ほうじ茶 · Hōjicha

hojicha

Hōjicha — literally "roasted tea" — is a Japanese green tea finished by charcoal roasting at around 150 °C in a porcelain pot. The base material is typically lower-grade leaf — bancha from the second harvest or later, but sencha and kukicha are also used. The roast process was discovered in 1920 by accident when a Kyoto merchant had unsaleable bancha and tried roasting it; the nutty, toasty, sweet, low-bitterness cup that resulted made it a popular after-dinner tea across Japan. The roast also lowers caffeine, making hojicha suitable for children and the elderly.

Quick facts

Region
Kyoto
Harvest year
2025
Harvest season
summer

Brewing

Leaf
3.0 g / 100 ml
Water
90°C
Rinse
no
Gongfu steeps (s)
30, 45, 60, 90
Western (min)
1.5

Per Wikipedia — brew at 82 °C for 30 sec to 3 minutes. The roasting destroys most of the catechins and lowers caffeine, making hojicha gentle enough for children and the elderly and a popular after-dinner tea. Tolerates much hotter water than other Japanese greens.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
toasted nut, caramel, sweet wood
Flavor
nutty, toasty, sweet, low astringency
Mouthfeel
smooth, light
Finish
warming, sweet

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Ippodo Tea 🇯🇵 Japan
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Path of Cha 🇺🇸 United States
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Yunomi 🇯🇵 Japan