How to Brew Hojicha Properly (the Roasted Green Tea That Drinks Like Coffee)
Hojicha is the Japanese green tea that drinks like coffee. It's made from the same tea plant as sencha and gyokuro, but the leaves are roasted at high temperature after steaming, which transforms the flavor from grassy and vegetal to nutty, toasty, and caramelized. The caffeine content is much lower than other green teas (most of the caffeine degrades during roasting), and the cup has a warming, almost coffee-like quality.
If you don't like grassy green teas but want something in the green tea family, hojicha is the bridge. If you want a low-caffeine evening drink that still feels substantial, hojicha is the answer. If you want to introduce someone to Japanese tea who has only ever had black tea, hojicha is the entry point.
We don't carry hojicha yet, but our Peach Paradise is the closest caffeine-free roasted herbal we have — the same low-temperature brew applies.
This post covers what hojicha is, how it's different from sencha and gyokuro, and the brewing parameters that produce the best cup.
What hojicha actually is
Hojicha (ほうじ茶) is a Japanese green tea that has been roasted at high temperature after the initial steaming. The roasting step is what makes it different from other Japanese teas.
The processing goes like this:
- Steaming: Fresh tea leaves are steamed for 30-60 seconds to stop oxidation. This is the standard first step for all Japanese green teas.
- Rolling and drying: The steamed leaves are rolled and dried into the needle-like shape of sencha.
- Roasting: The dried sencha (or sometimes lower-grade leaves, stems, or bancha) is roasted at 180-200°C (350-400°F) for 5-15 minutes. The roasting darkens the leaves to a reddish-brown and creates the characteristic toasted aroma.
The roasting step transforms the chemistry of the leaf. The grassy compounds that dominate in sencha (catechin-derived bitterness, vegetal aromatics) are degraded. New compounds are created — pyrazines (responsible for roasted, nutty aromas), furans (caramelized, toasty notes), and other Maillard reaction products.
The result is a tea that tastes fundamentally different from sencha, even though it starts as the same plant.
The two main types of hojicha
There's a distinction worth understanding.
Hojicha made from sencha leaves: Higher-grade hojicha made from first or second flush sencha. The leaves are needle-shaped and uniform. The cup is cleaner, slightly more complex, with the toasty notes sitting on top of a subtle underlying green tea character.
Hojicha made from bancha or stems (kukicha-style): Lower-grade hojicha made from older leaves, stems, or a mix. The pieces are more varied in size and shape. The cup is more rustic, with a stronger toasted, almost coffee-like flavor. This is the more traditional style and is what most Japanese households drink at dinner.
Both styles are excellent. The sencha-leaf hojicha is more "tea-like" in the cup. The bancha/stem hojicha is more "coffee-like" and is often the gateway for people who don't think they like green tea.
What hojicha tastes like
The cup profile of brewed hojicha is distinctive:
- Color: Light amber to warm brown. Significantly lighter than black tea in the cup.
- Aroma: Roasted, nutty, toasty. Some lots have a caramel or brown sugar aroma. Almost no grassy notes.
- Flavor: Toasted grain, roasted nuts, light caramel, sometimes a hint of cocoa. Very little bitterness or astringency.
- Body: Light to medium. Less body than black tea, more than most green teas.
- Finish: Warm, slightly sweet. The toasted character lingers but doesn't overpower.
- Caffeine: Much lower than other green teas — typically 5-10 mg per cup, vs 25-50 mg for sencha or 30-70 mg for matcha.
The low caffeine content is one of hojicha's most distinctive features. It's the Japanese green tea you can drink in the evening without affecting sleep. Many people use hojicha as a coffee replacement after 2pm.
The brewing
Hojicha is forgiving. It's one of the easiest Japanese teas to brew well. But there are a few parameters that produce noticeably better results.
The 30-second summary
If you don't want to read the whole post:
- Water temperature: 195°F (just below boiling)
- Amount: 1 tablespoon (about 5g) per 8 oz water
- Steep time: 30-45 seconds for the first infusion
- Re-steep: Yes, 2-3 infusions with slightly longer times
Hojicha is more forgiving of water temperature than sencha or gyokuro. You can brew with water just off the boil (208°F) and it won't get bitter the way sencha will. The reason is that the roasting degrades the catechin compounds that cause bitterness in green tea.
Step-by-step
Step 1: Heat the water.
Heat water to 195°F. If your kettle doesn't have a temperature setting, bring it just to a boil and then let it sit for 30 seconds before pouring.
Some Japanese tea masters brew hojicha with full boiling water (212°F). The argument is that hojicha is robust enough to handle it. If you find your hojicha tastes flat at 195°F, try a few brews at 208°F or even 212°F and see which you prefer.
Step 2: Measure the leaves.
Use about 1 tablespoon (5g) of loose hojicha per 8 oz of water. If you don't have a scale, fill your kyusu (Japanese teapot) or strainer about one-third full of leaves. The leaves expand during steeping, so don't overfill.
Step 3: Steep.
Pour the water over the leaves. Steep for 30-45 seconds for the first infusion.
The first infusion of hojicha is the most delicate. It will have the most aromatic, slightly sweet notes. Don't over-steep it.
Step 4: Pour.
Pour the entire contents of the kyusu into your cup. Don't leave the tea sitting on the leaves between infusions — this causes over-extraction and dulls the flavor.
Step 5: Re-steep.
Hojicha re-steeps well. After the first infusion, you can add more hot water and steep for 45-60 seconds for the second infusion, then 60-90 seconds for the third. By the third infusion, the flavor will be noticeably lighter.
Some Japanese tea drinkers get 4-5 infusions out of a single batch of hojicha. The later infusions are less complex but still pleasant.
The brewing method options
Kyusu (Japanese side-handle teapot)
The traditional method. A small kyusu with a built-in strainer is ideal. The side handle keeps your hand away from the hot body. Brew 30-45 seconds for the first infusion.
Teapot with strainer
If you don't have a kyusu, any small teapot with a strainer works. A Western-style teapot with a removable metal strainer works fine.
Tea strainer in cup
For a single cup, a tea strainer or infuser basket works. Just put the leaves in the strainer, place it in your cup, pour the water, and steep.
Cold brew
Hojicha cold brews beautifully. Use 2 tablespoons (10g) per 16 oz of cold water, refrigerate for 6-8 hours, and strain. The resulting cold-brewed hojicha is smooth, slightly sweet, and very refreshing. Excellent for summer.
The common mistakes
Mistake 1: Using water that's too cool.
If you brew hojicha at 170°F or lower, you'll get a flat, under-extracted cup. Hojicha is robust enough for hot water — use 195°F or above.
Mistake 2: Steeping too long on the first infusion.
30-45 seconds is enough for the first infusion. Going to 2-3 minutes makes the cup taste woody and dull.
Mistake 3: Not re-steeping.
Hojicha is meant to be re-steeped. If you brew once and discard the leaves, you're throwing away half the value. Get at least 2-3 infusions from a single batch.
Mistake 4: Storing hojicha improperly.
Hojicha is more shelf-stable than sencha or gyokuro because the roasting reduces moisture content. But it still goes stale within 6 months of opening. Keep it in an airtight container, away from light and moisture. Don't store it in the refrigerator (moisture and odors).
When to drink hojicha
Hojicha is versatile. Here are the most common occasions:
- Evening relaxation: The low caffeine content makes hojicha ideal for evening drinking. Most people can drink hojicha 2-3 hours before bed without sleep disruption.
- With dinner: Hojicha is the traditional Japanese dinner tea. The roasted flavor pairs well with savory food. It doesn't overpower delicate dishes the way black tea can.
- After meals: The mild astringency of hojicha makes it good for digestion after a heavy meal.
- As a coffee alternative: If you want a hot drink in the afternoon that won't keep you up at night, hojicha is the closest you'll get to coffee in the green tea family.
- In summer: Cold-brewed hojicha is one of the most refreshing summer drinks. Slightly sweet, slightly toasty, served over ice.
The verdict
Hojicha is the Japanese green tea for people who don't think they like green tea. The roasted character makes it approachable, the low caffeine makes it versatile, and the ease of brewing makes it forgiving.
If you've only had sencha or matcha, hojicha will surprise you. The flavor profile is fundamentally different — more toasty and nutty than grassy and vegetal, more "tea that's been kissed by a campfire" than "tea that tastes like a fresh garden."
If you've only had black tea or herbal tea, hojicha is a good entry to Japanese green tea. The roasted character is more familiar than the grassy character of sencha.
Buy a small bag (50-100g) from a Japanese tea specialist or a roaster who sources direct. Brew it at 195°F for 30 seconds. See what you think.
How to brew a proper pot of hojicha (full tutorial): /blogs/news/how-to-brew-a-proper-pot-of-hojicha
The story of Japanese sencha (origin parallel): /blogs/news/the-story-of-japanese-sencha
How to brew gyokuro properly (shade-grown tea parallel): /blogs/news/how-to-brew-gyokuro-properly
Brew slow. Sip slow. Roasted, warm, low-caffeine.