What is Hojicha?
Hojicha (which is the Japanese word for 'Roasted Green Tea') is Japanese green tea that is roasted over high heat after the steaming process that changes its flavor components and creating this wonderfully unique, roasted tea flavor that can't be found in other teas.
History of Hojicha
Hojicha originated in Kyoto during the 1920s, before the Hojicha was founded, tea farmers and merchants used to throw away their "leftover" trimmings such as stems, twigs, and broken tea leaves.
After its invention in the 1920s in Kyoto, the roasted tea leaves spread all over Japan, as it is a wonderful way of using the whole plant with no wastage while adding to their varieties of teas.
Today, we have many varieties of Hojicha to choose from, from the usual Hojicha made of bancha (common tea) and Kukicha (stems and twigs) to Sencha and even Gyokuro, which represents the best of Japanese Green Teas.
Hojicha Roasting over Charcoal
The Benefits of Hojicha Tea
It's Low in Caffeine (Good for Sleep!)
Unlike Matcha green tea and its other tea counterparts, Hojicha contains only a trace amount of caffeine due to the high heat roasting process, which eliminates most of the caffeine content in the tea, making it a very good drink even during the evening and as a coffee substitute.
Naturally Sweet
As with all other green teas, the main water-soluble components of Hojicha are tannin, caffeine, theanine (an amino acid), and vitamin C. Tannin is the source of the tea's astringency, caffeine as the source of its bitterness, and theanine as the source of flavor. But in the case of Hojicha, the amounts of tannin and caffeine are relatively low, which means the astringency and bitterness will only be in trace amounts, and also allowing the sweetness of the tea itself to come through.
Calorie-Free
Unlike its cousin Matcha and Sencha that has about 3kcal/1g of tea, Hojicha, which is usually made from the more mature leaves from the tea plant have practically 0 calories. Making it a tasty drink that could help with weight loss without sacrificing flavor!
Hojicha and Sencha