Hojicha: A unique roasted green tea

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Hojicha (also spelled "houjicha"), which translates to "roasted tea," is one of my favorite teas and one of the most popular every day teas in Japan² for a reason! Although characterized by its warm brown color and inviting, nutty aroma, this delightful tea is classified as a green tea. This is because green vs. black tea classification has to do with the production of the tea: black teas are fully oxidized while green teas are unoxidized.

What sets hojicha apart from other green teas is its unique roasting process, which not only gives it a distinctive flavor profile but also mellows the typical vegetal bitterness found in many green teas.

This means if you’re someone who finds matcha’s bitterness a bit overwhelming, hojicha offers a fantastic alternative with its sweet, smooth notes that are perfect for sipping any time of day.

Jump to:

• History of hojicha
• Production process
• Hojicha flavor
• Flavor pairings
• Health benefits of hojicha
• Forms and uses
• Bonus: Tea farms in the United States
• Sources

History of hojicha

Developed in the 20th century, hojicha is a relatively new addition to the world of tea, especially considering that tea itself was invented in 2737 BC. This roasted green tea originated in Kyoto during the 1920s, a period marked by innovation in tea production.

Before the 20th century, tea leaves were hand-picked, and the stems were often left behind¹. This changed with the invention of tea harvesting scissors. The scissors, which were essentially modern hedge trimmers equipped with a bag to catch the tea after cutting, meant that fewer workers were needed and tea could be harvested faster.

However, the tea harvesting scissors also made it difficult to selectively harvest only the leaves, so many undesirable twigs were included in the mix. Looking for a way to profit off of the bi-product of the harvest, a businessman in Kyoto began roasting the twigs over charcoal, transforming them into hojicha.

Production process

Hojicha can be produced at anytime in the tea plant season as long as there is sencha, bancha, or kukicha available; however, hojicha is most often made form the slightly larger, denser leaves of bancha or kukicha². Because the leaves are more hardy, they can withstand the process to produce hojicha.

The next step in the process after harvesting the leaves is steaming. Steaming neutralizes the polyphenol oxidase (PPO enzyme), which is the enzyme responsible for causing oxidization in the leaf (and browning in fruit!)⁸. Steaming is the primary method of neutralizing the PPO enzyme in Japanese green teas⁸ and is also preserves green tea's fresh flavor, aka it's responsible for the characteristic vegetal taste of many Japanese green teas⁸.

Today, hojicha is no longer roasted over charcoal. After steaming, the tea is roasted at approximately 392°F (200°C)⁴ in heated, revolving drum roasters similar to those used in the coffee roasting process⁸.

In his book, The Art and Craft of Tea (cited below and all over my piece in superscript), Joseph Wesley Uhl writes (because there's absolutely no way I could explain or paraphrase this better) that during roasting, the Maillard reaction is trigger:

a reaction that occurs when the leaves reach a certain temperature allowing their proteins and sugars to react with their amino acids to form molecules that create unique odors and flavors. In more simple terms, the Maillard reaction creates teas with a unique roasted nut taste

To continue citing Uhl, achieving the correct roast requires a lot of skill as it involves managing various factors such as pH levels, water content, and temperature and that "Chemist as University of British Columbia estimate that it may require the generation of one hundred to two hundred individual chemicals in proper concentration and ratio to form one specific flavor in tea"⁸.

Hojicha flavor

What does hojicha taste like? How similar is the flavor to matcha?

If you find traditional green teas like matcha too vegetal or astringent, give hojicha a try. Its light astringency and smoothness make it a delightful choice. The Maillard reaction that occurs during the roasting process transforms the tea's initial astringent, bitter profile into a mellow, nutty, and toasted flavor and aroma.

Also, because hojicha has had the tannins (more specifically catechins, a type of flavonoid and a primary class of antioxidants responsible for slightly bitter, astringent flavor of green tea), roasted out of it, it's a lot easier to brew than other green teas. There's a smaller risk of over-steeping resulting in a bitter, astringent cup.

While hojicha definitely does NOT taste or smell like coffee, the roasted, nutty aroma reminds some of coffee. Hojicha is even sometimes suggested as a coffee alternative.

Flavor pairings

• Roasted nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Caramel (especially, in my opinion, slightly burned caramel)
• Brown sugar
• Maple syrup

My favorite flavor pairing with hojicha is slightly burnt caramel. I developed a hojicha crème brûlée recipe that highlights the nutty flavors of hojicha and the bitterness of burnt caramel.

Health benefits of hojicha

During my research, I encountered numerous claims regarding the health benefits of hojicha.

What we do know is that hojicha contains less caffeine due to the roasting process.

Additionally, green teas, made from unfermented leaves, have the highest concentration of catechins. Catechins are a type of tannin found in all non-herbal teas derived from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and are known for their antioxidant properties⁵. However, the roasting process used to produce hojicha reduces the catechin content, resulting in fewer antioxidants than found in other green teas. Despite this, hojicha still retains some beneficial properties.

However, many claims about the health benefits of hojicha remain unsubstantiated. Here are some benefits that have been suggested, prefixed with "can" because these claims are a bit speculative:

• Can boost immunity²
• Can improve oral health²
• Can prevent cancer²
• Can relieve stress²
• Can lower blood pressure²
• Can reduce cholesterol²
• Can enhance heart health²
• Can improve skin health²
• Can aid in weight loss²
• Can relieve arthritis symptoms²

The majority of these claims come from a self-published book I found, Healing with Tea: Unlock the Ancient Secrets and Modern Benefits of Nature's Remedy, which lacks a clear author. Therefore, I advise approaching these claims with caution and skepticism.