Description
What is Hojicha?
Hojicha (焙じ茶) meaning ‘roasted tea’ ,is still a green tea although it is not green in colour. This type of tea is, unlike common green tea, brown in colour as the leaves are roasted in order to achieve their unique character and nutty flavour. Hojicha can originate from either Sencha, Bancha or Kukicha but most often one would find it made from the slightly bigger and coarser leaves of the sun- grown Bancha or Kukicha. As these leaves are more dense and show a firm structure they are not so heat sensitive and can easily be further processed by roasting after steaming and drying. For roasting the tea leaves evenly a charcoal or sand roasting technic is often used for the final step. By bringing the tea to a high temperature almost all of the tea’s caffeine is extracted from the leaves. This makes Hojicha a wonderful drink throughout the day and especially suitable for the evening. Due to its roasted flavor it is often consumed by people who want to change from coffee to tea.
Farmer Profile
Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.
Tea Cultivation, Processing and Brewing Guide
English (UK) 
Français
Obubu Tea –
Reviews by tea professionals and enthusiasts:
“The dry leaves have a peppery, smoky aroma with notes of seasoned wood and a hint of brown sugar.
The golden infusion has a rich aroma of roasted nuts and smoky wood with a rich, smooth taste of roasted nuts and sunflower seeds, a thick and savory umami, and a long savory finish. The rich and savory aroma and taste you can sink your teeth into carries through two infusions. A third infusion is worth tasting as it begins to take on a green vegetal flavor and aroma and the liquor color becomes pink and gold” – Heather Porter, 2016
“My first Hojicha! Absolutely fantastic, you get the grassy, melon, tropical notes I like in a Sencha but with a toasty undertone to it”- Kevin, Yunomi reviewer, 2016
“This is first houjicha I really like of all houjichas I’ve drunk so far. It’s complex, refreshing tea. The reason for that might be the fact that houjicha is normally made of bancha tea leaves (which is considered as the lowest grade of all Japanese teas) whereas in this one Sencha tea leaves were used.
First thing that hits you even before you take your first sip is the dominance of roasted and nutty aroma in this tea. It’s very well balanced, it does not bother you as in some other houjichas. Similar to aroma taste is dominated by roasted and nutty flavors too. It’s refreshingly sweet, with no sign of astringency. The mouthfeel is delicately sweet”- Mehmet Emin Akyuz, 2015
“I have had the opportunity to try MANY different hojicha. Some I’ve liked better than others (although I can’t really recall ever not liking a hojicha that I’ve tasted.) But this Hoji Cha Gold – also called Houjicha Gold – from Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms is one of the very best, if not THE best, that I’ve tried!
What makes this tea different? This houjicha consists of only roasted Sencha leaves (rather than a combination of Bancha and Sencha, or just Bancha leaves) … maybe that’s the reason for the better flavor. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I taste a really deliciously sweet, roasty-toasty, nutty flavor. I taste not just nutty flavors, but hints of caramel and even a slight floral tone that is interesting.” – by Sorosi Tea Sisters, 2014