() is a
Japanese green tea. It is distinctive from other Japanese green teas because it is roasted in a
porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
pot over
charcoal. It is roasted at to prevent oxidation and produce a light golden colour, as opposed to other Japanese teas which are steamed. In general, the base of a hōjicha consists of leaves from the second harvest or after.
Description
Visual appearance
Dry hōjicha tea leaves are brown wedge-shaped needles. The tea is fired at a high
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer.
Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on ...
, altering the leaf colour tints from green to reddish-brown.
Infusions have a distinctive clear red appearance and nutty fragrance.
Taste
Once infused, hōjicha has a nutty, toasty, sweet flavor. The tea has little to no bitterness.
History
The process of making hōjicha was discovered in 1920 by accident when a
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ...
merchant had unsaleable
bancha
is a type of Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of ''sencha'' between summer and autumn. (The first flush is harvested for ''shincha''.)
It can be found in a number of forms such as roasted, unroasted, smoked, matured or ...
. By roasting the bancha, the merchant created a new flavor; hōjicha.
Hōjicha is often made from bancha ( 'common tea'), tea from the last harvest of the season. However, other varieties of hōjicha also exist, including a variety made from
sencha
is a type of Japanese ''ryokucha'' (, green tea) which is prepared by infusing the processed whole tea leaves in hot water. This is as opposed to matcha (), powdered Japanese green tea, where the green tea powder is mixed with hot water and th ...
and
kukicha. Kukicha (also known as or 'twig tea') is made primarily from the twigs and stems of the tea plant rather than the leaves alone.
Hōjicha infusions have a light- to reddish-brown appearance and are less
astringent
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pl ...
. The lower levels of astringency in hōjicha are due to the tea losing
catechins during the high-temperature roasting process.
The roasted flavours are extracted and dominate this tea: the roasting replaces the vegetative tones of other varieties of Japanese
green tea
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since ...
with a toasty, slightly caramel-like flavour.
The roasting process used to make hōjicha also lowers the amount of
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...
in the tea. Because of its mildness, hōjicha is a popular tea to serve during the evening meal, before sleep, and preferred for children and the elderly.
See also
*
Bancha
is a type of Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of ''sencha'' between summer and autumn. (The first flush is harvested for ''shincha''.)
It can be found in a number of forms such as roasted, unroasted, smoked, matured or ...
*
Japanese tea
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from ''Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since then ...
*
Kukicha
References
{{Teas
Green tea
Japanese tea