Hojicha Matcha, Japanese Powdered Tea

Hojicha is a Japanese green tea with a unique preparation method: instead of the usual steaming, the leaves are roasted in a porcelain pot over wood charcoal. Under high heat, the leaf color shifts from bright green to deep reddish-brown, and the flavor becomes softer with nutty notes.

Hojicha was first created in Kyoto in the 1920s, and its popularity has kept growing ever since. Roasting reduces the caffeine and catechin content that typically give tea its bitterness and astringency — hojicha contains only 0.13 g of caffeine per 100 g of product, which is why it is often enjoyed in the evening.

In this line, hojicha comes as a powder, prepared like matcha — whisk it into hot water for a soft, slightly caramel taste with notes of cocoa and vanilla.