The Leaf
From green leaf to roasted cup
Hojicha starts as ordinary Japanese green tea. Roasting, called kariage or hojiki roasting, is what turns it into hojicha.
Sourcing and grade
Hojicha is traditionally made from bancha, the later, coarser harvest of the tea plant, along with stems and twigs left over from processing finer teas. This lower-grade leaf is exactly what roasting is good at transforming.
Roasting evens out the rougher, more astringent character of bancha leaf, so a humble harvest becomes a smooth, balanced cup. We choose leaf lots for how well they roast, not for how they would taste unroasted.
How the roast works
Kariage roasting drum-roasts the leaf at high heat, well above what other Japanese green teas experience. Three things happen at once.
Color shifts
Chlorophyll breaks down under heat, turning green leaf reddish-brown.
Caffeine drops
Heat degrades caffeine-bearing compounds, leaving hojicha naturally lower in caffeine than unroasted green tea.
Aroma forms
The Maillard reaction produces pyrazines, the same browning chemistry behind toast and roasted coffee.
Tasting Notes
Toasted grain
Roasted chestnut
Light caramel
Woody finish
Brewing Guide
Heat water to 175-185°F
Well below boiling. Hotter water pulls out bitterness rather than the toasty sweetness hojicha is known for.
Use about 1 tablespoon per 8oz
Adjust to taste. Loose leaf and powder both work with this ratio; tea bags follow the package guide.
Steep 30 to 45 seconds
A short steep. Hojicha releases flavor quickly because the roast has already broken down much of the leaf structure.
Re-steep if using loose leaf
Good hojicha leaf holds up for two or three infusions, each slightly lighter than the last.
Bancha (late)
Harvest
Kariage drum roast
Roast method
Reddish-brown
Color
Naturally low
Caffeine level