Hojicha Japanese Roasted Green Tea

Hojicha is a gentle, roasted green tea from Japan that shows how skilled and flexible their tea culture is. Its flavour differs from the fresh vegetal notes of most green teas, making for a pleasant, smoky-sweet cup. This tea is mostly made from Sanbancha or third-flush Bancha green tea. It is then roasted traditionally, giving it low caffeine levels and delicious toasted cinnamon notes. It goes well with meals, can be drunk late at night, and is still a healthy choice because it has calming and antioxidant properties.

Production

Skilled tea masters still do the traditional roasting. Bancha leaves used in making Hojicha green tea are first steamed to preserve their colour and stop further oxidation, a process done for all Japanese green teas. They are air-dried after being steamed. The most important part of making this special green tea is the roasting process. In the past, the dried leaves were slowly heated over charcoal. These days, electric or gas heaters may be used instead. Compared to roasting coffee beans, this process is done at lower temperatures. The toasted flavours add to the leaf's natural sweetness. The roasting brings out compounds in the leaves that aren't as common in steamed green teas, like pyrazines, which contribute to the distinctive roasted smell. Hojicha has less caffeine than other teas because it is made from mature leaves, and the caffeine breaks down during roasting.

Health Benefits

There are several benefits to drinking Hojicha. While roasting tea may remove some antioxidants, the tea leaves still have polyphenols that are good for you. It's also appealing because it has less caffeine, which is excellent for people who want the health benefits of green tea without the energising effects. Because it has polyphenols, drinking Hojicha might be good for your heart, and its calming effects can help you deal with stress and aid digestion, which is why it is often enjoyed after dinner in Japan.