Japanese tea – Hoji-cha ほうじ茶

If you hear the words “Japanese tea”, green tea and powdered green tea probably come to mind first. They are well-known and are symbolic of Japanese tea. Compared with them, Hoji-cha is second place in terms of ranking and recognition.

I have recently realized how rich the flavor and aroma of Hoji-cha is. Hoji-cha is tea leaves or stems which have been roasted. Hoji-cha using stems is affordable and is sold at supermarkets for daily use. I had the opportunity to roast green tea leaves myself.

The roasting was done by slowly and gently heating the dry tea in a flat pan. The green tea leaves gradually became brown and a rich aroma wafted from the pan. Then I transferred the toasted leaves into a teapot and poured hot water over them to make the rich brown tea.

Different flavors and aromas from the green tea spread throughout my mouth and it made me feel relaxed. Hoji-cha has less caffeine than green tea and is gentle on your body. I hope you can taste it someday!

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