This houjicha is a mixture of leaves and stems, it is picked during the first (spring) harvest which is quite rare - usually more affordable tea from later harvests would be used.

It is organically grown by Kawaji san in Kagoshima prefecture and is the only tea that we have been using at the teahouse since opening in July 2016.

The flavour profile is distinctly focused on being roasted - very chocolatey and almost nutty - and is delicious brewed with water as well as with Bonsoy soy milk as our Houjicha Soy.

Houjicha Background Information:
Houjicha means roasted tea. Although its colour is brown due to the roasting process, houjicha is still a Japanese green tea as it is not oxidised or fermented. It is low in caffeine due to the roasting process, meaning it is ideal to drink at any time of the day and by people of any age, and houjicha is said to be especially good for our bodies during the cold winter season too. There are two main types of houjicha - one contains mainly leaves with little to no stems, whereas the other contains a much higher proportion of stems (sometimes known as kukicha or kuki houjicha). Kuki houjicha tends to be lighter in flavour but the high proportion of stems also contribute some sweetness to the flavour profile.