Country of Origin: Japan
Leaf Appearance: light brown, twiggy
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: stainless steel infuser basket and ceramic teacup
Liquor: very dark amber
Hojicha doesn’t taste or look much like a green tea, especially when compared to other Japanese teas like sencha or gyokuro. It is generally low in caffeine thanks to older leaves, an abundance of stems and roasting. This type of tea can usually take higher temperature water but I went with a slightly conservative 180 degrees. This one was particularly dark, making it perfect for a chilly fall night. The taste was roasty and sweet with hints of dark cocoa and maple syrup. Needless to say, this was a delicious and comforting cup. Although it was full bodied there was no bitterness or astringency. The wonderful thing about houjicha is that it is very well priced. This one is only about $14 for 100g. I love my gyokuro but it’s much too pricey to be a daily drinker. Yunomi.us recently moved their site to a new address (Yunomi.life vs the old Yunomi.us). Along with that change came an awesome new rewards program. I’m saving up my “leaves” to purchase some goodies soon.
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Dobashien No. 08: Hojicha (Roasted Green Tea), Wa sample provided by Yunomi.