Houjicha – Den's Tea website

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Houjicha

Houjicha (also, Hōjicha, 焙じ茶) is a kind of Japanese tea that has been roasted. It brews a brownish liquid, but it is still green tea. Houjicha is produced by roasting bancha or kukicha over high heat. The result is a savory tea with a refreshing, roasted taste and virtually no bitterness. It contains the lowest level of caffeine of any Japanese green tea.

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Ingredients

tea leaf

Den's houjichas are made from several sources. Houjicha Gold is first flush Bancha. Karigane Houjicha is a lightly roasted karigane kukicha (made from gyokuro). See more information about each tea on the individual product page.




Roasting

roasting hojicha leaf

Needless to say, the roasting technique is the most important factor in making a flavorful houjicha. It is not as simple as roasting with high heat. In roasting houjichas, a radiant heat technique is used which expands the green stems into a longer and fatter shape. This makes its aroma elegant and its flavor slightly sweet.




Tasting Profile

Den's houjicha have a spectrum of flavors beyond just the toasted flavor; one has a predominance of umami, another has more of a vegetable flavor; one has an earthy taste. Houjichas offer a variety of different experiences in aroma, flavor, and body feel.




What is Roasted Kukicha?

Kukicha, twig tea, and houjicha, roasted tea, are found only in Japan and are a rare type of tea in the world of green tea. Consequently, roasted kukicha is an even more unique. Roasted kukicha has become a popular, examples being our Houji-Kukicha or Karigane Houjicha.

The roasting eliminates the grassy flavor that some people don't like while retaining the umami. This harmony of its roasted, robust flavor and the umami mouth feel is especially appreciated at high end Japanese restaurants in Japan. Houji-kukicha is often served in traditional Japanese restaurants between or after meals to refresh your pallet.


hojicha


An Additional Health Benefit

hojicha with denchan

The roasting process used in manufacturing Houjicha produces pyrazine. Pyrazine is an aromatic, organic compound known to improve blood flow within the blood vessels and overall blood circulation in the body. This could help prevent the formation of blood clots. Additionally, the improved circulation gets blood to more parts of the body, thus warming you from the inside.

Learn more here  >



Hot Brew Houjicha Iced Tea

    1. Put one and one-half teaspoons of houjicha tea leaves into a tea pot. Add 4oz of boiling water.

    2. Steep as directed for hot tea.

    3. Fill a glass with ices cubes and pour in the houjicha to lock in the aroma.

 

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